UPDATE: July 26, 2020
We are preparing to gather in person for worship on August 2. Some things won’t be the same, and we’re prepared for that. Being together again even in a modified capacity, will be very, very good!
Rest assured, we will keep our livestream going strong for those who are not ready or able to gather in person. Please worship at home if you are particularly vulnerable due to age or underlying conditions and do not attend if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness or if you have been exposed to anyone who is ill or has tested positive for COVID-19.
TWO SERVICE TIMES
We will have two in-person services to choose from. Both will be less than an hour in length. Entry and seating will begin 15 minutes before service. Our 10:00 AM service is also our LIVE STREAM. If you are not able to attend in person just yet – join your church family online!
The early service will have a quieter worship set and will be open to adults only. No children under 12 please!
This service will feature a fuller worship team and include Nursery/Toddler care and Summer Clubs for PreK-6th Grade. Registration for Childcare and Summer Clubs is required. Register now on our website.
Our Livestream service for those who are worshipping at home.
In order to abide by safety regulations, we will need to keep a guest list. You can register for services on our website or by emailing or calling the church office. If you are a regular attendee, you only need to register once – we’ll save you a seat and check you in at the door.
LOVING OTHERS
You will be required to wear a mask when inside the building and entering/exiting. If you don’t bring your own, we will have one to offer you. We also have helpful signs and floor markings to help you keep your distance.
WE’RE READY
- We’ve set up an easy way for you to RSVP for services so we can make sure we have everything ready for you. You can do it online, call or email! Regular attendees register once and check in at the door.
- We will open outside and sanctuary doors open to add extra ventilation. Our HVAC system will be running from early morning on Saturday.
- Everyone will be required to wear masks while inside and entering / exiting.
- We will have hand sanitizer available throughout the facility
- We’ve posted signs and marked the floors to help us keep our distance when entering, exiting, and using the restrooms.
- The Worship Team will maintain 6+ feet of distance on the platform with one vocalist.
- We’ve placed the 1st row 15 feet from the anyone singing on the platform.
- We’ve swapped out the fabric seating for chairs that are easy to disinfect between services.
- We will seat you with your family but at least 6 feet from anyone else.
- We will enter through the main entrance and exit through the library.
- We have added a free-standing lockbox for your giving envelopes.
- We will provide you with individual communion materials for The Lord’s Table.
- We won’t be giving you a bulletin or a Bible – so bring your Bible from home and maybe a notebook
- We will love you from a distance, smile under our masks, and rejoice in the Lord TOGETHER!
UPDATE: June 29, 2020
Dear Church,
Our tentative date to restart in person Sunday services is August 2. The plan is to open with two fifty-minute services: 8:30 AM (no children under 12) and 10 AM. The 10:00 service will include Summer Clubs for PreK – 9th Grade. Children under age three and/or not potty-trained are to sit with their parents. Our live stream, Church@Home will continue at 10:00 AM. Additional details will be released mid-July.
The date was moved for several reasons. The State of Massachusetts has delayed moving forward to Stage 3, we are making facility updates which require additional time to complete, time is needed to comply with Church Mutual Insurance recommendations, and we maintain a commitment to a cautious reopening.
I am deeply sensitive to how this impacts the spiritual and emotional well-being of each person. I am available to help you connect with one of our small groups, do a Zoom or FaceTime meeting, and for pastoral care appointments. You can reach me by calling the church office.
Blessings,
Pastor Ed
UPDATE - JUNE 10, 2020
Dear Church,
I am pleased to bring you an update on our plans to restart in person ministry and Sunday services.
Small groups are released to begin meeting in person, please contact your group leader for details.
The Field is open for outdoor meetings, please make a reservation via the church website. The church facility remains closed including access to restrooms.
Manchester Campus resumes in person Sunday services on Sunday 14 June – 9:30 AM English and 11:00 AM French. Face coverings are required – no childcare available.
All gatherings are required to comply with MA COVID Guidelines: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/reopening-massachusetts
We will continue our 10 AM Sunday online service. The facility is being prepared for our return with new video equipment and a sound wall between us and units 9/10. The painting and cleaning are done.
I will have an update for you when Massachusetts enters “Phase Three” which is expected on 29 June. Our tentative date to restart in person Sunday services is Sunday 12 July. There will be two services: 8:30 and 10 AM. Face coverings will be required at both services and the 8:30 is restricted to adults – no children under 12 years of age. The 10 AM service will offer a Summer Club format for children who are toilet trained. Infants and toddlers will remain with their parents during the service. Additional details will be released at the end of June.
I am available to answer questions, do a Zoom or FaceTime meeting, and for pastoral care appointments. You can reach me by calling the church office.
Blessings,
Pastor Ed
UPDATE 4/20
Dear Church,
I am working with the leadership on formulating a plan to re-start in person services.
The church facility is being prepared for our return. If you would like to help, please contact the church office.
We will continue our Sunday morning online service and I have asked our small groups to continue through the summer.
I will have an update for you when Massachusetts enters "Phase Two". This should take place sometime in June.
I am available to answer questions, do a Zoom or FaceTime meeting, and for pastoral care appointments. Contact the church office or reply to this post.
Blessings,
Pastor Ed
UPDATE 3/19 - We are continuing to hold our worship services online for the duration of social distancing recommendations of the CDC and local health organizations. Visit our Online Community page to get connected!
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The local universities and public schools are shutting down in the surrounding communities. Our congregation is made up of individuals and families from cities and towns with a range of community impact from COVID-19. The trajectory is heading toward ceasing all sizable in-person gatherings. It has become apparent that proactive planning, such as social distancing, is proving to be the only helpful mitigation. Reacting and removing individuals and closing after cases are identified will not bring down the risk to the most vulnerable among us.
The leadership team of Calvary Chapel, with the health and safety of both our congregation and our local communities in mind, has developed a plan to move to an online ministry model, effective immediately and continuing for a minimum of two weeks. Using the CDC community mitigation strategy for Community and Faith Based Organizations as our guide. This applies to all gatherings of more than 15 people. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/community-mitigation-strategy.pdf . Small groups are encouraged to continue to meet during the week at the discretion of the group leader/host and in adherence to the church’s sick policy.
Our worship team and Pastor Ed will continue to offer a Sunday worship service, which we will stream online as we do each Sunday at 10:00 AM. You can access the live stream from our website at http://chapelchelmsford.com/connect/online-community .
Our Children and Youth Ministry teams will send out resources to help families grow in their faith during this temporary change in their regular church routine.
We are grateful that during a time such as this, temporarily moving to online church is a viable option and we make this move, not out of fear, but out of a love for our community and an effort to help bring this spread down.
You or your immediate family members may not be at high risk for serious illness from this virus, but it is likely that you interact with more individuals with chronic illnesses than you realize. Each person who does their best to contribute to controlling the spread of the virus is helping their whole community to slow down the rate of infection. We should prepare, not because we may feel personally at risk, but so that we can help lessen the risk for everyone.
During this time, we encourage you to look out for the most vulnerable in your community. Seek to be a good neighbor, help with groceries, or rides. Check in on those who are alone. Let’s use this as an opportunity to love our neighbors well.
“Who else but Bible-believing Christians can make redemptive sense of tragedy? Who can see hope in the promises of God when the real, lived circumstances look dire? …. And where else but a Christian home should neighbors go in times of unprecedented crisis? Where else is it safe to be vulnerable, scared, lost, hopeless? “ Rosaria Butterfield, The Gospel Comes with a Housekey