What You Need to Know
As of Sunday, April 18th we’ll be opening two sections for mask optional seating. Both the far north and far south seating sections on the floor will now be designated as mask optional seating areas when you are in your seat. The middle two sections on the floor and the balcony will continue to be mask mandatory seating sections. Whenever you move from your mask optional pew you will need to wear a mask. This includes entering and exiting, dropping kids off and picking them up at POCC Kids, going to the restroom and the altar. Our POCC Kids Service seating will also be mask optional seating.
We will still be maintaining a single point of entry and exit. We will continue to RSVP for Sunday services. We will continue to check in all attendees upon entry. All seats in both the mask mandatory and mask optional seating sections will still be socially distanced. If the mask optional seating is full upon your arrival, you’ll need to sit in the mask mandatory seating. You can also wear a mask if you’d like in the mask optional area. We will still offer a streaming option for all who are unable to attend for any reason or joining us from a distance.
Overview
This past year has been very challenging as we’ve navigated a global pandemic. We’ve dealt with a global pandemic. We’ve dealt with ever changing guidelines. We’ve dealt with economic and social upheaval. We’ve done our best to honor and cooperate with health recommendations and guidelines. We had three shutdowns where we went fully online only. We’ve all canceled travel plans, celebrations, family gatherings, funeral gatherings and hospital visits. We’ve all become experts in online video meetings. In the midst of all of these things, we’ve had church family that fell all across the spectrum of opinions. We’ve had some say they wouldn’t return until all guidelines were removed. We’ve had some say the guidelines were not stringent enough and they wouldn’t return until they were. We don’t mean to complain or bellyache in sharing these realities. Making tough decisions is part of the burden and privilege of leadership, but we wanted to share some of the challenges of the past year. Thank you to so many of you who maintained such a great spirit over the past year.
Guiding Thoughts and Principles
We’ve done our best to honor and cooperate with health recommendations and guidelines. Through it all, we’ve tried to balance some imperative values. Scripture tells us to let our moderation be known. We’ve done our best to create a safe place for us to worship. We must continue to worship and lift God up, but we also want to protect the health of our congregation. It’s become incredibly complex as we’ve simply wanted to worship God together as the Bible commands. We’ve done our best to exhibit both faith and wisdom as we’ve made decisions.
We now feel that in the light of ever increasing numbers of vaccinations and the continuing reopening of society around us, it’s now time to start gradually, methodically, prayerfully adjusting some of our guidelines. We’ve prayed and sought council on these issues. We won’t make these adjustments all at once and we’ll work to communicate it well as we do.
Upcoming Adjustments
As of Sunday, April 18th we’ll be opening two sections for mask optional seating. Both the far north and far south seating sections on the floor will now be designated as mask optional seating areas when you are in your seat. The middle two sections on the floor and the balcony will continue to be mask mandatory seating sections. Whenever you move from your mask optional pew you will need to wear a mask. This includes entering and exiting, dropping kids off and picking them up at POCC Kids, going to the restroom and the altar.
We will still be maintaining a single point of entry and exit. We will continue to RSVP for Sunday services. We will continue to check in all attendees upon entry. All seats in both the mask mandatory and mask optional seating sections will still be socially distanced. If the mask optional seating is full upon your arrival, you’ll need to sit in the mask mandatory seating. You can also wear a mask if you’d like in the mask optional area. We will still offer a streaming option for all who are unable to attend for any reason or joining us from a distance.
Conclusion
Regardless of your personal feelings on this issue, we would ask you to honor the principle found in 1 Cor. 8 regarding meats sacrificed to idols. This principle states that we should honor and respect differing opinions on issues over which there may not be consensus or Biblical mandate. Whether one felt that meat should have been used or not, Paul instructed us not to use our knowledge to damage a brother or sister. He spoke of contending for your own rights over the convictions of your brother as sin. To the contrary, we are to prefer one another. Therefore, if you believe we should still wear masks, we would love for you to join us and sit in the mask mandatory seating. If you believe we should never wear masks, we would love for you to join us and sit in the mask optional seating. When you’re out of your pews, prefer one another, wear your mask and respect other’s opinions.
