Wednesday, August 11, 2021
As of now our church will continue to hold one service at 10:00 am along with Sunday School at 9:00 am, and our regular Sunday evening and Wednesday evening activities.
Masks and social distancing are not required. These choices are left to each individual and family.
We fully understand that with the second wave of COVID-19, some individuals may not feel comfortable attending a worship service where masks and social distancing are optional. We will continue to livestream our worship service on our Facebook page, linked here: https://www.facebook.com/columbiachristianchurch
Thursday, June 10, 2021
Lord willing, this will be our last (!) COVID update. Earlier this week our Elders made the decision that on June 20th, Father's Day, we will return to one worship service for the entire church body at 10:00am. All Sunday school classes will resume their former pre-COVID time of 9:00am.
We want everyone to know that we completely understand that many with health concerns will still want to wear a mask. If you do not feel comfortable in so large a crowd, we would encourage you to attend our Sunday PM gathering at 6:30pm. Communion is offered every Sunday evening as well.
Thank you all so much for your patience and commitment to unity during these many months of tough decisions.
Monday, March 15, 2021
As of this date we are currently still offering two services on Sunday morning: 9:00am and 10:30.
KidZone (ages K-6th grade), WeeWorship (ages 2-5), and Nursery are all available during our 10:30 service.
Sunday School for all youth ages begins at 9:50am.
Adult Sunday School classes begin at 10am.
Sunday nights at 6pm - Kids choir (elementary ages) and Teens
Wednesdays at 6:30pm - Adult Bible study and Kids choir (elementary ages)
Tuesday, January 12, 2021
The elders and deacons, as well as Adam and myself (John) met last night and discussed changes to our church activities schedule in light of COVID-19. Below are all the changes that will go into effect next week. Proper COVID-19 precautions will be taken during all activities (social distancing, masks, sanitation, etc.).
Sunday Evenings, 5:00pm, beginning January 17th - Teens activities
Wednesday Evenings, 6:30pm, beginning January 20th - Adult Bible study and activities for elementary age students
Sunday Mornings, 9am & 10:30am - We are no longer designating the 9am service for ages 60 and above. Feel free to attend whichever service you prefer regardless of age.
At this time these are the only changes being made. We hope to begin Sunday School, KidZone, and WeeWorship in the near future, but we have decided to hold off on those for just a bit to see how the current spike in COVID cases progresses.
Once again, we would like to sincerely thank everyone for your understanding during this process and your commitment to unity as the body of Christ, especially toward those you may disagree with. With the Lord's help we will continue to love one another and help one another follow Jesus.
Tuesday, November 24
The elders, Adam, and myself (John) met last night to discuss the recent spike in COVID-19 cases and our response as a church. As of today, through December 13th, we have decided to limit our in-person activities to Sunday morning services only. This means no Wednesday evening activities, no Sunday School, and unfortunately no kids programming of any kind. We will continue to offer two services in-person on Sundays at 9am and 10:30. We will continue to keep the sanctuary and other parts of the building disinfected. We will also continue to ensure proper social distancing and ask that everyone wear a mask while inside the building.
For those who will attend in-person services, we ask that you re-commit to staying at least six feet away from other households, and re-commit to keeping your mask on as you enter, exit, and during the service. As you enter, please come in and sit down and limit interactions with others as much as possible. At the end of each service, we will dismiss in a way that minimizes interaction and we encourage everyone to make their way straight to their vehicles as they leave.
We have also made changes to our annual church business meeting that would have taken place on December 16th. This year all members will receive ballots in the mail to vote on the budget, new elders and deacons, and also elders and deacons up for re-election. You will need to either bring these back or mail them back to us. We will include full instructions in the packet mailed out to you. Look for those coming in the mail in early December.
Lord willing, the elders and deacons will meet again on Monday, December 14th to discuss our COVID-19 response further. At that point we will have more information from our Governor on the restrictions currently in place. Look for more announcements here and on Facebook at that time.
Wednesday, September 2
The Elders, Deacons, and Staff have decided it is time for us to resume Sunday School for our kids! While we understand the importance of continued vigilance against COVID-19, we also recognize that more than any other age group, our children and our youth have suffered and have been short-changed during this unique season. Raising our kids in the training and instruction of the Lord is a very high priority for us.
This upcoming Sunday we will resume classes for all ages beginning at 9:50am CDT.
