Back to Normalcy

To say that this pandemic is unprecedented seems like an understatement at this point. The entire world is trudging through uncharted territory with coronavirus and the Stay At Home Mandate that followed. Everyone is attempting to sort through mountains of new information daily, to gauge the cultural and societal temperature, and to find a balance between making wise and health conscience decisions for all while also restarting the world for the sake of everyone’s livelihood.

The decisions that will be made in the coming weeks and months have the potency to divide nations, cultures, and even the church, and it has never been more important to remain unified despite our different views on the virus itself, the politics involved, and the socio-economic implications of how the world has responded thus far.

As the world scrambles to find a pathway back to normalcy, our church staff and leaders have prayed through “what is the Lord saying to The Sound?” during this season. The answer: AWARENESS.

Our church is right in the middle of massive wholesale changes. New facilities, new ministry models, new service styles, new businesses being launched. These are already very delicate situations that require grace and diplomacy to navigate with the denomination, the city, and the church. Add on to that a worldwide pandemic and it’s easy to see that we all need to be hyper-aware of how we proceed. We must acknowledge that everything we say and everything we do will be under a microscope. The church and the world are watching to see how we respond, and it’s a good thing that we are The Sound, because at our church, every word and every action is to represent Jesus (Colossians 3:17)

It is likely that we will not just return to normal immediately, but instead return to normalcy over the course of months through various phases and at The Sound, we will follow suit. We have learned a lot over the past months regarding online services and their impact. Many of our online services have reached hundreds of people that are unable to attend our services in person.

We are also aware that as restrictions ease up, there will be those in our congregation that will not feel it safe or wise to meet in person in the near future. Again, we want to be aware and accommodating for everyone in our congregation. So please note that with each phase will be ADDING new elements, not replacing the previous phase’s elements. This will give everyone options and allow individuals to decide when and how they will participate moving forward.

CURRENT PHASE I

• Utilize Zoom Meetings for all interactive church activities
  • Sunday Services
  • Mid-Week Bible Studies
  • Mid-Week Fun (Game Nights, Hangouts, etc.)

PHASE II

• Continue Zoom Meetings as an option for Sunday morning services
• Add in person Home Church Small Groups
  • Sunday Services
  • Mid-Week Bible Studies
  • Mid-Week Fun (Game Nights, Hangouts, etc.)

PHASE III

• Continue Zoom Meetings as an option for Sunday morning services
• Continue in person Home Church Small Groups as an option for Mid-Week Activities
• Add in person on-site services and activities
  • Seating Arrangements
  • Social Distancing
  • Masks required/recommended based on state/county guidelines
  • Extensive sanitation of the entire facility

PHASE IV

• Back to standard services with no restrictions
• Continue broadcasting online for those who cannot attend in person

Our hope is that we can rally together and unite as a church. We all wish there was a clearly defined timeline as to when each phase will be enacted. However, with this plan in place The Sound is now prepared to move back to normalcy step by step, and we hope and pray that you will join us by remaining aware of how our words and actions represent Christ to both the church and the world in this trying times.