June 13, 2020
Dear Cathedral Family,
Be devoted to tenderly loving your fellow believers
as members of one family. Try to outdo yourselves
in respect and honor of one another.
Romans 12:10 (TPT)
We’re resuming in-person gatherings this Sunday at 9 & 11am! I know that many in our church family are beyond excited to be together. I’m also well aware that many others in our church family aren’t ready for close-proximity interactions just yet. Wherever you are on the spectrum, it’s OK! As a family, we honor each other!
As I said early on, your spiritual and physical health remain our highest priorities. So, I wholeheartedly advise those in our church family who are at higher risk for severe illness or aren’t yet comfortable with large gatherings to please continue to worship with us at home online at 11am (via Livestream or Facebook Live).
In addition, I’m asking that everyone who chooses to attend in-person to outdo each other in honoring and respecting one another. You know I love you all dearly; however, Dean and I won’t be hugging or shaking hands, and we’ll be keeping our distance. We’ve asked our Dream Team to do the same while they are serving, for your safety and theirs. There’s “a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing…” (Ecclesiastes 3:5b)
We have implemented several protocols for your safety and in compliance with CDC guidelines. Here are important details for you to know as you prepare for attending church tomorrow:⠀
- Multiple sanitizing stations have been added throughout the building.
- Our Dream Team will be wearing masks, and we highly recommend the same for everyone who attends. (Masks are available upon request.)
- Seating is limited in the Worship Center. Every other row has been removed. Families are welcome to sit together. Please leave 2-3 seats vacant between groups. ⠀
- Front doors of the church will be ENTRY only; side doors and C Kids check-in doors will be EXIT only.⠀
- Floor plan changes have been put into place to create a unidirectional traffic flow.
- All rooms and restrooms are regularly cleaned and disinfected, before, between, and after services.
- Our Café will remain closed this Sunday.
- C Kids services and nurseries will not be available at this time. Children may sit with their parents in the Worship Center. Limited family seating will be available in the Chapel, with a live feed of the service.⠀
- Giving stations for tithes and offerings will be located in the back of the Worship Center. (Online giving and text-to-give encouraged.)
- Please opt for an air hug or air high-five.
- If you feel unwell or have a temperature of over 100, please stay home and worship with us online. (For the safety of others, would you consider taking your temperature before you leave home?)
Let’s all do our best to help everyone feel safe and comfortable by honoring these guidelines and respecting personal boundaries as we move into this re-entry phase. If we all continue interacting in a wise manner, we should be able to meet safely. I must say that our re-opening at this time really is an experiment. With the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests currently on the rise in SC, we’ll be actively monitoring the coronavirus situation and making changes as needed.
Would you join me in continuing to pray for wisdom, divine health, and protection as we move into this new phase? Keep praying fervently for healing in our nation and for the church of Jesus Christ to set the example of love and carry out the ministry of reconciliation. We know that WITH GOD, nothing is impossible!
This Sunday, we’re jumping back into our Designed to Overcome series. There’s so much in the story of Joseph’s life that pertains to times in which we live. I’m looking forward to what God has in store for us as we move into this next season.
I’ll see you Sunday – online or in-person!
Continuing to pray and listen,
Mike Lewis