August Church Updates & Clarifications

Greetings New Life!

As we get ready to transition to two Sunday morning services next week, I have a few clarifying things to report to you about those plans:

1. This Sunday, August 9, we will have one morning worship service as normal at 10:30 am, with masks recommended.

2. The two-service schedule will begin Sunday, August 16. One service will be at 8:30 am, masks required. The second service will be at 11:00 am (not 10:30 am), masks optional.

3. Regarding children during the 8:30 am mask-required service, we will follow the guidelines provided by the state of Indiana:

   • Children under 2 years old should not wear masks;

   • Children between 2–7 years old are exempt from wearing masks;

   • Children aged 8 and up will be required to wear masks.

Some other items of note in the life of our church:

1. It is our intention to celebrate communion on Sunday, August 23. This will be actually the fourth Sunday of the month, but we thought it best not to conduct communion on our first two-service Sunday. Starting in September we will begin observing communion again on the third Sunday of each month. Communion will be handled differently than normal, in that a pre-packaged cup and wafer will be provided for each individual. (They look like this.)

2. It was announced many weeks ago that Ashley Brown will be taking over for Jessica Mowery as our children’s director, and that became official this past week. The Mowerys are moving to Wisconsin, and last Sunday was Jessica’s last day on the job. Jessica has served our children and families exceedingly well, and we will miss her greatly. An outdoor farewell party will be held for her Thursday, August 13 from 6:30 to 7:30 pm at the church. Please consider coming out to express your gratefulness and well-wishes to Jessica.

3. It was announced earlier that the new sermon series on Genesis would begin August 16, but that has been pushed back one week. The Gospel According to Genesis will start Sunday, August 23. Ruling elder David Lowry will preach this Sunday, and New Life youth director Andrew Brown will preach on August 16.

Thank you for your attention to these things!

Grace and peace to you in Christ,
Pastor Bob

Two Sunday Services Beginning in August

Greetings New Life!

On Monday, the State of Indiana mandated the wearing of masks, and many of you are likely wondering how this will impact Sunday morning worship at New Life. The elders have prayerfully discussed the situation and believe that the best solution is to offer two Sunday morning worship services—one that requires masks to be worn, and one that allows masks to be optional. 

The state’s mask mandate does provide an exemption for those “engaged in a religious service,” so technically we are not required to make any changes as long as social distancing is practiced in our building, but the two-service option affords the best opportunity for the largest number of people to return to in-person corporate worship. 

So here is the plan:

• We will offer a service at 8:30 am each Sunday at which all participants will be required to wear masks at all times while inside the church building. No exceptions. If people arrive without masks, we will have masks available for them at the front doors of the church.

• A second service will be offered at 11:00 am each Sunday at which masks will be optional, not required. Take note that the second service will be at 11:00 am, not the usual 10:30 am. We are tentatively committed to starting the two-service option on Sunday, August 16, depending on the preparations that will be required.

This also means that worship services on August 2 and 9 will continue as they have in the recent past—starting at 10:30 am, with masks recommended but not required. It would be a great help if all of us could consider how we might step up and serve, as it will obviously require more volunteer help to adequately staff two services.

The worship service will continue to be live-streamed even while we are offering two services. The desire is to eventually return to offering just one service, but that will depend on how circumstances unfold, which only our sovereign Lord knows. 

Thank you all for your patience and understanding as we continue to navigate a very unpredictable and challenging time. As always, the elders’ ultimate desire is that the New Life congregation and people in our community can come to our church and worship the risen Christ freely, joyfully, and without anxiety. Pray that this may be so!

Pastor Bob,
on behalf of the session of New Life

Reminder About Masks from New Life's Session

Greetings New Life!

On Wednesday, Indiana Governor Holcomb announced that the original plan to reopen the state to full capacity on July 4 has been extended to July 18 at the earliest because of recent increases in COVID-19 cases in many other states. While Indiana has not experienced such increases, the governor is also reiterating the importance of wearing masks as a responsible measure to prevent the spread of germs.

The session of New Life wants to remind everyone that we are still recommending the wearing of masks during Sunday morning worship, as well as the practice of social distancing in the church building.

Thank you for your cooperation, and we look forward to the day when everyone who calls New Life home can gather together in person to worship our Father through the work of Jesus and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Bob,
on behalf of the session of New Life

Details for Public Worship Sunday, May 19

Greetings New Life!

This Sunday will be the first Lord’s Day in weeks that we have been able to gather together for worship in our sanctuary!

In response to our survey, we have heard from 86 people who have indicated their intention to attend (as of Thursday). This is less than the fullness of our congregation, as many of you have indicated that you are not yet ready to recommit to social gatherings at this time. Please know that we understand and respect this decision and look forward to the time when you feel free to join us. 

As we approach our first Sunday of worship since the lockdown, be assured that it is the intention of the New Life staff, elders and deacons to foster an environment in which social distancing can be practiced so that everyone can gather for worship without fear or anxiety. The following steps are being taken to make sure this occurs:

1. There will be one service at 10:30 am with space available in the multipurpose room for overflow in the event the sanctuary becomes too crowded. 

