We are excited to announce our Drive-Thru Communion and Food Pantry Donation this coming Sunday, May 31st from 10:30am to 12noon at the Neighborhood Church of Cypress campus!
We will be safely handing out communion elements for you to take later, pray for you and whoever is in your car, and give you an opportunity to give any food items for the families of the workers at the Los Alamitos Race Track.
This is our first step in the process to resuming our in-person gatherings for all our Neighborhood Church campuses. As you may have heard, the California Governor released temporary guidelines and physical modifications through the CDPH (California Department of Public Health) for churches. As expected, the guidelines are restrictive. Here are a few of those limitations:
- Seating limited
- Masks would need to be worn
- Temperature screening for all
- No Children’s or Student ministry will be offered initially
- Singing is strongly recommended to be excluded, but the band could sing
In addition, detailed sanitization procedures and policies will need to be instituted. Your leaders are gathering this week to discern how to best implement all the guidelines from the President, CDC (national Center of Disease Control), the California Governor, CDPH, and our Orange County Public Health Agency. This will not be an easy task as we seek to best fulfill God’s vison and purposes of our church and promote a safe environment.
It is also important that we all know that the Coronavirus COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease discovered in 2019) is a very aggressive and contagious virus that is primarily transmitted person-to-person through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. Therefore, we each assume the risk of contracting or spreading the disease when we are out in public, and that includes church. However, wearing cloth face coverings and keeping the social distance of 6 feet, whenever possible, reduces the risk. Yet, the risk remains.
Food pantry donations will go for the hundreds of workers at the Los Alamitos Race Track. Many live on the race course site, oftentimes in difficult living conditions (see video). They could use some basic supplies like small bags (2 lbs.) of rice or pinto beans, also toothpaste and soap, and canned goods. So, if you are able, please bring a few items with you when you come to the Drive-Thru Communion time. Your gifts will have a huge impact.
Please join us this Sunday online, then drive over to the church between 10:30am and Noon. I am so looking forward to seeing you in-person!
Pastor Mike