Kids 3rd grade and under will meet upstairs on our second floor. For our 4th-6th graders as well as our teens, their classes will meet in the new basement under the Activities Center (gym). We will also offer a class for adults during this time. These classes will end at approximately 10:20am to allow parents to pick up their children and head transition to the second service, which begins at 10:30am.
Also, during our second service we will once again be offering WeeWorship, KidZone, and a staffed nursery. WeeWorship is our age-appropriate worship hour for kids ages 2-5 and takes place on the second floor in the same area as our Sunday School classes. KidZone is also an age-appropriate worship hour for kids Kindergarten-6th grade. This program takes place downstairs below our Activities Center (gym). For parents with children infant-2yrs our nursery is staffed during our 10:30am service as well.
We are asking that all kids who attend our Sunday School program wear a mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We will also work to ensure our kids are separated by a safe distance during classes and the worship hour. To minimize hand-to-hand contact there will be no handouts or snacks offered at this time.
We continue to offer two Sunday morning worship services at 9am and 10:30am.
Tuesday, July 14
The Elders, Deacons, and Staff met last night to discuss the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Adair County and elsewhere. Unfortunately we had to make the hard but necessary decision to halt all kids and teens activities at the church building for the time being. We feel we can be confident in our ability to control things like mask wearing, social distancing, and disinfecting in our Activities Center for Sunday morning worship as well as Wednesday evening Bible study. But when we get groups of kids together we lose that confidence. We do not want everyone who comes into our building to feel safe and confident that the virus will not spread because of our gatherings.
This also means we are unable to hold any kind of VBS here at the church building this Summer. Keep a close eye on our Facebook page for details regarding possible modified VBS activities.
We understand this is discouraging, and in many ways it feels unfair to our kids and our parents. But at this point we feel this is necessary to ensure the safety and peace of mind of all who attend our Sunday morning or Wednesday evening gatherings.
Our adult Sunday school classes that meet at 10am will continue with appropriate social distancing.
I would like to say thank you to everyone for your understanding and patience through all of this. Believe me, we are all frustrated and a bit discouraged, but God is in control and Jesus will get us through this. You can find our current service times below.
SUNDAY WORSHIP GATHERING
9:00 am (ages 60 and above)
10:30 am (ages 59 and under) *This service is live-streamed on Facebook
SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR ADULTS ONLY
10:00 am
WEDNESDAY BIBLE STUDY
6:30 pm *Also live-streamed on Facebook
Monday, June 22
I wanted to give everyone an update on our continuing transition back to some kind of normal from this season of COVID-19 restrictions. The Elders, Deacons, and Ministry staff recently met and made some important decisions that you need to be aware of.
Starting in July, Lord willing, we plan to resume some (but not all) of our regular activities. On Wednesday, July 1st we will begin meeting at the building once again for Wednesday evening classes. We will offer one class for adults in the gym, with appropriate social distancing, as well as activities for kids of all ages. The adult class will continue to be streamed live on our Facebook page at 6:30pm for those who are still not comfortable attending.
On Sunday, July 5th (again Lord willing) we will resume our nursery as well as WeeWorship for ages 2-5 and KidZone for kids K-6th grade. All three of these programs will take place during the 10:30am worship service only and will be held in the traditional areas for these activities. Our nursery is located near the church offices. WeWorship is held upstairs while KidZone is held in the new basement under the gym. We will have directional signs posted for those who are not familiar with these ministries or with our building.
Also on Sunday, July 5th, we will resume some of our Sunday School options for adults only. We will offer an adult class in the sanctuary following the 9am worship service. We plan for this class to begin at approximately 10am. We also plan on restarting our Men’s class in the parlor, also at 10am. Unfortunately at this time, due to COVID-19 precautions, we cannot resume any other Sunday School classes. We hope to do so in the near future.
For now these are the only additions to our weekly schedule. We understand that right now none of this is ideal. Continue to pray for the coronavirus to retreat, for more restrictions to be lifted, and for an increased level of confidence and peace among us all. We will continue to update you as soon as more decisions are made. Thank you so much for your patience and understanding through all of this!
Sunday, May 17 (11:18am)
Lord willing we will return to in-person Lord's Day worship services this upcoming Sunday, May 24, at the church building! Below are the details you need to know before attending. Please read carefully!
2 services... the first at 9:00am CDT for those 60 and above... the second at 10:30am for everyone else.
Both services will be in the gym with chairs separated by approx. 6 feet.
