New Sunday Timeline

I wanted to start by saying thank you. Those words seem so inadequate with everything that has transpired over the past 4 plus months. Your faithfulness and words of encouragement have been a great source of help, hope, and promise during these very strange times. I also want to say a huge THANK YOU to our worship ministries associate, Ben Savage, for the amazingly great job he has done in helping move our audio, video, and lighting systems forward as we have improved livestream and resumed in-person worship. I understand saying thank you can be a small gesture, but please know that I mean this from the depths of my being.

Shalimar UMC is unique in that we offer three different worship service opportunities each Sunday. We offer the Traditions Service, the Connect Service, and the Freedom Service. We have been able to continue each of these through Livestream and now we have in-person worship for our Traditions and Freedom service. I am so grateful that we have each of these expressions allowing each of us to worship in meaningful ways and to reach as many people as we can for Jesus Christ.

We are now working toward additional opportunities for in-person worship on Sundays. During this COVID-19 season, we are moving toward opening the Connect Service to in-person worshipers on Sunday, September 13. We are also striving to get the Chancel Choir back to singing (with certain limitations) during the Traditions Service as well. To foster opportunities for people to be a part of in-person worship as they are ready, continue our wonderful livestreaming, incorporate our Chancel Choir in the Traditions Service, resume in-person Children’s Church, and to continue online Bible Study opportunities, we are adjusting our service times in the Sanctuary. Here is our Sunday timeline beginning Sunday, September 13:

• Traditions – 8:30 am in the Sanctuary and Livestream
• Sunday School – 9:30 am via Livestream and individual Zoom classes (start times determined by each class)
• Connect – 10:15 am in the Sanctuary and Livestream
• Children’s Church – 10:45 am at Cross Corner
• Freedom – 11:07 am in the FLC Gym and Livestream
• Livestream Rebroadcast of Traditions – 11:15 am

Each service will continue to follow our COVID-19 protocols, be 45-50 minutes in length, and will be livestreamed. For those worshiping in-person in the Sanctuary, know that once the Traditions Service concludes, we will sanitize the room and prepare for the Connect Service. As we move into this new time format, we will continue to evaluate and look to adjust as necessary. We do not see any Sunday School or Small Group Bible Studies resuming in-person any time in the near future due to space, social distancing, and wanting to maintain the safest environment possible. That is the reason we will continue to provide a Livestream Sunday School lesson and facilitate Zoom resources for all classes that would like to meet that way.
Let us continue to pray asking our Lord to deliver us from the virus and to give us wisdom as we navigate ministry during this time. I appreciate the way you pray for each of our pastors and church leaders as we seek to lead, guide, and shepherd.

Again, I am so grateful for each of you and am so glad that the Lord has put us together in ministry for God’s Kingdom for such a time as this.

Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow!