Statement on In-Person Meetings
June 9, 2020
Lakewood Fellowship Family and Friends,
After much discussion, prayer, and consulting with leaders both in Lakewood Fellowship and our parent church, White Rock Fellowship, we have decided to add an outdoor service as an option for weekly worship. While we continue to experience a rise in new cases of coronavirus in Dallas County and hospitalizations have yet to decline over a sustained period of time, practices to mitigate the spread of the virus have become more apparent and we believe we can meet in a way that does not threaten the health of service attendees and our community, provided everyone abides by LWF measures listed at the end of this letter.
Beginning Sunday, June 21st, we will hold a weekly 9 AM outdoor, socially-distanced worship service at the White Rock YMCA, weather permitting. We will also continue to offer an online worship service option on Sunday mornings for the foreseeable future, and we recommend (along with the CDC, Governor Abbott, and Dallas County health officials) that those in an at-risk category take advantage of the opportunity to worship remotely/online.
In addition to worshipping together on the 21st, we will hold a LWF prayer gathering on Saturday evening, June 20th at 6:30 PM. Both the prayer gathering and weekly services will be held at the green space on the west side of the YMCA building, alongside Loving Ave.
What do I need to do?:
Please pray for our church's unity and for God to use our in-person gatherings for His glory.
As we prepare for weekly services, you will want to find or purchase either a blanket and/or low-back/low to the ground folding chairs for your household to sit on.
Also, know that the White Rock YMCA is currently closed on Sundays and will not be open for restroom or other facility use while we are gathering.
Lastly, begin to consider who you will invite to attend LWF. People are desperate for hope this season. We have a gospel of hope. It's really a great fit, if you think about it.
As always, we will continue to monitor the state of the coronavirus in our neighborhoods and city, and will make adjustments to work towards the common good of our community, as needed. Though we feel comfortable in gathering again, it is incumbent upon us to take measures to mitigate the spread of the virus, even if uncomfortable. Even in the shade of the YMCA in the morning, our service may be a little warm. Feel free to dress in clothing more appropriate for an outdoor service. In addition to meeting outside, at Lakewood Fellowship we will undertake the following measures to maintain the physical health of our congregation.
At Lakewood Fellowship:
We will approach meeting again with humility, realizing we still don't have as much knowledge about the virus as we would like or as much testing as we would like to fully prevent its spread.
We will hold dear the physical health of our church and community and not attend in-person services if we are feeling sick or showing even one symptom of the virus.
We will, at all times, maintain a physical social distance of at least six feet as not to compromise the health of those in attendance. And even if we want to in our heart of hearts, we will refrain from hugging or shaking hands or even giving holy kisses.
We will wear a facial covering at all times, most especially when singing or speaking.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, we will seek unity and not allow personal disagreement with community standards to overshadow our love for God and others.
I hope you are as excited as we are. Having a public outdoor service presents its challenges, but it also highlights our presence in the community and may introduce some who would never have thought of attending church to the gospel of Jesus Christ. During this season, do not focus on our limitations. When we are weak, we are strong. Instead, let us focus on the amazing opportunity God has given us to share the love of Christ to our community. The discomforts of an outdoor summer service will be an afterthought years from now. People coming to Christ and the comforts of the physical unity of His saints will be something we hold onto for eternity.
We will remind you of these details next week. Until then, continue to pray for our church and consider inviting a friend to Lakewood Fellowship.
Holding Christ high,
Randy and Will