Latest Updates
Monday, March 29, 2021
Dear Grace Church Family,
As we move into the Spring season, the Elder Team has been evaluating our response to the COVID situation. We are grateful that a return to normalcy seems to be on the horizon and want to provide you with an update to let you know about a change we are planning to make beginning the week following Easter.
Beginning on Sunday, April 11th, we will initiate our first step towards scaling back our COVID mitigation efforts. During the 11:15 am service only, the use of a mask will be optional once seated in the auditorium. We will continue to ask everyone to wear a mask elsewhere in the building (entering and leaving, hallways, bathrooms, etc.). This is similar to what someone would experience when visiting a restaurant.
This change also applies to children and student ministries during the 11:15 am hour. Masks may be removed (if desired) when seated in classrooms during the lesson time. However, as with adults, we will still require the use of masks throughout the building, during activities, etc.
Please note that masks will continue to be required at all times during the 9:30 am service.
We realize that some will read this and think, “It’s about time!” while others will feel that we’re making this change too quickly. We can only say that we are continuing to do our best to lead as prayerfully and wisely as possible and to try to provide options that meet various needs. With individuals in our congregation now possessing some form of immunity through recovery from the virus or vaccination, we hope this decision will serve our church as we continue to move through these challenging circumstances. As case counts have been rising in Michigan, we thank you for your continued willingness to follow these guidelines for the sake of others.
For those who are not yet ready to attend church in person, we will continue to provide live-streaming during each of the services. Also, beginning on April 11, we will offer a “mask-required” overflow room during the 11:15 am service for those who desire to be in a fully masked environment at that time.
As always, please feel free to contact any of us if you have any questions or concerns.
Love in Christ,
Paul (for the Elder Team)
Bob Bell
John Connolly
Paul Cronenwett
Mark Moreno
Todd Westerman
PS. Coffee’s back!
January 2, 2021
Dear Grace Church,
We want to inform you that due to two positive COVID-19 cases among members of our church and the possible exposure of others (including key leaders) at a resent non-church event, we will not be holding in-person services tomorrow morning, January 3. Instead, we will host one live service online at 10:00 am, which will be streamed on our Youtube and Facebook pages.
Although we recognize that this is not the most ideal format, we are excited to continue with our plans to commission Mark and Shelbi Fitzpatrick tomorrow for their mission work in Papua New Guinea.
We plan to return to hosting our normal in-person services next Sunday, January 10th.
Please be praying for those who are impacted, and pass this information along to others in your network.
Yours in Christ,
Paul (on behalf of the Elders)
Thursday, December 17, 2020
Dear Grace Church Family,
It’s probably safe to say that all of us are breathing a collective sigh of relief that this long year is finally coming to a close. Who could have guessed that 2020 would present so many unexpected challenges to us? Each of our lives have been disrupted in many different ways, and our church has been stretched, too.
And yet, looking back, God’s faithfulness to us this year has been evident, hasn’t it? No matter the circumstances, He promises that His grace is always sufficient to meet our needs (2 Cor. 12.9). While the world may have been caught off guard by the events of the year, the Lord was not. He rules and reigns over all the Earth just as joyfully, confidently, and sovereignly as ever. His blessings still flow as far as the curse is found. And therefore, we, the recipients of his love in Christ, have every reason today and always to rejoice and be glad (Psalm 97.1).
We have so much to be thankful for in Him.
As we head into the new year, we wanted to provide you with a promised update on our response to the challenges of the pandemic. As you are aware, this past September we initiated a 3-month plan that allowed us to return to hosting services indoors. Over the last few weeks the Elders have been seeking to prayerfully evaluate that plan. We want to thank everyone who participated in our recent online survey — the feedback we received was very helpful.
Now, after considering your input and prayerfully discussing our circumstances together as a team, we have decided to continue with our current virus mitigation strategy for the next three months. This includes continuing the use of social distancing, requiring face-coverings in the building, utilizing overflow rooms as needed (including our mask-optional room), and live-streaming our services.
We recognize that no solution fits every person, but believe that on-the-whole this approach has served us by helping to protect one-another’s health while giving us the best chance of being able to continue holding in-person services without interruption. Near the end of March, we plan to re-evaluate again and make changes as needed moving forward (if we need to make any adjustments sooner than this, we will let you know).
We continue to be deeply grateful for your patience, grace, and flexibility during this time. We know this has not been easy — especially for those who are not able to meet with us in-person. And yet, we are so proud of the ways our people are stepping up to meet these challenges. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us. Also, if you have a physical, spiritual, or prayer need, we can assist you with, please call or email us at connect@gracechurchinfo.net.
During the week of Christmas, we hope that you and your family will be able to carve out plenty of time for fun, rest, and reflection on the significance of our Savior’s birth. May the promise of Emmanuel — God with us — serve as an anchor for your soul.
Love in Christ,
Paul (for the Elder Team)
Bob Bell
John Connolly
Paul Cronenwett
Mark Moreno
Todd Westerman
Monday, September 21, 2020
Dear Grace Church Family,
This past Sunday marked our last outdoor summer service — it is no longer necessary to bring sunglasses and a lawn chair with you to church! Even though our outside meetings presented some challenges, we are so grateful for the efforts of the many volunteers who made these gatherings possible, and for your willingness to embrace change.