Chairs will be in groups of 2 as you arrive. You may pull more chairs together so your household can sit together. Please keep distanced from other households.
We will disinfect everything between services.
Please do not attend if you or anyone in your household feels sick or has a fever
We ask that everyone wear a mask. If you do not have one we will have some available. We understand this is not possible for some kids and that's ok.
Only two entrances will be open: the door by the funeral home and the door facing the cemetery.
Please try and use the restroom before coming to church. The only restrooms that will be open will be the two in the back of the gym. Only one person/family will be allowed in at a time and we ask that you disinfect everything you touch after use. Wipes will be available in both restrooms for this purpose.
Parents, please keep children with you at all times.
You may pick up pre-packaged communion on your way in from a table on the perimeter of the gym.
There will be a place to drop your offerings as you enter or leave.
There will be no Sunday School until further notice.
Unfortunately there will be no nursery, We-Worship, KidZone, or any other kids activities at this time.
Unfortunately there will be no transportation van service at this time.
Please do not congregate in the hallways or other areas. As you enter, go straight to your seats. As you leave, please go straight to your vehicles.
We will continue to livestream on Facebook at 10:30am CDT each Sunday.
All other in-person services and activities at the building remain cancelled until further notice.
We understand these are not ideal conditions. Our priority is the safety of everyone who attends. Thank you so much for bearing with us as we do all we can to worship the Lord together without spreading this virus.
Thursday, April 30 (8:22am)
Yesterday Governor Beshear announced that churches could begin a phased re-opening at the end of May, as long as they follow guidelines for social distancing and safety to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This means, Lord willing, our first in-person gathering at the church building will take place on May 24th.
The Elders, Adam, and myself have met and have discussed what services will look like at the beginning of this phased re-opening. We will be sending out a letter to everyone soon with all the details. For now I can tell you that services cannot immediately return to normal as they were before the pandemic, but at least we will be able to gather as the body of Christ in person. Watch for more information in the coming weeks. Until then we will continue our livestream schedule below. You may find them all at our church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/columbiachristianchurch/
Sundays 10:00 am - Sermon and prayer time (John Davis)
Sundays 5:30 pm - Study on Revelation (Adam Shepard and Clay Turner)
Wednesdays 6:30 pm - Bible study on prayer (John Davis)
Thursdays 7:00 pm - "Something to Think About" (Adam Shepard)
Monday, April 13 (7:14am)
At this time not much has changed since our last update - at least in regard to our church activities and strategy during this season. All in-person services and activities are still cancelled until further notice. We still do not know how long this will last. We will inform everyone the minute we are able to make any kind of plans for future dates. Unfortunately we have had to postpone our Mother/Daughter Banquet until a later time, which I know was a favorite activity for many of us.
Below is a list of our livestreams during this period. You may find them all at our church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/columbiachristianchurch/
Sundays 10:00 am - Sermon and prayer time (John Davis)
Sundays 5:30 pm - Teens study on Revelation (Adam Shepard and Clay Turner)
Wednesdays 6:30 pm - Bible study on prayer (John Davis)
Thursdays 7:00 pm - "Something to Think About" (Adam Shepard)
We have had a significant increase in the number of confirmed cases in Adair County so we ask you to pray fervently and to continue to practice social distancing. This is crucial now more than ever. Especially pray for our nursing home residents and the employees.
We are close to finalizing our online giving options and will make those available as soon as we can. Until then, thank you so much to our members for your continued generosity during this time!
Tuesday, March 31 (8:24pm)
The Elders and I met tonight (while practicing appropriate social distancing) to pray and to discuss the state of the congregation, any needs among our members, and any changes to our plans going forward. Two days ago the President extended recommendations for social-distancing guidelines through the end of April. Of course we cannot know for certain, but it seems likely that our worship services and all other church activities will also be cancelled through the end of April. We will keep you updated as often as possible.
Below is a list of our livestreams during this period. You may find them all at our church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/columbiachristianchurch/
Sundays 10:00 am - Sermon and prayer time (John Davis)
Sundays 5:30 pm - Teens study on Revelation (Adam Shepard and Clay Turner)
Wednesdays 6:30 pm - Bible study on prayer (John Davis)
Thursdays 7:00 pm - "Something to Think About" (Adam Shepard)
In light of this, and also in light of the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Adair County, the Elders and I have decided not to meet next week. We will perhaps meet again in-person or virtually when there is a need to discuss things. In the mean time we have once again divided the entire congregation up between the Elders and ministry staff and we are contacting everyone to see if there are any needs.
