Dear Springs of Grace Church Family,
Grace and peace. Sorry for the late letter, but I was watching Coach McCoy and Metro win another state championship!!! Congrats!
This Sunday, because of the forecasted temperature and the wet ground at the church, we will be meeting again at the ROSE BOWL at 7419 E. 11th Street at 10:30 am. I am looking forward to sharing with you some things God has been teaching me personally and worshipping together around His Word. We will be spread out at the Rose Bowl or you can join us through our livestream.
One Hope Tulsa and the Rose Bowl are pleased for us to use the facility. They have established the following protocols for the facility that we will be following.
Protocols for Rose Bowl Facility Usage
Facility COVID-Mitigation Policies:
1. Masks must be worn at ALL times. (The CDC recommends asking kids age two and up to wear their masks.)
2. Keep at least 6 ft apart from non-household members while in the building.
3. No food/eating while in the building.
4. Contact tracing form, temperature check and hand sanitizer prior entry.
5. After the service, take conversations outside to minimize risk.
Expectations for Building Space:
1. Use the front door or west side doors on entry and exit of the building.
2. Use only the East side bathrooms.
3. No upstairs access without prior permission.
4. Do not attempt to enter classrooms (unless arranged with Alissa for parents and babies).
5. Warm drinks and food can be served in the Cafe before/after service. Games/sports supplies can be set up for children in the near west parking lot.
6. Guests should park in the east parking lot, the front parking lot, or the far west portion of the west parking lot.
Contact Tracing
We ask Springs of Grace to send out the form we’ve created, which asks for a name, email, and phone number for each household. We expect the group using the facility to contact-trace in the event of an attendee contracting COVID-19 within 48 hours of the service. Form is here: https://form.jotform.com/203157136859057
Bathroom use:
1. Wear mask in the bathroom.
2. Maintain distance and avoid extended conversation.
3. Maximum of three people at a time.
Set-Up
• Have volunteers to manage temperature check, pass out masks, and provide hand sanitizer at building entry. There should be stations at all three entrances (2 west side entrances, front south entrance) to prevent lines.
• Have a parking attendant at the west entrance to direct cars away from space where children will play.
Clean Up:
• Have 2-3 volunteers with wipes to sanitize all areas where families were sitting (railings, tables, chairs, any shared surface).
• Pack up all of your things quickly – the building will be closed 10 minutes after the service.
Reservable spaces:
• Please contact Alissa Hill (918-370-6237) if you would like to use the nursing room.
• The cry room is the conference room immediately to the right of the front doors.
• If you would like to maintain extra distance during worship, you may request to sit in the upstairs portion of the Rose Bowl.
It is the responsibility of the group using the facility to ensure that the facility’s policies are followed.
Please continue to pray for those being impacted by COVID. I have many dear friends who are struggling with it and so many of our medical workers are dealing with those losing loved ones. The impacts of the virus go way beyond the sickness of the virus itself, so pray for one another. As we weep with those who are weeping may God let us give the hope of Jesus in the temptations of hopelessness and may we be light in the darkness, especially in this advent season. Please continue to pray for our missionaries.
Because of moving indoors, we will NOT be having the fellowship and kids Christmas pageant. We will be having a Christmas Eve service at 6 pm on Christmas Eve where will sing carols and observe communion together. You all are invited to a Longest Night Service on Monday, December 21st (the longest night of the year), from 6:00-6:30 PM at the Rose Bowl Café. This brief outdoor service is for those who are grieving this holiday season. If you have experienced loss this year or are walking through a time of suffering, we especially welcome you to come grieve, both with each other and before the Lord. “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it.” John 1:5
Please continue to pray for those who can’t participate with us in the services. CHECK ON ONE ANOTHER AND IN THIS HOLIDAY SEASON, LET’S EXCEL AT LOVING ONE ANOTHER!
Please join us for worship at 10:30 am tomorrow at the ROSE BOWL or by livestream. You can find the link to this week’s livestream service at our website – www.springsofgrace.church or here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_iskZ5H45I
Please pray for our service tomorrow. God is taking us through some challenging days, but the refiner’s fire is a kindness to make us more like Him. I was encouraged this week by the words of Evan Welcher in his book, Advent, a thread in the night. “If you weep amongst the graves, deep into the late watches of the night, the only light you may see are the stars of heaven twinkling with eternal innocence, hinting that a brighter day is waiting with bated breath to dawn. And should there be cloud cover, you will need faith. Long ago, a star guided desperate, searching men to a house, and in it was a toddler, innocent enough to bear all our reproach and shame, on a day when darkness fell upon all the land, and the earth quaked and the dead rose from their graves. He brings the Light with Him.”
If you have questions or needs, please let us know. Striving to be His church, by His grace, for His glory.
Love you very much,
Pastor Joe