One Church, Ten Locations
In this video, Tim Chambers shares a few of the reasons we’re meeting in homes for the next couple weeks and why we think these gatherings could strengthen our fellowship long term. The blog post below includes all the details, but here’s the short version:
For at least the last two Sundays in May (the 24th & 31st), Christ’s Church will meet in ten different homes throughout the Joplin/Carthage area.
At every location, meetings will begin at 10:30 AM and will include worship, a pre-recorded teaching from one of our pastors, and communion. These will be family-style meetings, where kids will be welcome and included.
The weekly teaching videos will also be available online for those who don’t feel comfortable gathering in groups yet and would prefer to stay home.
When the city re-evaluates their recovery plan on June 1, we’ll consider their recommendations and make a plan for our next phase, too.
To see the list of house churches and reserve your spot for May 24, click here!
When our state and local governments first asked churches to suspend large gatherings, we hoped these regulations would be lifted as suddenly as they came. Later, it became clear that a speedy return to Sunday meetings (as we'd known them) was not likely, and we’d need to plan for something more gradual. When the city released their four phase recovery plan, including specific regulations for worship gatherings, we began to pray and think about what our meetings might look like for the next few weeks. (If you’re curious, you can read the city’s plan in full here.)
In line with several other cities in our state, Joplin currently requires churches to limit their gatherings to 25% of their building’s capacity, which would be about 75 people per meeting for us. We would not be able to offer children’s ministry, take communion, or allow people to congregate in our lobby or hallways. In addition to following social distancing guidelines, we would need to check temperatures at the door, limit people to groups of six, require everyone to stay in their cars until the meeting starts and then go directly to their cars after it ends, and disinfect all common surfaces hourly and most common objects (like microphones) between uses. Eventually, the city will allow us to meet at 50%, then 75%, and finally 100% of our capacity, but all the other guidelines listed above will remain in place throughout the recovery phase.
In short, we are allowed to hold meetings, but the kind of meetings we are allowed to hold don’t include several of the most beneficial aspects of our gatherings. We want to worship God, hear teaching from the Bible, use our gifts to build one another up, take communion, linger in conversation, include children, and do all these things in ways that minimize health risks.
While the regulations for churches, businesses, and other entities are stringent, citizens are allowed to gather freely in homes. In homes, we can host gatherings that include the main elements of our Sunday meetings, while minimizing the risk of contagion by limiting the size of groups. There’s no guarantee someone won’t transmit the virus in a house church, but a much smaller number of people would be exposed than if they came to a church meeting of 75.
Additionally, house church meetings could help us strengthen our community in ways that will benefit us for years to come. We could spend the next few weeks learning how to have church meetings with as little human contact as possible, but that isn't a practice we want to continue long term. It won't help us beyond this season. However, house church meetings will give current and emerging leaders more pastoral experience. More musicians will have opportunities to use and develop their gifts. We’ll practice hospitality as we welcome one another into our homes, and we can deepen friendships as we spend time together and pray for one another in these contexts.
These are the kinds of gifts and forms of service we want to cultivate in every season. Meeting in homes isn’t a fallback plan or a contingency strategy: it’s another way of pursuing our mission to help people love and obey Jesus.
On June 1, the city plans to revisit the regulations they’ve put in place and evaluate their effectiveness. We’re not sure what they’ll recommend or require of churches beyond that date or how we’ll respond. We can say that on May 24 & 31, Christ’s Church will be meeting in homes for worship, teaching, and prayer.
We’re also aware that several church members don’t feel comfortable attending group gatherings yet. Many people are concerned not only for their own safety but the health of their loved ones, and the decision to attend a group gathering is a difficult one. If that’s you, we would encourage you to watch the videos each week from home, and if you live with other believers, watch with them, too. Sing together, take communion, enjoy fellowship with God and one another. And please let us know how we can pray for you and care for you while we’re apart.
For those who are ready to gather, we hope to see you at a house church this weekend! Each location has an attendance cap, so we’re asking folks to let us know where they plan to attend this week and how many people they’re bringing. (Feel free to attend a different location each week.) To see the list of house churches and reserve your spot for May 24, click here!