2. In order to allow for adequate social distancing (6 feet apart), we believe 120 is the maximum number of people who should be allowed in the sanctuary. We can fit 30-40 people in the multipurpose room if needed.

3. Our deacons have adjusted the seating in the sanctuary to help accommodate proper social distancing. We urge everyone to take appropriate steps to promote the health and continued well-being of everyone in attendance. You can review our state’s recommendations here.

4. Several aspects of our normal worship service will be altered: there will be no greeting time, no worship booklets passed out, no offering plates passed, no children’s message or children’s church, no prayer after service, and no communion. Also, other Sunday morning ministries will not take place: there will be no nursery, no discipleship hour classes, and no coffee.

5. While the nursery will be closed, the cry room will be available for parents needing space with their children, and that space will be disinfected ahead of time.

6. The three main doors to the sanctuary from the foyer will be kept open at all times. People will also be able to exit through the fire exit doors on each side of the sanctuary at the conclusion of the service, though we urge you to exercise caution as a tripping hazard does exist in those exits.

7. Our cleaning crew will make sure the church is thoroughly cleaned before the service, with special attention given to disinfecting door handles, door plates, restrooms, the cry room and all surfaces. Hand sanitizer will be available in multiple locations.

8. While we understand that not everyone agrees on the usefulness of masks, we recommend that you wear one out of respect for those who are convicted they should be worn.

9. If you are exhibiting symptoms of illness, or consider your health to be particularly fragile, we suggest you remain at home for the time being.

10. For those choosing to remain at home, a live stream video of the service will be shown, which will be accessible on YouTube and at the New Life website at 10:30 am on Sunday.

Our goal is to phase in other ministries and other elements of the worship service over time, and will keep you updated on when those changes will occur. 

As we have said before, we are in the midst of an unusual situation that presents unique challenges to us as a church and a community. It is important that we seek to humbly respect the differing opinions that are held about what is a proper response to the pandemic. We would do well to remember Philippians 2:3:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and patience, and please respond to the attendance survey if you haven’t already. 

Pastor Bob,
on behalf of the elders and deacons of New Life

Should we celebrate communion at home?

Greetings to you my brothers and sisters!

Tomorrow is Good Friday, which means tomorrow night we will post our Good Friday service online, as we have been doing with our Sunday morning services the past few weeks. Go to the New Life web site at 6 pm and the video service will begin. 

Because we will not be able to gather together in our sanctuary for the service, we will also not be able to participate in communion, or the Lord’s Supper, as we normally would on Good Friday. This might raise the question of why we don’t try to practice the Supper online somehow, or whether you should practice the Lord’s Supper privately in your home either by yourself or with your family. Let me explain why I would advise against both.

In the Scriptures, the Lord’s Supper is something that is always practiced in the faith community. When Jesus instituted the sacrament in Mat. 26:26-29, he did so with his disciples. When Paul gives directions for the supper in 1 Corinthians 11, he opens the section with the phrase, “when you come together as a church . . .” In fact, this phrase is mentioned no less than four different times in this section (v. 17, 18, 20, 33), suggesting that this is not a trivial or unimportant detail in the way the Supper is conducted. Paul expects that the Supper is observed only when the church gathers together as a congregation, which is why we often call it “communion."

Another factor to consider is the importance of the visibility of the elements of the sacrament. A sacrament by definition is a "visible sign of an invisible grace,” meaning that it is something to be seen, touched and tasted. Of course it is true that you can see the bread and cup in private, but Paul says in 1 Cor. 10:17, “because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” This suggests that Paul wants us to lay eyes upon the bread in the the context of the gathered community, so that the symbolism of the one bread pointing to the one body can be witnessed. 

The final reason why you should not serve communion at home is because of the very important practice of “fencing the table.” This is when Pastor Brian or myself gives directions about who should partake of the sacrament and who should not (1 Cor. 11:27-29). Unbelievers and those who are intentionally harboring unconfessed sin should not participate. Children who have not yet professed faith in Christ should not participate. These are important qualifications that are best handled by an ordained pastor during a proper worship service. 

To these points you might respond that we are already doing corporate worship online, so why not do corporate communion online? The response is that we actually are not doing “corporate worship” online. We are worshiping in our homes through the aid of online video, yes, but that is not the same as corporate worship. That only happens when God’s people gather together physically in the same space to worship God through Christ.

Perhaps you have already been serving communion at home, especially since we were hindered from doing so as a church on the third Sunday in March. If so, let me assure you that you have not committed the unpardonable sin, and that your desire to participate in the sacrament is a godly and commendable inclination. But there are so many aspects of the Supper that are lost in private that it hardly deserves to be called “communion” in that context. 

This current time of staying at home will not last forever. Very soon we will be together again, at which time the celebrating of the Lord’s Supper will seem that much more precious and valuable in our eyes and hearts. And be assured  that grace from God is still freely available to you, as you approach him in prayer and in the Word through faith in Christ, the one mediator between man and God, who always lives to intercede for us.

My love to you in Christ,
Pastor Bob