Thursday Church Life Update

Greetings EMC family!

This week is finally Pentecost, the Sunday where we come back together in person to worship the Holy One by celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit. We’ve been talking about it for weeks, and the time has finally arrived. Here are the details for the service that you need to know:

Drive-in service – From the moment you arrive on campus, we will direct you to where to park. The service will take place in front of the FYF building and our parking attendants will get you where you need to go. When you finally get parked, just imagine your car as your seat in the Worship Center.
FM radio broadcast – We will be broadcasting the service on your FM radio. This is the best way to get audio to people in vehicles. We will let you know what station to turn to prior to the start of the service.
No one is required to remain in their vehicles, but we do ask that if you decide to get out of your car that you do your best to observe the social distancing guidelines we have all become accustomed to. You are more than welcome to sit in a truck bed, set out some lawn chairs, or even stand if you wish. Just be sure the people behind you can see, and keep in mind that the primary audio source will be an FM radio, not amplified speakers.
Bulletins, song sheets, and communion elements – You will be given everything you need for the service when you park. If you are not comfortable with being handed items, you can print the bulletin prior to coming (let me know if you want to receive an electronic bulletin) and pick up Fellowship Cups in advance at the church this week.
Start times: 10am for the livestream, 10:15 for the worship service – At 10 we will begin our livestream with a children’s lesson for families who decide to stay home and worship online. At 10:15 the worship service will begin and continue to be streamed online just like we have been doing the past couple of months. Please try to arrive no later than 10am so that we can get you in place before the service begins.
Offering collection – Our ushers will be bringing buckets around for you to give your tithes and offerings right after our congregational prayer time.
If you need to use the restroom, please use the side doors to the KidZone and Infused hallways.
Families with small children – We know it can be a challenge keeping kids contained in a vehicle for and hour or so. To help you with your unique challenges Sunday, Marcy will be providing activity bags for your kiddos.
Be sure to wear red! It is still Pentecost, even if we’re worshiping from our cars. Red is the liturgical color of Pentecost because it recalls the flames of fire accompanying the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2:3.
Come with both excitement and patience – As wonderful as it will be to be together again in person, please keep in mind that we have never done anything like this before (in my time anyway). A lot of work and preparation is going into making this type of service happen, but there will almost certainly be hiccups along the way. Please be extra patient and kind toward one another as we all do our best to adjust to unusual circumstances. This is a great opportunity to heed the Apostle’s call to clothe ourselves in love (Colossians 3:14)

If you have any questions or concerns prior to Sunday, please let me know and I will do my best to help you out.

A couple other quick things while I have your attention:

We will be honoring our 2020 graduates on June 7th. If you know of a high school or college graduate in our fellowship, please send that name to Marcy White (just to make sure we don’t miss anybody).
We will let you know the status of worship for June 7th and beyond sometime next week. We are taking it 1 week at a time and prayerfully seeking what is best. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Thank you once again for taking the time to read this. I know it can be arduous having to read through something like this each week, but I trust these updates are keeping you in the loop and feeling like you have a sense of what’s coming up. I love you all and continue to be here for you if you need me. See you Sunday!

In Him. With you.
Pastor Sean