Thursday, May 21, 2020

Reopening Plan

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We will begin our reopening process on May 24, 2020. For further details click here.

 

 

Friday, April 10, 2020

Communion Together

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Starting on Easter we will begin sharing communion together by phone each Sunday at 11am while we can’t meet in person. Choose a bread. Choose a juice. (Use what you can; God understands our current limitations.) Then dial the toll-free number to join a live conference call with our church family. The service will be brief: a short meditation, a prayer for the elements, and a benediction. The whole family can participate. (Members and attenders are receiving the toll-free number by text or phone call. Email E10—easttenthrr@gmail.com—if you need the number.)

 

Friday, March 27, 2020

What does the the Stay-At-Home order mean for us?

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When our church leadership created our multi-prong plan for moving through this crisis, they worked with the belief that we would experience 8 to 12 weeks of canceled worship services. The Stay-At-Home order that goes into effect Monday, March 30, does not change our core plan. We will continue to stay connected personally to God, each other, and our neighbors. To watch or read our plan, see below.

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Thursday, March 19, 2020

Our Plan for Moving Forward 

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We want to share with our E10 family the next steps we, as a church, are taking to navigate the difficult circumstances surrounding the coronavirus. We will again not meet this Sunday, March 22, and all church activities during the week will remain canceled. We believe the restrictions on mass gatherings will stay in place for several more weeks; therefore, we are going to begin to operate as if this is our new reality for the time being. Our Board of Elders and Deacons has developed a multi-pronged plan to help us stay connected to God, each other, and our neighbors. This plan includes three parts: bible teaching, community, and finances.

 

Bible teaching is a key component of spiritual growth. In lieu of our regular Sunday morning gatherings or a live stream of our worship service online, Pastor Jason will pre-record a brief sermon video and post it each Sunday on our Facebook page and and here on our website. There will also be an audio version of this sermon posted here on our website and all major podcast platforms. We are calling this an online sermon series, and its title will be Walking with Wisdom: practical application in difficult times. We have also launched a church-wide Bible reading plan using the YouVersion Bible App. This is an opportunity to walk through the scriptures together each day. Anyone can join us (click here to join).

 

Community is also a key component for moving through hard times. We need each other and so we will be taking steps to make sure that no one in our church family is forgotten. Many people at E10 are already subscribed to our prayer chain texting service. We will be expanding the purpose of this group to include announcements and key updates as well as prayer requests. This service allows for two-way communication, so if you have a need, please let us know so we can activate other people in our church to help you. We are updating our entire database so that we can add even more E10 members and attenders to this texting service.

 

In addition to the texting service, our elders and deacons are committed to personally checking on each person in their flock regularly. Every member and regular attender at E10 is assigned an elder and deacon. This guarantees that everyone at E10 will receive personal communication and encouragement during these uncertain times. Please share any needs you have with your leaders. We are here to pray for you and help in any way we can.

 

Community, however, doesn’t just involve those who call E10 home. Community also includes our neighbors. We will continue to serve our community by giving back. We are making adjustments to how we do our dollar club program and food pantry. Some of these details will become clearer in the coming weeks. But if you know someone in need, and you can’t help them for whatever reason, please let us know. Call your elder or deacon or text us using the texting service. Let us know so we can come together as a church to help them.

 

At some point we may set up online meetings using software like Zoom or Google Hangout. Even this week, our youth group used Zoom to do their Wednesday night bible study. You’ll also notice that we’re going to try to serve our community in simple ways. Each week, Pastor Jason will post a short video called “Smile Time.” It’s a small moment to share some bad dad jokes, smile, and breathe a little easier. Being the church includes helping people smile.

 

Finally, we recognize that our church finances could be affected by an economic downturn. We want to encourage everyone in our E10 family to continue to give as you feel the Lord leading you. There is an online giving option at the bottom of our website. But for those who give cash or check, your elder or deacon will tell you how you can still give. 

 

We know that money will most likely be tight for most of us in the months to come, and this could impact our church. This is why our board already has an initial short-term and long-term plan for navigating potential financial difficulties in the future. We are blessed that we are not in debt, but we must continue to be wise stewards of God’s resources.

 

E10 family, these are complicated and challenging times, but there are opportunities for us to grow spiritually and opportunities for us to grow in our love for each other and our neighbors. We will continue to update you as we move into the future. God is with us and for that reason we can still smile.

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Monday, March 15, 2020

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To our E10 family: We know that the hardships related to the spread and risk of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is increasing daily. This is and will continue to impact our church family and community. How we worship and connect will change over the coming weeks. But we are hopeful that these difficult times will provide opportunities for us to love each other in new, significant ways. In the coming days our Church Board will be working on a practical plan to help our church family stay connected to God, each other, and our neighbors.

 

One thing we will start this Wednesday is a daily Bible study with Pastor Jason using the Bible App. All you need to do is download the app (click here for instructions: www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/). Create an account. Then click this link to join the plan, “The Bible Project | Luke & Acts” https://bible.com/p/24667673/4c7dad0db5b5b819874535495817b740

 

Each day there is a selected reading and a section called “Talk It Over” where we can share our reflections from that’s day’s passage. This is one way we can stay connected together in God’s Word.

 

The popular saying that “working together works” is more important now than ever. We must support one another, help our neighbors, and believe that God is still with us. We will post further updates as we have them. We love our E10 family and our community.

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Saturday, March 14, 2020

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Our church leadership has continued to monitor the situation related to the coronavirus (COVID-19). Federal, state, county, and city officials continue to elevate the risk of this virus. We want to act wisely to protect our community, and especially anyone who comes to E10. For that reason, we have decided to cancel all Sunday activities tomorrow, March 15. This includes Sunday School, worship, and evening programs. 

 

We will continue to track the rapidly changing circumstances surrounding this situation. We want to make decisions that are wise, balanced, and safe. Updates will be posted here on our website and on our Facebook page.

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Friday, March 13, 2020

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As a church we want to exercise wisdom regarding the real risks concerning the coronavirus (COVID-19) and corporate worship at E10. After much consideration, we have decided to still hold our 11am worship service on Sunday, March 15. But we are making changes and taking precautions. During this time of elevated risk: 1) We will not have Sunday School; only our 11am service. 2) Communion and offering will be modified so that we avoid passing the plates. 3) We ask that physical contact be limited to fist and elbow bumps.

 

Some of our members are at higher risk because of age or underlying health issues. We want those members to feel comfortable staying home if they are anxious about attending corporate worship. We also ask anyone who has a fever, cough, or other signs of illness to stay home. Remember, sermons can be accessed at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and easttenth.org/sermons.

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Youth events will continue as scheduled at this time. We will continue to monitor the situation, and we will post updates here on our website and on our Facebook page if our plan changes.

 

As students of Jesus, we have a unique opportunity to show trust in the Lord and compassion for others in an uncertain time.