Statistics seem to reveal some improvement in the battle with the coronavirus and I welcome any news of improvement! Sadly many are still dying and many families are dealing with very difficult circumstances. We must continue to be prayer warriors and let our faith shine in the midst of so much darkness.
The Governor of Arkansas has said that he hopes to lift some of the restrictions by May the 4th and I am praying that he will be able to carry out his plan. ‘Social distancing’ will still be required and, perhaps, the wearing of face mask. How this will affect our gathering for church services I do not know at this time. Many are assuming that the number of people that can gather for such services will increase and I hope this is true.
With this in mind I am presenting a ‘tentative’ plan for the future. We will continue to present our ‘Time of Worship’, each Sunday morning at 11:00, but we are hoping that on Sunday morning, May 10th, we will be allowed to have some attendees during the service. There will be ‘no’ nurseries, or children worship activities, and everyone will have to practice social distancing, along with wearing a mask. Families will sit together and be separated from other families. Anyone with preexisting health issues are discouraged from attending. Every effort to have a safe environment for this time of worship will be our focus.
Again I want to emphasize the word ‘TENTATIVE’ which implies that all these plans are ‘uncertain’, ‘speculative’ and ‘unsettled’. I will be talking with health officials, gov’t leaders, and our insurance provider concerning any liability issues, over the next few weeks. I am simply looking for a plan for the future when we can begin the process of coming back to assemble as a church. According to the Word, we all need to ask God for ‘wisdom’ which is ‘understanding’, ‘insight’ and ‘perception’. I understand someone must lead in these decisions, and the weight of these decisions falls on me, so pray that God will give me intelligent discernment in the weeks to come.
HOPE TO SEE YOU SOON – BRO. ED