Re-Opening Alta Vista Assembly

Re-Opening Alta Vista Assembly
A word from Pastor Pete Baker to the church family
 

What has happened to us:
 

• We never stopped being the church. During the shut-down our leaders have set the example and stayed in contact with many in the church family. Many have continued to encourage, reach out and pray for one another even without the Sunday services, Thrive meetings and mid-week outreaches and activities. A lot of good prayer has happened and relationships have deepened. We’ve continued, in smaller form, to get food into the homes of those most in need. We’ve significantly helped the orphans in Bukemebe, Kenya during a particularly severe season and have continued to honor commitments to our many missionaries around the world. Viewership of the daily Face Book video encouragement by our good leaders, the Face Book/You Tube Sunday services and mid-week Zoom Bible studies is often 5-6 times the number of people who would be in our sanctuary on Sunday. Alta Vista Assembly has continued to have an impact, fighting above our weight class,  and other churches have closely monitored what we are doing and saying and have sometimes taken cues from us. This has not been lost time for our church.
 

• Our last Sunday service was March 15. Even before the California Department of Public Health issued a statewide stay-at-home directive on March 19, Alta Vista leaders wisely decided to close the buildings to all activity following the March 15 service.
 

• On Tuesday, May 26 the state released guidelines for church re-opening earlier than anticipated. Our actions will be based on that 13 page document.
 

What we cannot do right now:
 

• We cannot resume our normal schedule yet, nor have large gatherings in the sanctuary. We are allowed 25% of capacity - that’s 22-24 people for us.

• We cannot have public singing or responsive readings.

• We cannot pass communion plates.

• We cannot shake hands, hug, hold hands or lay hands while praying.

• We cannot have meals, serve food or coffee.

• We cannot pray at the altar.

• In recent gatherings where churches ignored these practices, there have been outbreaks of the virus. Several pastors have died. We all have to do our best to stay healthy and keep each other healthy as we re-open, that’s why we will carefully follow the guidelines. We can do this!

What we will do:
 

• First, just know that for now, church will look different. We will offer a variety of small group meetings in the sanctuary on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday evenings at 6:30 PM and Sunday at 10:30 AM. These will be led by different leaders, dealing with different topics taken from Right Now media. Video and discussion format will be used each night. A short message will be given on Sunday mornings. This is church for now, but YOU MUST RESERVE A SPOT by going to the Alta Vista Face Book page and choosing the time you wish to attend. Sorry, but reservations are essential to avoid violating capacity guidelines and possibly creating a health risk.

• Sessions will be 45-60 minutes.

• Family members may sit together. Non-family members are asked to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet.

• Each person should bring a face mask

• Hand sanitizing stations will be in the foyer. Everyone should sanitize their hands upon entering and upon leaving. Disposable gloves will be available for those who wish to use them

• National and district Assemblies of God leadership are not requiring us to re-open. As a sovereign General Council church in good standing we are free to chart our own course in compliance with guidelines.

• This is the first step in a gradual re-opening. After 2-3 weeks state health officials will re-evaluate the numbers and may offer different guidelines. Our intention is to continue the nightly small groups and decide what is best for our church family.

Precautions we will take:
 

• If you are sick, have a compromised system or underlying health risks, please stay home.

• Activities will be limited to the foyer area and sanctuary. Fellowship hall and classrooms are not to be used for any activities or meetings. Except for a children’s activity on Sundays, no exceptions.

• We are encouraging families with children to make reservations for Sunday mornings. It will be easiest to accommodate them all on one day. 

Timeline: We want to begin this schedule on Monday, June 8 at 6:30 PM

What informs our gradual re-opening:
 

• A lot of information has swirled around us the last three months. Here is what we know for sure:
 

1. The virus is easily transmissible and a carrier may be unaware she/he has it. Doctor friends have told me it’s the perfect virus.

2. Some people get seriously ill and it kills some people.

3. There is no cure at this time

4. It’s still in Kern County

5. Distancing, mask wearing and hand washing are excellent ways to avoid spreading it.
 

• As a shepherd I want to keep you safe. Re-opening in small numbers and with precautionary practices in place will do that, even if it’s uncomfortable or different. We aren’t trying to be trendy. Using what we know for sure we are trying to be wise, keeping everyone safe and honoring Christ at the same time. Again, we can do this! 

• You are aware that other churches are taking a more aggressive stance. Here’s the awareness that guides my thinking: if we are careless and one of the church family were to contract the virus in an Alta Vista activity and become gravely ill or die, I would never recover from that. Defiance is simply not worth the risk of losing a valued member of a very special family that God has put together.

What I think is happening:
 

• God may have given this three month interruption to His church as a gift. Could this be a dress rehearsal for a future, more extended time when we will be unable to meet as we are accustomed? For some time I’ve talked with you on Sundays about a time when we may not be able to do church the way we always have. We now know what that’s like and may experience it again. I believe churches have been singled out for unfair consideration and treatment by public officials. Negligence and oversight or intentional? I don’t know, but having happened once increases the chances of it happening again. Pushback should not be our response. Continued prayer and preparing for how we do church in the future should be.
 

• This is an election year and you probably saw it coming: the virus and response has become a politically polarizing struggle. I mention it to say you were right if you did and, as your friend, to remind you to be careful who you listen to. Don’t let other voices drown out the gentle voice of God. Go deeper in the Word and prayer. During difficult times, let the gentle, trusted, nail scarred hands of Christ shape your heart.

A final word
 

We didn’t waste the shut down and we aren’t going to waste the re-opening. Let’s treat it as dress rehearsal for a future challenge. It’s time for everyone to step up and show support for what your church is doing. Our online presence has reached hundreds and hundreds of people who never walked through the sanctuary doors. Online preaching wasn’t my first choice. Clearly I was wrong. Is it possible that God has engineered it so we would launch into doing church in small groups for now?

“Let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage each other, especially now as the day of His return is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:25)
 

For now, a small group is the only way we can safely honor God’s command to gather with His family until larger groups are allowed. For some people it’s fashionable to avoid church and others may have gotten used to staying home. That is an error of disobedience that could have unforeseen consequences. Look again at what God has stated so clearly in scripture. This isn’t the time to let others shoulder your responsibility, waiting until large Sunday morning gatherings are allowed. Small groups are all we’ve got and that’s not such a bad thing - in fact it’s very scriptural. It’s the era of the shared burden for our greatly favored church and if your health permits, jump at this chance of exploring a different way of doing church. 
 

Make a reservation for the small group of your choice today.