Church Reopening Plan and Procedures

Date: 05/16/2020

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Our church activities are expanding! Beginning this Sunday, May 17, 2020, we will begin holding Sunday school classes at 10:00am. We will also provide a staffed nursery for newborns to age 3. We are still requesting that members and visitors do not attend the services if they, or their children, have been sick, or had a fever, in the last 24 hours. The teachers will escort the children to their parents in the auditorium following the Sunday school hour. 

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We will not run our buses, have our normal coffee and donut time before Sunday school, and there will be no Jr. Church at this time. Sunday and Wednesday evening services will remain the same with the addition of a staffed nursery.

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God has truly blessed our church family with no cases of the Coronavirus being reported among our members. We continue to pray for our community, our leaders as they make decisions regarding the reopening of our city, the quick recovery of those infected, and the health care professionals who are working to provide them with the best care possible.

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In His Service,

Pastor Jeff

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Church Reopening Plan and Procedures

Date: 04/30/2020

 

It is with great excitement that we make the following announcement.

We are going to meet for church!

The deacons and I have met, and due to the lifting of the Governor’s mandate effective April 30, we now have a path and plan to meeting together again in our building.

In order to protect those in our congregation, and our community, who are most vulnerable here is our plan as we move toward full services:

Sunday May 3, 2020

            11:00AM Worship Service

            6:00PM Evening Service

Wednesday May 6, 2020

            7:00PM Prayer Meeting/Bible Study

Sunday May 10, 2020

            11:00AM Worship Service

            6:00PM Evening Service

Wednesday May 13, 2020

            7:00PM Prayer Meeting/Bible Study

 

• During these services there will be no donuts, Sunday School, Bus routes, Choir, Nursery, or handshaking time.

• Please exercise social distancing when arriving for services.

• We are asking each family to sit together and to keep at least a two-chair distance from the next family group.

• We will also place the offering plates in the foyer, attended by a deacon, at the conclusion of the message and you may drop your offering in as you leave the service.

• We will dismiss each family group one at a time so that we can maintain social distancing after the service.

• We are encouraging those 65 and older, or those with pre-existing conditions or health issues, to stay at home if they are more comfortable doing so and watching via Facebook, which will be uploaded on Mondays and Thursdays. We do not want anyone to feel pressured to come before you and your family are ready.

• Masks and gloves are also welcome and encouraged for those who want to protect themselves in that manner.

• We will do our due diligence to clean and sanitize all areas used prior to every service.

• If you are not feeling well, please do not attend.

• Anyone, including children, who have run a fever within the last 24 hours should not attend the services. I trust that each of you will strictly follow the guidelines concerning this issue.

 

If our church members stay healthy, and the community does not see a spike in cases during these two weeks, we will begin to move toward our next phase. Please check our Facebook page and our website for further announcements regarding Phase 2.

 

All of these plans are obviously contingent upon there being no large spike in COVID-19 cases here in our community in the next several weeks. We pray that this is not the case, but we want to show our love for our fellow church members, and those in our community, by doing what is best to keep them safe.

 

God has been so good to us during this very difficult and trying time and I am excited to see how He continues to use Harvest Baptist Church in the weeks, months and years ahead. I am thankful for all of the prayers, support, calls, texts, and messages as we have tried to navigate through this pandemic. I look forward to seeing everyone this Sunday!

 

In His Service,

Pastor Jeff

 

 

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Response

Date: 03/19/2020

At 11:59AM today, Governor Gregg Abbot issued an Executive order prohibiting social gatherings of 10 or more people. In compliance with this order, and after much prayer and consideration, we will not be holding services as planned on Sunday or Wednesday.

 

Some may ask why we are doing this. This order is not an attack on churches, or Christianity, but an attempt to protect as many people as possible from contracting a virus. While there may be constitutional questions that can be discussed at a different time and on another platform, there are no issues concerning the preaching of God’s Word. The Bible is clear, in Romans 13, that those in authority are ordained of God and we are instructed to obey them. Until worship is restricted solely because we are Christian, or because of our stand on the Bible, then we will continue to comply with any and all orders by our government.

 

Until the order is rescinded, we will post sermons on our Facebook page at 8:00AM on Sunday and at 3:00PM on Wednesday. While we are not accustomed to not meeting together, we must remember that the church is not a building, but a people. And people were having church long before they had a building to meet in. Thanks to technology we can still share the Word of God with each other. So, I am asking you to set aside a time, specifically, to listen to the sermon together as a family or with someone who does not have access to social media. Remember that worshiping at home is more difficult than at church so please try to remove as many distractions as possible.

 

Again, I am asking for your prayers as the leaders of our church and I make decisions during these unprecedented times. I would also ask you to continue to pray for each other, our community, those infected with the virus, and our leaders, both locally and nationally, as they strive to make the best decisions for our safety.

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Regarding Giving:

It is important to remember that our church cannot function without the faithful giving of our members. I hope you will continue to faithfully support the work of this ministry while we are not allowed to gather together. You may choose to mail your offering to the church, 2021 Austin St. San Angelo, TX 76903, or drop it off at the church office during normal business hours. If you would prefer, one of our deacons will be glad to come by and pick it up. We also now have online giving as an option. You may access this option by going to our website and clicking the link at the top of the page.

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These are difficult times for us all, but I want to remind you that God is in control and He knows exactly what He is doing. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.”

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I love our church family and will miss meeting with you but the Lord knows what He is doing and so I will pray for each of you until we can worship together again.

Pastor Jeff

 

 

 

Church Schedule During COVID-19 Mandate

03/18/2020

 

Sunday Schedule

8AM ~ Men’s Prayer Meeting 

9:30AM ~ Worship Service - Those whose last name begins with letters A-J.

11AM ~ Worship Service - Those whose last name begins with letters K-Z.

No Evening Service

 

Wednesday Schedule

11AM ~ Bible Study and Prayer Meeting - We are requesting all those who are 50+, and are retired or non-working, to please attend this early service.

7PM ~ Bible Study and Prayer Meeting - For all those who are not able to attend the 11AM service.

 

I would like to thank you again for your patience, support, and prayer as we navigate these difficult times. Your cooperation will allow us to continue to meet within the guidelines mandated by our local government. I look forward to seeing you in your place this Sunday.

Pastor Jeff

 

 

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COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Response
Date: 03/17/2020

On Monday, March 16, 2020, the mayor of San Angelo issued a prohibition of gatherings of 50 or more to help curb the spread of the Coronavirus. In order to comply with this mandate, we will take the following steps:

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The Wednesday Night service for March 18, 2020, is cancelled.

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We have suspended:
Our church-wide visitation efforts
Our bus routes
Our donut/fellowship time
All Sunday School classes
Adult and Children’s choir practices
Our Jr. Church
Our Sunday evening services
All of these activities will be suspended until such time as we can reinstate them while complying with local and federal mandates.

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We will, however, continue to hold Sunday Services as follows:
9:30AM Service – For all members with last names beginning in A-J
11:00AM Service – For all members with last names beginning in K-Z

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We will begin holding two services on Wednesdays starting March 25, 2020.

During the next week we will contact all those 50 and older, and any others who could attend a morning service, and then hold a second service at 7:00pm as usual. An announcement concerning the time and details will be released tomorrow.

 

Our Deacons will be contacting our members to check on them, inform them of changes (if they have no access to social media, or text messaging), and make sure they are doing well.

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Decisions regarding Easter services and Mother’s Day activities will be made in the following weeks.

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Again, if you, or anyone in your family, have been sick, had a fever, cough or cold, in the last 24 hours, please remain at home and do not attend services.
Pastor Jeff