News

Greetings, EMC family and friends! Thanks for reading our Wednesday church life update. Here are the things you need to know:

• Join us for Bible study and prayer tonight at 7 on Facebook Live (or watch the livestream on our website). Please note the following:
  • Each livestream begins 15 minutes before the service time to allow folks to get connected.
  • If the audio and video get out of sync, try refreshing the page or exiting the video and rejoining.
  • Clicking the ‘Bell’ button while watching our videos on Facebook will make sure you are notified whenever we begin our broadcasts.
  • For those who do not have the ability to watch the stream online, we can provide DVDs of the services.
• Please stop by the church this week to pick up your Fellowship Cups for communion this Sunday. If you are unable to come by, please let us know and we can bring them to you.
• Our special Holy Week “Stations of the Cross” self-guided tour on the campus will be available beginning the morning of Maundy Thursday (April 9th) and ending the evening of Holy Saturday (April 11th). Outdoor stations will be set up around campus for you to come read Scripture and meditate on Jesus’ work on the cross.
  • Please note: Section 1.3.vi. of Executive Order 121 permits traveling to and from a place of worship as an “essential activity.”
• All group activities on the church campus have been cancelled for the month of April. The church office will remain open for the time being.
• Please inform us if you know of someone needing any form of congregational care, such as meals, groceries, medications, church service DVDs, a simple phone call, etc.
• Tithes, offerings , and giving toward the Building Fund, Faith Promise, etc. can be mailed to the church office or submitted online:
  • Mail: 820 Old Okisko Rd. Elizabeth City, NC 27909
  • Online: ecityemc.org/giving.php

The April 2020 EMC Newsletter was sent out this morning. If you would like a copy of this digital resource, please contact us to request a copy.

That is all for now. We’re praying for you and are here for you if you need anything. God bless!

In Him. For you.
Pastor Sean

Greetings EMC,

As I sit here writing this Friday update, Governor Cooper is issuing a 30-day stay at home executive order for North Carolina beginning Monday. I don’t know the extent this impacts your routine or expectations for the next week. All I do know is that we must continue to face each new challenge with the peace, hope, and joy that comes from the Lord.

This new order will lead to even greater potential for isolation and loneliness. Those realities are also dangerous, so I implore you to continue reaching out to one another, especially those you know who are alone or in need of help. Though we must be distant physically, we must not be distant socially.

What follows is a list of updates on our church life for you to review. Please read all the way to the bottom:

• Sunday morning worship will be broadcast on both Facebook Live and our church’s website. It will follow the same format as last Sunday: A family-friendly lesson at 10:00 am, followed by a brief break for reflection and discussion, with the main service beginning at 10:15 am.
• Be sure to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow’ our Facebook page to stay informed, and click the bell button to get notified each time we go live.
• Please stop by the church this week to pick up your Fellowship Cups for communion on April 5th. If you are unable to come by, please let us know and we can bring them to you.
• All group activities on the church campus have been cancelled for the month of April, including the church-wide work day originally scheduled for the 4th.
• I am still assessing whether or not to keep the church office open. Last week we reduced the hours it was open, but those hours might need to be adjusted again due to the current circumstances. I will update you when those decisions are made, and any changes will be posted on our website and at the church office entrance.
• Please inform us if you know of someone needing any form of congregational care, such as meals, groceries, medications, church service DVDs, a simple phone call, etc.
• Please don’t forget your tithes and offerings along with giving toward the Building Fund, Faith Promise, etc. Mail checks to the church office or give online:
  • Mail: 820 Old Okisko Rd. Elizabeth City, NC 27909
  • Online: ecityemc.org/giving.php

I have been blessed to see a handful of you here and there over the last several days. Oh how I miss your faces and voices and hugs! It’s going to be a while before we get to be together in person again, but this too shall pass! Stay safe, hang in there, and keep your eyes on Jesus.

In Him. With you.
Pastor Sean

Greetings, EMC family!

As we find ourselves in the midst of a growing outbreak of coronavirus infections in our country, it’s important that we remain calm, vigilant, and above all else prayerful. The good people of northeast North Carolina are no strangers to storms. You are a tough, resilient people who know what it takes to persevere, and we will weather this storm together.

That’s the key: together. We have made it through the initial bands of change and adaptation. Services and groups were cancelled. People have been staying in their homes. Church services have been moved online. You have done amazing with all of this change. Your attitudes and response to it all has been a beautiful witness to the presence of the Holy Spirit who is at work in you. But things are going to get worse before they get better, so it is important that we all stay informed and in touch.

