Hi Ren Family,
I just wanted to take a few moments to update you on plans to reopen and other important details.
I’m sure we all agree that the novelty of the pandemic has worn off and now it’s just hard. At first, there was almost a certain excitement about sheltering in place and overcoming challenges. I imagine most of us, at this point, are worn out. I am!
I’m pretty tired of teaching to a camera each week and tired of not being able to gather for worship and fellowship. Even though I’m a fierce introvert I really miss just being around the church and seeing people. Though it’s been hard I have no regrets for being cautious in the spirit of keeping Ren folks safe.
Despite all the restrictions and not gathering physically on Sundays, it’s been a joy to see the many small groups stay connected through Zoom technology and other ways. Some of the groups are starting to gather safely in outdoor settings like parks and yards. I’ve also taken joy in hearing that the online services have been refreshing for many. Also, many have testified that this season has driven them into a deeper relationship with God. Financially, our spending—as expected—has gone way down, and our income—unexpectedly—has been overflowing. In many ways I would say Ren has flourished through this pandemic.
I’m sure that some of you reading this may not feel like you’ve flourished. In fact, you may have really slipped away from Christ and perhaps have become entangled in various sins. If that’s the case, I want to encourage you that Jesus is not pushing you away. There’s grace and mercy. Run into his arms and let him restore you. Also, if you need prayer or counsel, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Well, the plan “on the table” is to move toward a light reopening in August. I recently received feedback from almost all of the Core members about their thoughts on reopening. Over half said that if we reopened they weren’t quite ready to jump in. This is understandable and I fully support that. Though the church has different feelings on reopening it’s a perfect opportunity to respect one another’s decisions.
For the half that are ready to meet, we will open the doors in early August (stay tuned for an exact opening date). Because capacity is limited to 125 we will require you to preregister. The week leading up to opening we will send out a newsletter with a preregistration link, so keep an eye out for that.
Besides registering in advance there will be several guidelines that we all must be careful to follow. You may feel like certain guidelines aren’t necessary—and that’s fine—but if you attend you should be ready to follow guidelines carefully in the spirit of “community consideration”. The guidelines may personally inconvenience us but exist for the “whole”.
1. Face masks must be worn at all times. Exceptions would be made for those who are speaking or singing, while they are on stage. By the way, the chairs will be very far away from the stage.
2. Everyone must enter through the front door and leave through side door. No coming and going through the back door. We will have staff serving at the doors to assist.
3. Hand sanitizing stations will be all over the building for your convenience.
4. Bathrooms will be restricted to one person at a time and upstairs bathrooms only. The lower level bathrooms and lounge will all be closed off.
5. No kids ministry yet. Children can attend with parents as long as parents keep them by their side quietly during the service. Most parents aren’t planning on doing this but it’s an option.
6. Service will be at 11 am and will be on the shorter side, aiming for one hour. Doors will open at 10:45. The reason for the shorter “in and out” approach is to reduce the use of the bathroom as much as possible. Experts say that the smaller a space is, the greater the risk of the virus spreading. That’s why we will have people essentially in two spaces: cafe and sanctuary. We will also have some windows open to help with air flow.
7. The format will be a couple songs, a short teaching and a few other pieces like testimony, prayer, welcome and so on. Those participating in the service won’t be sharing mics, by the way.
8. It should be noted as well that anyone who has recently travelled from out of the RI-Mass-Conn region should wait at least 2 weeks before attending. And no one should attend if they have any of the classic COVID-19 symptoms.
9. The music component of the gathering will not be as lengthy as usual. Singing out loud without a mask has been proven to be one of the worst ways to spread the virus, along with shouting like at a sports event. Some measure of singing can happen with masks on but I know, personally, I don’t even enjoy talking with a mask.
10. At least to start, we won’t be serving coffee. In fact, most of the Sunday teams won’t be necessary for a while. We are going to have one volunteer team to begin that will work together to do everything necessary, including cleaning up after everyone is gone.
I realize these restrictions are not ideal. But this is what we have decided on for this season. Restrictions may be lighter once we hit Sept-Oct. Hopefully, by January many of these restrictions will be lifted. We are taking it one month at a time.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention, we will do some sort of online experience for those who are not ready to gather physically. We are planning to do a virtual livestream (like FaceBook live) so that everyone can be together at the same time. We will basically set up a few cameras and shoot what is happening in the building. The quality may not be quite as good as what we’ve been doing, especially the audio for the music, but it will eliminate pre-recording production and make it more manageable for the Ren staff. We will send you details beforehand.
While none of this is ideal, I am excited to gather on Sundays. Just to be together in the same room feels like a gift. The pandemic has certainly made us all appreciate what a blessing it is to meet as a church. I think when things are back to normal we will find that we treasure fellowship more than we ever have!
For the fame of Jesus,
Pastor Scott