“Welcome Home - Services Video | May 17, 2020
“Welcome Home - Sermon Video | May 17, 2020
Back to church! For real! The "DO NOT ENTER" sign is down, and the "WELCOME" sign is back up! It will be a time for celebrating, tempered by the fact that we won't be back to normal, and we don't know when that might happen. Still, you can join us at 10:30 at the Tammany Oaks Church of Christ in Mandeville (or on our FB page) and safely celebrate with us!
After time spent in prayer and careful review of the Louisiana “Open Safely” guidelines for churches in Phase 1, the leadership met and decided on a plan to offer both “in-person” and “online” worship services beginning May 17, 2020. Below is a summary of the details…
Louisiana “Open Safely”
Worship services will continue to be streamed on “Facebook Live” for those that continue to shelter in place.
High risk individuals, those who are not feeling well, or those who may not feel comfortable meeting together again just yet should stay home.
In-person worship services will begin Sunday, May 17th at 10:30am adhering to social distancing guidelines.
There will be no bible classes on Sunday in the current Phase 1.
There will be no nursery or Wee Worship in the current Phase 1.
There will be no small groups meeting in the current Phase 1.
There will be no Wednesday night services in the current Phase 1.
We ask that you wait in your vehicle or stand on the marked lines as a family while waiting to enter church so that we can enter in an orderly fashion while still practicing social distancing.
We will have 2 designated “crowd managers”. They will be gloved and masked. One crowd manager will be stationed at the front door to open the door and minimize contact with a communal surface. The other crowd manager will be stationed in the fellowship area. These crowd managers are responsible for monitoring for safety, social distancing and guiding you to your assigned seating.
Masks are strongly encouraged for the safety and comfort level of all that attend. (Note: Singing projects particles farther than just speaking) The CDC has not recommended masks for children under 2.
Communion and Offering
Individual, pre-packaged communion bread and juice will be available behind each chair for you. The communion will be handled only by Bethany Lerille and she will be gloved and masked each week while it is distributed. We ask that you take your trash with you when you leave and there will be trash cans by the front door to throw away your used communion cups.
During our offering time, a song will be played, and our crowd managers will guide family groups to four different, spaced tables to drop your offering in a basket.
Miscellaneous Items
Children will need to be under high supervision by their parents or guardians. Your children need to be with you at all times. If they need to use the restroom, please escort them. All classrooms, offices, nursery, Wee Worship, kitchen, children’s hallway, and upstairs will be closed or locked. Please communicate with your children beforehand of these closures. If your child needs something to do during worship, please bring your own drawing paper and supplies for them. Nothing will be available at church.
Church members should not congregate before or after services at the doors, in the fellowship area, or the foyer. Please proceed to the parking lot as soon as church ends to visit and continue to practice social distancing. Crowd managers will assist in an orderly exiting by family groups to comply with guidelines.
Please do not enter the partitions in the fellowship area. This is designated as a “clean” space for our Hispanic congregation.
The bathrooms will be available for use and will be cleaned before and after service. Soap and hand sanitizer will be available for use. Please be cautious and limit use of the facilities as much as possible. A changing table for babies will be placed in the hallway next to the nursery. Please use provided wipes to sanitize the changing table after use.
The water fountain will be closed.
Coffee and donuts or refreshments of any sort will not be provided.
The church will have a professional crew cleaning weekly after our Sunday service. They will be using bleach- based cleaners on floors and bathrooms. Handles, light switches and surfaces will be wiped down. We will also be using a disinfecting and sanitizing mist to fog the air and clean our chairs.
Please practice social distancing when visiting with others. We know that we’ve missed one another and want nothing more than a hug or handshake, but we have to adhere to these guidelines for the time being. Please be considerate of that.
Again, at the present Phase 1, we will not have Sunday morning bible classes, small groups, or any Wednesday night services. It is not possible to practice social distancing in those settings. We will reevaluate these guidelines as we move into other phases and work through our first few Sundays together. We appreciate you and your willingness to keep our church family safe and comply with our government.
If you have any needs or concerns pertaining to these guidelines, please communicate those concerns to our leadership.
Remember, our inconvenience is nothing compared to the sacrifice our Lord has given free to us.
In Him,
Ambrose Ramsey, Matthew Vail, Paul Matherne, Mark Bundy, and Bethany Lerille
