2021 March news letter article

​Hey Church Family!
 
It is so good to be writing you approximately one year past when life took such an unexpected turn!  It was in March that we first had to look at how our church could safely respond and adapt to this virus.  Unfortunately, this time last year that meant suspending a lot of gatherings and pausing a lot of our in person events.  We’ve been creative, moved somethings outdoors, used technology and social media to move more virtual, all so that we could faithfully say the church never stopped.  In fact, the church adapted, worshipped, and moved beyond its walls!  While we certainly don’t want to be limited by our walls or neglect going beyond them, we are so excited to announce some plans to begin our in person gathering and fellowshipping!
 
SONquest children’s ministries are returning in person on first and third Sundays starting March 21.  We are so glad to have the opportunity to gather again and in an effort to steward these gatherings we will still ask our volunteers and children to wear masks, take temperatures, and have precautions in place to have not only a safe and secure environment for our kids but one that is full of fun and worship.  We are planning our Easter Egg Hunt to take place Sunday, March 28, at 3:00PM!  This event will be weather dependent so that we can have it outdoors and socially distant!  We would love to see our families come out on Palm Sunday and join us in what we so missed having last year!  On the horizon is VBS planning, and I would love to hear how our volunteers and families feel!  While it may be too soon to plan a traditional VBS, we are working on creative alternatives, compromises, and solutions to do as much as we can!
 
Our IMPACT student ministry has been meeting every other week in our Fellowship Hall and is moving to meet in person every Wednesday.  This way, as other clubs and organizations begin to resume and calendars fill up and schedules change, our students have more opportunities to gather, learn, and grow together!  We are also planning a Ski Trip on March 14!  This is a Sunday evening skit trip!  Our goal is to leave at 2:00PM and return by 11:00PM!  We will drive up to WinterPlace and cost should be about $50 per student.  If you’d like more info, please let me know; we would love for your student to join us!
 
As excited as we are to begin to see some gradual returns to normal, we know it is vital to balance all of this with caution and safety.  We want to see a return to normal, but don’t want to rush the process of regathering at all!  We are hopeful about what is on the horizon, and as always, want to hear how comfortable our families are.  If there is anything we can do to help, I want to know!  Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns!  I am praying for y’all, church family, and am excited to see what God has in store!
 
-Pastor Luke