In-Person Worship This Sunday

Friends:

We have more information, concerning our resumption of live-worship at KPUMC this Sunday. Please read the following, because there are specifics you need to know, should you be planning to attend. Several things will be quite different about this worship service, from our “usual” in-person worship, and despite the unusual nature of it all, we want it to be a good experience for anyone who chooses to attend.

First, as we said last week, the resumption of in-person worship does NOT mean we are pushing you all to come in-person. If you are in any high-risk situation, we invite you to NOT come in-person. Many persons will continue to worship via livestream, and we are committed to continuing to livestream both now and in the future. For those of you who will continue to worship via livestream, nothing will change about the way you are finding/watching our service. (You’ll simply see us outside now…)

For those of you who will plan to come, some quick points about in-person worship for the next few weeks:

1. We will meet on the Colorado-side of the building. 
Specifically, we will invite you to sit, facing the building, near the South side of the sanctuary.

2. We require *everyone* to remain masked throughout the service.
This is not negotiable, and we trust you understand why. (The only exceptions will be when leaders speak at a microphone. Anyone who cannot comply with this request will be asked to leave…)

3. We require everyone to sit six-feet from others.
You obviously are encouraged to sit in family groups, but we invite you to spread out in the grassy area and maintain social distance. We will have a sound system and a projector projecting the slides that will be seen on the livestream.

4. We invite you to bring your own camp/folding chairs or blankets.Blankets are perfectly acceptable, as are camp chairs. I myself will model this behavior by sitting in a camp chair from home. (We will have limited chairs, and sanitizer, available for those who simply do not have a chair they can bring). We hope you can understand why we are asking you to do this. 

5. There will be NO printed bulletin.
We will utilize slides and a projector that will mirror the slides available on the livestream. Obviously, you may also print out a bulletin from the online worship page: https://kpumc.org/online-worship

6. Alternatively, consider bringing your own phone or tablet and consider downloading the worship guide there. On the online worship page, you will be able to download either the bulletin or the actual slides shown on the projector.

7. We will have three hand sanitizing stations available.

8. Persons over 65 or with high-risk conditions should consider not attending.

9.  THIS SUNDAY ONLY: You are invited to bring your own “elements” (bread and wine) for communion. 
It’s Communion Sunday, we will *not* be sharing communal elements together. We know that’s a lot to keep in mind, but I hope and trust you will see all this planning as an effort to keep you as safe as possible in this setting. 

I know that’s a lot of information. And I apologize for all the burdens that these requests place on you and your family. But, I trust you understand our primary goal is to continue to “do noharm” in all that we do. If you have any questions concerning in-person worship, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.

Finally, I’d invite you to consider the journey we’ve been on these past few months. First, we started livestreaming from the sanctuary. Then, at the height of concern in Dallas, and with our own “scare” among worship leaders, we changed to “Zoom only” worship for some weeks. Now, we will resume outdoor worship, for as long as we believe we can do so safely. (Situations may well change again…)

I simply invite you to take in the flexibility that you have shown these past months, in terms of how we continue to worship God in this time. It’s actually a good metaphor for the future of our church. Whatever happens once we find our “new normal,” we will need to *continue* to show flexibility and adaptability in trying new things and new ministries, letting go of some more traditional ways of “being church.” 

Things will continue to change, even once we are past the pandemic, and we have the opportunity to practice that nimbleness now, as we seek to reach God’s children in North Oak Cliff. 

See you Sunday…either in person on online.

Grace and Peace, 
Eric Folkerth

In-person worship resumes at Kessler Park on October 4th. Pastor Eric describes how it will work, and what you need to do to be a part.

In-Person Worship

by Rev. Eric Folkerth

We have big news to share with all of you. Our intention is to resume “in-person” worship on October 4th.

Our Bishop has given us permission to do so, and in discussion with both our Church Council and staff, we are making plans for this eventuality. In an abundance of caution, and to minimize our risk as much as possible, we intend to begin our first few Sundays of *outside;* likely in the grassy area between the building and Turner Street. We are also simultaneously firming up plans for worship *inside* as well, and we’ll have more specific details about all of this for you next week.

Further, our Church Council has asked our Parents Day Out program to resume limited operations as soon as feasibly possible. We are aware that many neighborhood parents have been waiting patiently for us to resume operations. There are more than fifteen United Methodist-related childcare centers already open in the Dallas area, so we hope to operate as safely as they are. Pastor Kay and LaTara have been working hard to create the plans for this to be so.

I want to echo the Bishop’s words in his letter to use regarding these matters. He has said the following:

“my commitment remains for us to do no harm and for the North Texas Conference to do our part to preserve the health and well-being of the people in our churches and communities. Therefore, please note the following from “Dallas County COVID-19 Related Health Guidance for the Public” about religious services at level orange:

• in-person attendees should be limited to a number that allows full physical distancing (6 feet on all sides);

• cloth facial coverings should be worn by all attendees;

• hand hygiene should be practiced;

• avoid specific practices that involve close interaction, touch, or shared objects; • avoid social gatherings that may precede or follow services;

• avoid if over 65 or in a high-risk group.”

Again, we are well aware that many persons will *not* choose to resume in-person attendance immediately. Some of you may choose to continue to watch the livestream for the foreseeable future. This is totally understandable, and our primary concern would be for everyone to stay as safe as possible.

Please be assured that we are committed to continued quality live-streaming for all our worship services. If you have any questions or concerns regarding these issues, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Some plans are still in process now, but I wanted to be sure and communicate the gist of the news with you now.

Please continue to pray for our Church, and for all those who are seeking to find the best way through this challenging time. None of these decisions are easy, but we are committed to find our way through it all, as we continue serving the people of North Oak Cliff in the hope and love of Christ.

Grace and Peace,

Eric

Hidden Rooms of the Heart

by Rev. Eric Folkerth

You have a strength you don’t realize yet.

Your heart contains hidden rooms filled with justice for the vulnerable, courage for your own moments of weakness, and compassion for all of humanity. 

Trust that this is so; that it is a deep spiritual truth of life, even on days when it does not *feel* that it is so. 

2020 is a horrible year. We don’t need to recount the specifics. You’re living it. 

One key to surviving it all — which I feel a special call to remind you about often— is to recenter yourself in silence, meditation or prayer, however you conceive of those things. 

Only when we quiet the raging voices can we see past them, to the hidden reservoirs, already present, that we will all need in coming months. 

The world is filled with horrible news that seems to come at us in an almost daily basis. Add to this, in recent weeks, I’ve suggested these ending months of 2020 may be like none in our history. It may well get worse before it gets better.

When it does, read those first three sentences over and over. And if you don’t believe them, read them over and over again.

A part of why we “do church” together is to be reminded of our hidden strength at precisely the times when we don’t “feel” it. 

Trust in this…that love creates more love. Compassion creates more compassion. Justice-seeking creates more courage. And God will guide you through it all.

And those secret rooms that run your heart will appear, and unlock, just when you need them to.

Eric Folkerth