Scripture instructs us to strive for unity. Striving denotes work and effort. It’s a conscious choice that we have to work for. We should seek and choose unity, peace and common ground while following the direction of those charged to lead our POCC church family. We want to choose unity even in the midst of differing opinions. In the light of an ever divided world, let us respect our differences of opinion and be united in our worship to God and ultimately bring glory to Him! We pray that our love for God and for one another would stand as a testimony to the world around us!
Thank you all so much! We love you and are grateful to call every one of you a part of our POCC Family. Greater days are still on the horizon!
Updated Wednesday, February 21st
Dear POCC Family,
We are so excited to be back in live, in person service with our POCC kids this Sunday, February 21st at our 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM services. It’s been a long time coming and we’re looking forward to an amazing weekend! We can’t wait for this weekend! We are also thrilled to have kids’ evangelist Justin Hamby with us! It’s going to be a great weekend worshipping, learning about God and having fun together! As always, thank you for the opportunity to serve your kids. We don’t take your trust or the awesome responsibility of helping to lead your kids to God lightly. Please take a moment and review our COVID protocols.
Overview:
We will continue to provide the pre service POCC Kids service videos at both 8:45 AM for our live audience and 10:45 for our live and online audience. If you are not yet comfortable allowing your children to attend a live POCC Kids Service, we understand and respect that decision. Please join us in person or online for the video!
These guidelines will apply for our first week back together. We will continue to monitor best practices and make changes as needed. If anyone has been exposed to someone testing positive for COVID or is exhibiting symptoms, we would ask you to join us online.
We know that people will have differing feelings about the guidelines as we reopen. We want to be sure to go the extra mile in everything we do to provide a safe environment for everyone, especially for our elders and those with preexisting conditions. We know that these measures have been challenging for everyone. We continue to operate in faith and not in fear while we also use wisdom. Faith and wisdom are not opposed concepts.
We are hopeful and confident and hopeful that we are nearing changes in our guidelines. However, based on current statistics, we don’t want to let down our guard too soon. Thankfully, infection rates have dropped from their January peak. However, the mortality rate has also risen, likely due to new strains of the virus. With the current rate of vaccinations coupled with diagnosed and undiagnosed cases, we are fast approaching herd immunity. Until then, we want to continue to be vigilant. Thank you for understanding and for your patience! Let’s continue to choose unity and hang on just a little bit longer!!
Ages
All children from grades Pre-K4 through 6th grade are invited to attend. At this point we are unable to provide nursery services for children not yet in Pre-K4.
Check In:
We will check all family members in at the main entrance just have we have been doing for previous Sunday services. Please complete the RSVP that we will email on Thursday and Saturday (you only need to RSVP once) and let us know in the comments if your child(ren) will be attending the POCC Kids Service. We will print name tags for children and pick up tags for parents. After check in, we will escort your child(ren) to the Rooks Auditorium for service.
Entry and Exit:
When service ends you can pick up your children in the Rooks Auditorium foyer. We ask that you wait in line standing on the spaces that will be marked on the foyer floor. After picking up your child(ren), you will exit via the south side Rooks Auditorium hallway and the CCCA exit doors.
Seating:
The seating in the Rooks Auditorium will be limited and socially distanced. We will be arranging the room in groups of three seats. Children from the same family will be seated together. We will add seats to group of three seats for families of more than three. All other children will be seated with a seat in between each child in groups of no more than three seats with two children.
Mask Policy
We will initially ask all attendees to wear masks for the kids’ services.
See you all Sunday!!!
- Our Spanish translation of the preaching during our livestreams is still available to you from home. Download the “Interactio” app from your app store or go to interactio.io. From the app or the website search for POCC to find our English to Spanish translation stream.
