We have news to share with you regarding our Sunday morning worship services at Ball Camp. As you are aware, in August, we resumed our in-person worship gatherings with an outdoor worship service “under the tent”. Many of us have gathered over the last 3 months for a time of worship and (distanced) fellowship. It is wonderful to be back together again, celebrating as a church family after an extended period of on-line worship.

 

This Sunday, November 1, we will transition our church services from outside and resume meeting in our church sanctuary for Sunday morning worship. Our worship time will remain at 10:00 am, and we will continue to have one worship service, unless attendance dictates we need to add additional worship times. In addition, we will be providing a children’s worship time in the fellowship hall for kids ages 3 through 5th grade. Our online worship service will continue for those unable to attend our in-person gathering.

 

It is important to remember that COVID-19 is still very much a reality in our community. Diagnosed cases and hospitalizations continue to rise each day. It is our desire for each of us attending worship to stay as safe as possible. As such, we will still be following the medical guidance regarding social distancing and mask wearing, just as we have done for our outdoor worship. Also, because of limited space in our sanctuary, we are asking that you let us know your plans to attend worship each week. This will give our staff and volunteers guidance in their worship planning and preparation.

 

Please carefully read the list below and follow these guidelines as you and your family make plans to attend worship at Ball Camp each week. We look forward to seeing you and worshipping with you!

 

>Take a moment to click this link https://bcbcoffice.wufoo.com/forms/m1bcwhbp1nb5ltr/ if you are planning to attend worship on November 1st. Let us know the name(s) of the member(s) of your family who will be attending worship (youth and adults). Also, please list the name(s) of any children attending children’s worship. This link will be updated and sent out each Monday via email for you to let us know your attendance plans for the next Sunday. We would ask that you let us know of your plans to attend no later than 5:00 p.m. on Thursday of each week. This will allow us to make contingency plans if needed for additional people. 

If you have questions or difficulties with the link provided, please call the church office and Karissa or another staff member will be glad to add your name to the list of those attending.

 

>If you have preschool or elementary-age children who are attending, please drop them off at the covered entrance closest to the parking lot upon arrival. Katie and Andrea will be there to greet them and take them to their worship time in the fellowship hall. You will pick them up in the same place at the end of worship.

 

>All adults and youth will enter the building through the double glass doors closest to the sanctuary. Please walk down the covered sidewalk and come in these doors. We ask that everyone wear a mask as you enter the building and keep your mask on during your time in the building. We will have greeters at the entrance to check names as you enter. Once again, this is only to assist in making sure we have ample room in the sanctuary to accommodate those who wish to attend worship. We expect there might be people who come on Sunday who have not let us know their plans in advance. We want to be able to accommodate everyone safely, so please help us as much as you can with this process.

 

>Upon entering the sanctuary, please sit with your family in a designated area. We have carefully marked off places for you to sit in the sanctuary. This is to allow for social distancing between families/individuals. There will be ushers in the sanctuary to assist with seating. Please follow their recommendations. 

 

>We would recommend that you make plans to arrive at church early enough to drop off children and find your place in the sanctuary. We will begin instrumental worship music at 9:50 for those who arrive early.

 

>As always, if you are not feeling well, having symptoms of any illness or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19, please stay home where you are safe.

 

Over the last several weeks, our staff has answered many of your questions regarding returning to our building. One question they hear frequently, “People are going shopping or to a restaurant or to a ball game. Why is attending church different?”  The answer is simple and complex all at the same time. Attending an indoor gathering, be it a church service, concert, movie, lecture, etc, generally means sitting in an enclosed space for an extended period of time. During that time, you are breathing air that is being re-circulated throughout the room via the HVAC system. If someone in the room is ill, you have a greater chance of breathing contaminated air and becoming ill. Shopping malls, stores and restaurants, for the most part, are not places where you go in and sit for an hour, and there is also a considerable amount of turnover of the people in the room. Your chances of breathing contaminated air is not as high in those circumstances. Even with this knowledge, we know there is no situation that is 100% safe. It is for this reason, we are asking everyone to take care of themselves and take care of others by wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and staying home if you do not feel well. 

 

We appreciate all your love, support, concern, and work on behalf of our church. Please reach out if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing many of you on Sunday.

 

Sincerely,

Church Staff, Re-Entry Team, and Together Leadership Team