Embrace Family,
After much conversation, thought, and prayer, our Lead Team and staff have decided to resume our in-person Sunday morning worship service on September 13th. We understand that our decision may sound overly cautious to some people who wish to resume sooner. However, after reviewing the responses from the survey, weighing the potential risks, and considering the needs of our people, we all agree this is the best decision in this confusing and unprecedented time. We also recognize and fully affirm the need for each family or individual to make the best and healthiest personal choice about when to resume in-person participation. Whether you are in the building with us or not, you are and will continue to be a valued part of the Embrace family. Keep in mind that September 13th is a target date and could change depending on the status of COVID-19’s impact in September. We will work hard to continue providing high-quality, engaging, and spirit-filled online worship experiences on Sundays at 11am. We will have a new online schedule beginning the week of June 28th: Worship on Facebook at 11am on Sundays; Prayer on ZOOM at 4pm on Mondays; Check-In on Facebook at 12pm on Thursdays.
Even though our large Sunday gathering will remain online, we do plan to begin offering a weekly in-person gathering on Wednesday evenings. Many of you have shared with us that you need to connect with your church family in-person. While we try to protect the physical health of our congregation and the community, we must also pay close attention to our mental, emotional, and spiritual health. We believe this weekly gathering will provide an opportunity for you to be encouraged, nurtured, and uplifted in the physical presence of your church family. These gatherings will take place outdoors on the Embrace lawn, as weather permits, at 7pm each week, beginning on Wednesday, July 1st. There will be worship, testimony, prayer, and sharing.
We will follow strict safety guidelines to ensure the safety of people who attend on Wednesday evenings. We will require all participants to wear masks and maintain a social distance of at least 6-feet from any person who does not belong to their immediate household. We will also ask participants to bring their own seating (yard chair, blanket, etc.) so there are fewer surfaces being touched by multiple people. We will make chairs available for those who need one and cannot provide their own.
In addition to our online and in-person gatherings, our pastoral team is available to meet via phone, video-chat, or in-person. If you need prayer, encouragement, or a listening ear, Kristina, John, and Tanya are available to support you.
We will also continue to equip and support our small groups during this challenging season. These groups can be a safe way to stay connected and be supported as we patiently wait for a vaccine and/or treatment for COVID-19. If you are not currently connected with a small group and would like to be connected, contact Kristina.
Unfortunately, we cannot resume in-person children’s and youth ministry at this time. We are following guidelines given to us by our denomination, the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church. They have recommended waiting to resume these ministries for the foreseeable future. We will be in conversation with our denomination and health experts to determine when we can begin safely offering these ministries again, even if on a smaller scale. The staff and ministry leaders are working to creatively support our young people through technology in the meantime.
We also cannot safely resume the Gathering at this point. The Kentucky Conference has recommended that churches do not serve food at any in-person gatherings until we have a vaccine and/or effective treatment for COVID-19. We will monitor this closely and plan to resume the Gathering when we are able to provide a safe environment for vulnerable people. In the meantime, we will continue to financially support organizations that are able to safely provide food and fellowship for vulnerable people in our community. Additionally, we will also continue to distribute food bags as needed to people in our community.
We are grateful for your patience and support as we figure all this out. Thank you for your willingness to make sacrifices for the health and well-being of our community!
-Pastor John