Below are a few things I’d like to update you on concerning our church’s life for the coming days. Please take a few minutes to read everything:

• Join us for our Wednesday Night Prayer and Bible Study Gathering on Facebook Live tomorrow evening beginning at 7pm. You can find the church’s Facebook page at facebook.com/ecityemc. Be sure to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow’ to see all of our posts and get notified when they drop.
• For those who want to watch, but don’t have Facebook, I have created a Live page on our website for viewing our livestreams. Go to ecityemc.org and click “Live” in the top right-hand corner of the page.
• To submit prayer requests, fill out the prayer requests form on the website. Go to ecityemc.org and click “Contact” in the top right-hand corner of the page. There is a link to “Request Prayer” that will send your message directly to the EMC ministry staff.
• Please remember to support our local businesses impacted by the economic fallout of this crisis. Many are having to radically adapt to new restrictions that are crippling their business. There are a number of helpful resources out there to assist you, including groups on Facebook such as the Elizabeth City Take Out and Delivery group, which has a running list of local restaurants still trying to operate despite not being able to offer dine-in service. Our very own Mike and Holly Audette with the Culpepper Inn have adapted by offering delicious takeout breakfast/brunch options throughout the week. Their menu is located here. Please consider helping them and other local small businesses as much as you can!
• The church office, in conjunction with the Visitation Ministry Team, is currently coordinating the development of a congregational care infrastructure that will be making sure the needs of our most vulnerable and marginalized are being met on a weekly basis. Please inform us if you know of someone needing any form of congregational care, such as meals, groceries, medications, church service DVDs, a simple phone call, etc.
• The staff is also prayerfully brainstorming ways our church can serve the extended community. We will be sharing those thoughts and plans as they crystalize and the Lord leads. Please be poised to do your part in this local body to be the church!

I know this is a difficult and scary time, but our God is greater than even the mightiest of foes! Stay safe, trust Jesus, and stay connected to one another however possible. I love you and am praying for you.

In Him. With you.
Pastor Sean

From EMC Preschool Director, Chelsea Wortman:

The EMC Preschool Board is following what Roy Cooper, the NC Governor, orders for NC Public Schools due to COVID-19. He announced today that schools will be closed through May 15, 2020. Since EMC Preschool’s last day is May 22, the school will unfortunately be closed through the remainder of this school year. We are very sad, but believe this is the right decision. We love and miss all our preschool families so much! This is no surprise to God and we can trust Him during this time of uncertainty.

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! This is a quick update for you concerning our plans for Sunday worship this weekend.

• We will be streaming our worship service live on Facebook. If you have not ‘Liked’ our Facebook page yet, please do so now (facebook.com/ecityemc). This will ensure you get all the latest news and notifications we post there throughout the week, and it will help you to more easily see and connect to our livestreams when we are broadcasting. We have decided to stick with Facebook Live because of its integrated social features. We love seeing your faces and comments show up in the chat!
• We have moved our service broadcast to the Worship Center. The livestream will feel more familiar and worshipful to you. We also will have more of our instrumentalists accompanying Pastor Jeff during the songs of praise and worship, as well as on-screen lyrics for you to sing along at home. (We ask for your patience and understanding for any technical difficulties we experience. Much of this is all still very new to us!)
• If you wish to avoid using Facebook, I have created a dedicated streaming page on our website at live.ecityemc.org. There you will be able to watch any livestream that is ongoing, or watch the most recently broadcasted stream. (Please note you will not be able to see any of the Facebook comment section from there.)
• For those unable to access our online streams, we will try to provide DVDs of our services to you. If you, or anyone you know, falls into this category, please inform the church office.
• Here is the order of worship for Sunday:
  • 9:45 – We will fire up the livestream so folks can begin to get tuned in.
  • 10:00 – Pastor Aaron will be offering a kid-friendly lesson for families with children to participate in together.
  • 10:10 – Parents will be invited to discuss the lesson and pray together while we reset the platform in preparation for the main worship service to begin.
  • 10:15 – We will begin our main worship service, which will include songs of praise and worship, camp testimonies from select youth, congregational prayer, and the morning sermon.
• Please don’t forget your tithes and offerings along with giving toward the Building Fund, Faith Promise, etc. Mail checks to the church office or give online:
  • Mail: 820 Old Okisko Rd. Elizabeth City, NC 27909
  • Online: ecityemc.org/giving.php

We still have no idea how long this season of church life will go on like this, but we are confident that Jesus is present and at work in our midst. Keep caring for one another and reaching out to each other, and please let us know whatever needs or prayer requests you might have.

In Him. With you.
Pastor Sean