As our staff has taken time trying to evaluate how best to do ministry this fall and winter, I catch myself wishing for things to go back to “normal.” Normalcy has been pretty evasive, hasn’t it? I keep hoping that we have turned a corner on this pandemic, but we are still in the midst of this fight. As of the writing of this article, we are still operating under a 25% capacity mandate from St. Louis County.
Regardless of the limitations, we still want to be able to offer some in-person Bible Studies on Sunday mornings and Wednesday night activities this fall. With the 25% capacity rule, we are having to get pretty creative, but I hope that you will be gracious towards the staff as we chart a course through these uncertain waters.
With all of that being said, we are excited to be able to offer some in-person Bible Study options on Sunday morning during our normal Bible Study time starting September 6. From 9:45 to 10:45 a.m., we will have three different class options you can participate in on campus. These classes will be taught by Dave Potts in the Dining Room, Doug Monasmith in our chapel, and Gloria Fox in our Fellowship Hall. Dave will be teaching through the “Explore the Bible” curriculum from Lifeway. Doug is teaching from the book of Genesis. And Gloria will be teaching on the life and ministry of Jesus from a Jewish perspective. If you are interested in attending one of these in-person classes, please sign up through our website or call the office if you want to reserve a spot.
We are going to offer these Bible Study options for six weeks and reevaluate after that time. These classes are not necessarily meant to replace your normal class meeting, whether it has been on Zoom or some other platform. However, we wanted to offer some classes on campus for those of you who are interested in attending a class in person.
Additionally, starting Wednesday, September 9, right after Labor Day, we will begin our fall schedule for our Wednesday night activities. From 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., we will have our Men’s Fraternity, Women’s Bible Study, Youth Small Groups, and some kids’ activities, including games, Bible study, and tutoring. We are not going to have our normal Wednesday night dinners in September. In addition, we are going to continue having our Weeknight prayer time online at 7:00 p.m., so we will not have a prayer meeting in the Dining Room. Instead, we would encourage you to join in with our men’s or women’s studies, or volunteer with our kids and teens!
Things will continue to look a little different around here this fall. However, in spite of all of that, I am comforted by the fact that God isn’t taken by surprise by any of this. He is still seated on His throne, and He is sovereign! Will you join me in praying to our Sovereign King that He will continue to work in and through our church this fall?
In Him,
Pastor Zach