Hi Families.

I wanted to touch base about the fall. At this point, we still don’t have small groups meeting on campus. Even staff is discouraged from being onsite any more than is absolutely necessary.

Here’s the plan for now:

Starting September 13, we will premiere new Sunday school videos each week.

We got a great response from our Virtual VBS videos, and our goal is to offer the same level of content and quality for these.

Be on the lookout for a follow-up email inviting children to play a part!

When our church begins allowing small groups to meet on campus, we will start exploring ways to have some in-person offerings. If we’re even able to do it at all, it will most likely be on a rotating basis where four small groups get to meet one week, then four more small groups the next week, and so on. The goal would be for every child/family who chooses to be able to have at least one in-person experience per month.

Four small groups of 10-12 children, each utilizing our four largest gathering spaces in the children’s wing, would allow us to follow safe distancing guidelines.

There would be a number of other protocols put in place – temperature reading before entering the children’s wing, only essential personnel (teachers and children’s staff) allowed in the halls, etc.

Yes, that is a lot to sort through. No, we don’t have all the answers at this point, but we are asking the questions.

Friends, I want us to be back together. I miss you so much it hurts.

But, as most of you know by now (if you’ve ever heard my MinistrySafe soapbox; heard my insistence on being a nut-safe campus; or seen that, even before COVID, all of us in Children’s were wearing gloves when handling your child’s snacks, pancakes, communion wafers, etc.). I take your child’s safety very seriously. Very seriously.

I want to make sure that the first time you bring your child back to us, you can trust that your child is in good hands.

Blessings to you,

Mark Burrows
Director of Children’s Ministries