Church Family News - Drive-By on July 11th and Reopening on July 12th

Church Family News - Drive-By on July 11th and Reopening on July 12th - journeychristians@gmail.com - Gmail

I wanted to let you know that I will not be able to conduct the church conference call tomorrow at 1pm as I have a conflict. I will, as I am sure you will, miss our connecting; but, I do look forward to our connecting for Noonday Prayer on Wednesday.

We have been blessed to have been able to connect, uninterrupted for so long, and I do want you to know that we should be back on schedule next Monday at 1pm.

Please share this information with those who have been connecting with us but may not always check their emails in a timely fashion.

Now, to the really big news, after talking with several members and church leaders, we are targeting July 12th as the reopening date for Zion Memorial.

DRIVE-BY ON JULY 11TH FROM 12PM-2PM

We are looking to make it a weekend event with a drive-by for members to come to the church on Saturday, July 11th, to walk thru the church building and see how we have prepared for you to return in a safe, sanitized, socially-distanced, mask-wearing fashion.

From 12pm-2pm, you can come to the church building, walk thru, and receive a take-out meal prepared by the Culinary Committee. The meals are for church members only as a way for us to begin reconnecting physically, although still socially distanced, with one another. We are not seeking to be exclusive of others. We are simply seeking to be inclusive of ourselves at this moment in time.

To make sure we can properly plan, you will need to call the Church Secretary, Jillian Benson, at 336-725-7390 to let her know how many meals you will need prepared and for who. Again, these meals are for church members only and the Culinary Committee is planning a very delicious meal for you to take home and enjoy.

The deadline to make your meal requests is Wednesday, July 8th. The church is open from 9am-2pm on Tuesday thru Friday. So, you can start calling in on this upcoming Tuesday.

CHURCH REOPENING ON JULY 12TH FOR 11AM WORSHIP SERVICE

On Sunday, July 12th, we will have worship service in the sanctuary with overflow seating in the fellowship hall. This approach is consistent with the information that was previously shared with you when we targeted first Sunday in June for reopening and, later, decided to postpone.

After our conference call, I reached out to various church leaders to address concerns that were mentioned and after seeing the execution of our social distancing and masking procedures at Sister Lula West's homegoing service, I believe we are well-prepared. We have continued to make progress on creating a safer and healthier environment by installing UV lighting in our five HVAC systems at a cost of approximately $3000 to help remove germs and contaminants such as COVID19 from the air circulating through the church. We are also purchasing a thermometer to check temperatures for those coming.

While nothing except staying in complete isolation is foolproof, I believe that with the leadership of the Deacons, Trustees, Nurses, Safety Committee, and Ushers, we have prepared Zion Memorial for those who desire to come back to worship service.

I need for all to understand that worship service will begin at 11am and we need for those coming to be seated prior to that time to prevent disruptions as our in sanctuary experience that you have only viewed via livestream or listened to via teleconference will be the same when you are in the sanctuary with us. I strongly suggest that you plan to be seated by 10:45am as the livestream countdown for service to begin starts at 10:55am. I usually have a pre-worship service prayer around 10:50am to welcome and usher in the Holy Spirit to guide us through our service.

We begin at 11am and typically finish between 11:45 - Noon, as outlined in the packet of information sent to you.

We will need for you to cooperate with the social distancing and masking requirements of the church. We will also need for you to refrain from congregating before, during or after service with those you do not normally interact with.

As I have told many, I am not the COVID19 police; but, as Pastor, I must do all I can to keep you safe and healthy.

If you do not feel well, stay home, even if your issues are not COVID19 related. We want to make sure that we create a hospitable environment for the time that we gather and do not want to spark any unnecessary concerns.

Also, I know some of you will have fears regarding returning. Please place your fear, mixed with prayer, on a scale of how you are currently conducting yourselves in your non-church lives. If you can safely go to work, go to stores, go to nail shops and beauty shops, travel on vacations or visit family and/or friends, I think you will find that the atmosphere at Zion Memorial will be as safe if not safer and your concerns, in my opinion, should be less rather than more in coming together with your church family.

So, be prayerful and let God lead you in making your decision.

Do at least come on Saturday to see the church building and get a delicious meal. I think you will be impressed by the measures that we have taken to protect your health as we seek to enrich your relationship with God through Jesus Christ as guided by the Holy Spirit.

I am excited about seeing all of you who can come and pray that God will continue to build a protective hedge around all of us during this time.

And, remember, God loves you and I love you too!

Be blessed,

Rev. Cain