Dear FOC Church Family,

We're excited that we will finally meet together again for worship in person on Sunday, May 31! We want to welcome you all back in the safest and most comfortable way that we can. It will be tough to beat the comfort of your own home! We encourage you to read through this a couple times to catch all the information:

First, let me begin by asking you to be "full of grace" and loving as we begin the process of reopening. It would be easy for a time like this to divide us, so please be kind and understanding in this process. For some, it will seem too slow and can create frustration. For others, it will seem too fast and reckless. We want to speak to any and all concerns.

Second, this is our "plan," which is to say, there could be events that delay our planned re-opening or in the coming months, could make us shut down again. The most obvious example would be if the virus "rebounds" and there are many infected and dying. We will adjust and adapt as best as we can!

If you make the decision that you do not feel comfortable attending, we completely understand. We are thankful that our services will continue to livestream at 8 AM and 10:15 AM, and we respect you wanting to stay home for the time being. Obviously, if you feel ill or have risk factors that make you more vulnerable, please stay home.

If you are anxious to get back into church and worship, here is the scoop!

WHAT WE ARE DOING TO KEEP YOU SAFE

1) We are re-opening the Worship Center ONLY. This is limited to the 8 AM Classic service and the 10:15 AM Modern service. We will not be able to offer Nursery childcare nor Children’s Church initially, so please be aware of that.

2) The doors to the Worship Center will be propped open, so that no one has to touch the door and air can circulate better.

3) We will have seats spaced out in the Worship Center, so you are always at least six feet away from the next closest family. Please do not move the seats!

4) We will not be passing plates for offerings, but rather encourage you to "drop" it in the baskets on the way in or out of worship. There will be several around the worship area.

5) We ask that you pick up communion on the way in! We will give those instructions in worship.

6) We will be cleaning the chairs between the early and late services each week. Then we will also clean them during the week.

7) We will be cleaning the bathrooms as best we can between services.

8) There will be no passing of the peace, hand shaking, etc. for the time being.

WHAT WE ARE ASKING OF YOU

9) In order to attend worship on Sundays, we are asking that you use one of the links provided to "reserve" your spot:

8:00 am Classic / Reserve Seats
10:15 am Modern / Reserve Seats

Please make sure you put the correct number of your family that will be attending! If you don’t make a reservation, we CANNOT guarantee your seat. We only have a certain number of seats, so it is important that you follow this step. If you have any questions or need assistance making a reservation, please contact Jane Jenik in the Church Office -

10) We ask that you come early (10 minutes or earlier) to be seated. We will have Greeters meet you at the door and escort you and your family to your spot. A Greeter will also escort you out of the service once it is over. We are doing this in an effort to keep everyone safe and control the flow.

11) We ask that you wear a mask when you are inside the Worship Center. Studies suggest that the airborne nature of the virus is the most dangerous. If you have a child 5 or older, we recommend they wear a mask, but we understand that can be difficult, so we will be full of grace on those situations.

12) We ask that if you’d like to fellowship and talk with people, please do this outside in the parking lots. It is better to do that out in the fresh air and where you can get away from the crowd.

That is a lot to take in! I hope that this announcement brings you both clarity and joy. It has been several weeks, but I believe that we have a great plan. Please know this is a temporary plan - one designed to get us back to a "new normal." During this transition time, we will find things that we need to change or do a better job on. I encourage you to reach out to me or to your Elder to make suggestions on how we can improve. We will do the best we can to incorporate those suggestions but cannot promise to implement them all. 

On behalf of our amazing Staff, as well as our gifted congregational Leaders, I want to thank you for your incredible support for our church. I also want to thank you for being "full of grace" and patient as we navigate this new season. Blessings on your day, and I’ll see you May 31!

In Christ,
Pastor Mark Moreno
Senior Pastor