Greetings Faith Journey Church Family!
On behalf of the FJC Administrative Board I am writing to inform you that the Board has made the difficult decision to temporarily cease in-person Sunday morning services and move to an exclusively remote livestream service for at least the next three Sundays (November 22, 29 and December 6).
As you are aware from earlier FJC emails multiple individuals within our FJC family have contracted the COVID-19 virus.
As our church family experience mirrors, on a smaller scale given our smaller "sample size," the explosive proliferation of infections in the Douglas County/Omaha metro area, the Board believes the risk of virus transmission occurring among us during a Sunday morning gathering is growing unacceptably high. From our discussion the theme of safety for all and care of our most vulnerable became evident.
Therefore, with reluctance knowing how important it is for us to physically gather weekly for worship, the Board unanimously decided to take the following measures:
FJC will go to remote livestream services only (no in-person attendance) for the next three (3) Sundays - November 22, 29 and December 6.
The FJC Board and Pastor Rodney Amos/Pastoral Staff will meet on Tuesday, December 1 at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom video to assess the COVID-19 situation at that time. A determination will be made if it appears "safe enough" to return to in-person live services beginning December 13 or no.
If "no," another set number of remote only Sundays will be determined with another set "review date" to again consider status of COVID-19.
The Board is unanimous that this is an appropriate, measured way to proceed in the midst of this currently proliferating pandemic.
Please note that the church facilities will also be closed to formal Wednesday night activities (such as community groups and youth group) starting tonight, Wednesday, November 18, 2020 and continuing for the next two Wednesdays (November 25 and December 2). Meeting via Zoom is always an alternative (Pastor Michael Kerber was already planning to switch back to Zoom only with the teens). Wednesday evenings will also be revisited at the December 1 meeting.
Please note the Operation Christmas Child "Packing Party" scheduled for tonight, Wednesday, November 18 has been cancelled. NMI President Lori Daquila has formed a small group of volunteers who will fill the boxes and Lori will get them sent out.
Thank you all for your understanding and support. Please continue to pray for one another, our Pastoral staff and for our community, remembering particularly our health care workers upon whom this pandemic is beginning to exact an exhaustive toll.
Jeff Edwards
FJC Board Secretary