Advent and Christmas Plans for Calvary In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Joint Board recently approved an exciting and creative plan for celebrating the Advent and Christmas season.
As you know, we have continued to follow the guidance of our Provincial Elders’ Conference and our state government in making decisions regarding the resumption of “in-person” worship. As we hopefully move toward Phase 3 in the coming weeks, the Joint Board will again consider “in-person” worship opportunities. Our goal is to act responsibly and to carefully safeguard the health and well-being of the Calvary congregation.
That being said, our Advent and Christmas services have been planned so they can be used with an in-person or live stream audience. However, the Joint Board decided that two of these services, Sunday, December 13, and Christmas Eve, December 24 will need to be pre-recorded or live streamed with no in-person participation.
The Christmas Eve Lovefeast and Candle service will be recorded ahead of time and made available to you for viewing anytime on Christmas Eve via YouTube and Facebook. We are working on plans now for the possible distribution of candles for you to use in your homes when you join us for this virtual Christmas celebration. More details will follow in the coming weeks.
Though we realize that this news will be disappointing, we believe it is necessary to safeguard the health and well-being of our congregation and the wider community who shares this celebration with us each year. These decisions were not easy to make but we are working diligently to help our congregation celebrate in new and exciting ways despite the COVID-19 virus. Your understanding, patience, and support are greatly appreciated.
Realizing that so many things have been canceled this year due to the pandemic, part of our plan also includes an exciting Advent Afternoons Concert Series. This series of musical offerings will be offered each afternoon of the Advent season beginning Sunday, November 29. Details of each of these afternoons will come as they are solidified. We are so excited to collaborate with some of our established partners, enabling us to offer these additional opportunities to help you and your family celebrate this glorious season of Jesus’ birth!
COVID-19 has taught us many important lessons about the value of faith and our need for one another. Perhaps this year, it will teach us that the news of Christ’s birth can penetrate our hearts with renewed joy even though some of the ways we normally celebrate will be altered. As your pastor, my earnest prayer is this experience will help us appreciate even more the wonder of God’s love for each of us made flesh in Jesus Christ!
If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the pastors or any member of the Joint Board. With hope,
Pastor Lane