Thank you so much to everyone who has continued to give financially during this time. We are still finalizing plans for online giving and will roll that out soon, but we want to do appropriate research to make the right decision on how to best do this.
Please read the updates below for further information. As always, please contact us if you need help during this time.
Wednesday, March 25 (1:04pm)
The Elders of Columbia Christian Church, our Youth Minister Adam Shepard, and myself met again yesterday to discuss the operation of the Lord's church here at Columbia Christian during this unprecedented time. There was not much new business to discuss but I will share a few things with you that may be helpful to our members.
All worship services, Bible studies, and activities at the church are still cancelled until further notice. Below is a list of our livestreams during this period. You may find them all at our church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/columbiachristianchurch/
Sundays 10:00 am - Sermon and prayer time (John Davis)
Sundays 5:30 pm - Teens study on Revelation (Adam Shepard and Clay Turner)
Wednesdays 6:30 pm - Bible study on prayer (John Davis)
Thursdays 7:00 pm - "Something to Think About" (Adam Shepard)
During last week's meeting the Elders and ministry staff divided up the entire membership of the congregation for shepherding during this time of cancelled services and social distancing. We are committed to regularly contacting every family and individual member in our church to check on them to see how they are doing. If you are a member of our church you should expect to receive multiple calls over the next few weeks. We would also encourage you to check on one another. Please let us know if you or anyone you speak with has a pressing need. We have many volunteers able and willing to help. You may email me at john@columbiachristian.org, or call the church office.
We also have an opportunity to partner with Columbia Baptist and other area churches to feed local school kids during the upcoming Spring Break week. On the days where students would have been in school, the schools have been providing meals to students whose families need them. However during the week of April 6-10, which would have been Spring Break, that service will also take a break. This is where the churches are stepping in and making this happen. We have committed to donate financially to make sure that the needs of students are met. Furthermore there may very well be a need for volunteers to pack those meals as that particular week approaches. We will let you know if we need people to help.
And finally, yesterday the President expressed his desire for the country to "re-open" by Easter and for churches to be filled that Sunday. While we respect our government leaders and are hopeful that the Lord will end this pandemic soon, we also want to brace everyone for the very likely possibility that we will not be able to hold Easter services. Time will tell, but it seems likely this pandemic will keep our doors past April 12.
We will continue to meet and discuss the needs of our church and community each week, and to give updates as they come. God bless you and keep you.
Tuesday, March 17 (8:45pm)
The Elders of Columbia Christian Church, our Youth Minister Adam Shepard, and myself met tonight (Tuesday) to discuss our plan going forward in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent recommendations from the CDC, the President, and the Governor.
In an effort to band together with the rest of the country to slow the spread of this virus, and in light of Jesus’ command to love our neighbors, we have decided to cancel all services and activities at the church including Sunday mornings until further notice. While we cannot know how long this will last we can tell you, because of the recommendations from the CDC, this period will certainly extend beyond Easter. So, unfortunately all of our special Easter services, activities, and performances must also be cancelled. In fact you should plan for these cancellations to extend beyond Easter and likely into May. While we should certainly celebrate the resurrection every Sunday, we have decided to choose a special Sunday later in the year that will be dedicated to celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. That date will be determined later.
For now, each Sunday morning at 10:00am CST we will be live-streaming a sermon plus a time of prayer on Facebook Live. There will also be a live Bible study with Q&A on Wednesdays at 6:30pm CST, also on Facebook Live. You can visit our church’s page by clicking the link here: https://www.facebook.com/columbiachristianchurch/
If you have a need please contact the church office and we will do what we can to help. We encourage everyone to abide by the requests handed down by our government leaders and avoid public gatherings of 10 or more people if at all possible.
We acknowledge the financial stress that these unprecedented times are about to cause on us all. However, if you would like to continue to give financially to the church you may do so by mailing it to the office or bringing it in personally. We are currently exploring options for online giving.
Please pray with us asking God to protect the vulnerable, to provide a vaccine, and to draw people to his Son Jesus Christ through all of this.
Monday, March 16 (1:05pm)
Currently all non-Sunday morning activities at the church building have been cancelled until April 1. The Elders and Ministry Staff are meeting tomorrow (Tuesday) to discuss a further plan of action.
Please pray with us for God to protect the vulnerable and to destroy this disease.
Follow our Facebook page for the most up-to-date info.