- You can also request live prayer during our livestreaming services via our website. Go to the live tab above. In the bottom right you’ll see a “Live Prayer” link. We’d be happy to chat with you and pray for your request.
- Offering: You can still give via our website and by texting POCC to 77977.
Prayer Request
If you have a current prayer request, submit it by clicking below and completing the form. We will distribute all prayer requests to our prayer team.
Click here to submit a prayer request
Thanks and Praise Report
Even in the midst of difficult circumstances, we find that God often moves in surprising, unforeseen ways. If you have a thanks and praise report please click the link below. We’d love to read it and encourage others as well.
Click here to submit a thanks and praise report
Baptism Request
The church can still be the church even in these circumstances. If you or someone you know would like to be baptized, please let us now by clicking on the link below and completing the form. We’ll be happy to meet with anyone. We don’t want to miss an opportunity to reach people who are hungry for God now more than ever.
Click here to request a baptism
God bless you all and keep looking up!
What We Know and Believe as Spirit Filled Christians
We Choose Faith Over Fear
The God we serve is not just our savior, but our provider and protector as well. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7
Trust God
Viral disease is a fact of biological existence and part of creation. Keeping perspective and not panicking apply here, just as they do for all risks we face as creatures in a finite world. No matter how dire circumstances get, the Lord remains our refuge and strength, “an ever-present help in trouble” (Ps. 46:1).
Ps. 91:5-7
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; Nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; Nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, And ten thousand at thy right hand; But it shall not come nigh thee.
Ps. 91:10-11
10 There shall no evil befall thee, Neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways.
Luke 12:25-26
25 And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? 26 If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? 27 Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
John 16:33
33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
What You Should Do
Pray
We must pray for the sick and the scared, for public health officials, for doctors and nurses, for researchers, and for caregivers. We know prayer has power, so we choose to respond in faith through prayer, not fear and worry.
Love Each Other
Even if a virus outbreak eventually prevents us from gathering for services, we still support one another. This can happen through prayer, through verbal encouragement, and through coming alongside others to provide help in need.
Call and check on each other. Check on your neighbors. Love each other and pray for each other. If we know of anyone in need, please let us know by reaching out to pastoral staff or the church office.
Stay abreast of local health updates, but be sure to include encouraging material to keep yourself uplifted like scripture reading, worship songs, and online sermons.
Additionally:
- Wash your hands frequently for 30 seconds using soap and hot water and encourage your family to do the same.
- Use hand sanitizer often.
- Feel comfortable avoiding skin contact. We are a loving church. While we love giving hugs, handshakes, and high-fives we will be refraining from that for the near future. Try giving an elbow-bump, a big smile, or a friendly wave instead.
- If you need to cough or sneeze, cover your mouth with your sleeve or a tissue.
- Avoid touching your face, eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
- Use a barrier, such as a paper towel or tissue, to touch commonly touched surfaces, such as bathroom door handles and elevator buttons.
- Stay home if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, especially if you have a fever, are coughing or sneezing consistently or are experiencing shortness of breath.
- If you’ve been directly exposed to a person with the Coronavirus or influenza, please self-quarantine yourself for 14 days according to the CDC guidelines.
- If you have recently returned from any type of international travel, you should also stay home and follow the CDC’s current 14 day self-quarantining recommendations.
- If you are over the age of 60 or in close contact with anyone over the age of 60, please consider staying home and taking extreme precaution with this vulnerable age group.
- If you are ill, call your health care provider before visiting. Phone consultation may be adequate.
- Avoid non-essential trips to emergency rooms, hospitals, nursing homes and long-term care facilities. If your loved ones are there, substitute in person visits for phone or video visits.
- Please be certain your POCC Connect profile is updated with your current contact info and address. This will help us to stay in contact with one another should anyone need assistance.
- If you would like to continue to support the church financially, you can do so by texting POCC to 77977 or by visiting pushpay.com/g/coopercitychurch. Thank you so much for your ongoing support.