If you didn’t have an opportunity to attend or watch Sunday’s service, please be sure to take some time to do so (you can find the video of my vision for the Fall and re-opening info posted above). During the service, I rolled out the Elders’ plan to return to our building this Sunday, September 27th. We will be hosting 3 identical services at 8, 9:30, and 11:15 am.
Our Elders have spent countless hours in prayer, research, conversation with other church leaders, and team meeting… after team meeting… after team meeting as we have sought to design a reopening plan that honors the Lord and takes into account the various needs of the church as best we can. We committed ourselves to be motivated not by fear, but rooted in love and wisdom. While there are no ideal options available to us, we hope and trust that through the decisions made by the consensus of our team, the church will be able to faithfully move forward in our mission to grow disciples who are alive in Christ, connected with each other, and engaged in the world.
Below you will find the outline of our plans, which we are implementing for the next 3 months. Towards the end of that time we’ll re-evaluate and make changes as needed moving forward. Depending on how the virus progresses in Michigan, we may need to make adjustments sooner than this and will keep you informed if this is necessary. Your continued patience and understanding is deeply appreciated.
Please read the following important information carefully:
What times will our services be?
Beginning this Sunday, September 27th, we will be hosting 3 identical services inside our building at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:15 am. Each service will be about 1-hour in length.
Will there be programming for children?
Yes — children’s and student programming will resume for all ages.While Nursery and Toddler care will be limited to the 9:30 am service for now, other classes will take place at their normal times. If you have a child or student, someone will be in touch with you soon with more details.
Will services continue to be available online?
Yes, we will be live-streaming the 9:30 and 11:15 am services on our Facebook and Youtube pages each week. The video will remain available online, allowing you to watch later in the day. Sermon audio will also be available via podcast.
What safety measures have been put in place?
While we all long for the time when things return to normal (hopefully soon), out of a desire to do the best we can to protect the safety and wellbeing of everyone, and to give us the best chance at being able to continue in-person services, we are asking everyone to please adhere to the following guidelines:
Physical Distancing: Please observe social distancing guidelines of 6-feet and refrain from hugging and shaking hands. To allow for distancing in the auditorium, 50% of the chairs have been removed. You will be free to sit wherever you like, however, please leave 3 chairs between you and other parties (excluding family or others you are already in close-contact with).
Because our seating capacity in the auditorium will be limited, we will be utilizing the Impact Room and other rooms as video overflow locations for additional seating when necessary. If the auditorium fills up, a member of our Hospitality Team will guide you to overflow seating.
Face Coverings: Face-coverings will be required in the building at all times with the following exceptions:
For nursery and toddler aged children.
For the main teacher in each age-group during the time they are teaching and vocalists/speakers while on stage in the auditorium.
During each service we have set aside the last room on the right of our South Wing as a mask-optional video-overflow location. Those who feel strongly about not wearing a face covering can take theirs off when they enter the room. Masks will need to be put back on upon leaving. Please keep in mind that space will be limited and is first-come, first serve.
Those who who are not medically able to wear a face-covering should please contact one of the staff so that arrangements can be made.
Other: While bulletins can be picked up when you arrive, we will not be passing an offering basket, serving coffee or snacks, distributing Bibles, or greeting each other during the service. Hand sanitizer will be available and surfaces will be sanitized prior to and in-between each of our services.
We continue to request that everyone stay informed on the nature and risks of the virus. Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 should stay home and watch the service online.
Will we be celebrating communion?
Yes, beginning this Sunday, September 27th, and continuing in our normal monthly pattern beginning in November we will be celebrating communion at all three of our services. Communion will be distributed in individual packages which can be picked up on your way in. Those who will participate online from home can pick up a communion package at the church earlier in the week and participate with us live online at 9:30 or 11:15 am.
Meeting indoors this Fall is going to have its own challenges and our services are going to look and feel a bit different for a time. We recognize that our plans won’t please everyone and will involve sacrifices from all of us. Our hearts are especially sympathetic for those who won’t be able to join us indoors but will need to continue to watch the services from home. We are going to have so much opportunity to extend God’s grace and patience and love to one another.
In 9th grade I went on my first mission trip with our church youth group. Before we left for Birmingham, Alabama, one of our leaders (Kathy) handed each of us a rubber band. She asked us to wear it around our wrist all week as a reminder to trust the Lord and stay flexible, no matter what difficulties or problems we encountered.
This week, I’m going to send you a rubber band, too. While I wouldn’t recommend wearing it on your wrist (they start to cause skin-burns after a while), I do want to encourage you to seek to maintain an attitude of flexibility this Fall. In spite of the challenges, this is such an exciting time to be a part of the body of Christ and a witness for the Gospel in our community. I am so excited to get back into the building and move forward in what God has next for us in our mission as a church!
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns — or if you would like to hear more about how we arrived at our decisions — please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us.
Love in Christ,
Paul (for the the Elder Team)
Bob Bell
John Connolly
Paul Cronenwett
Mark Moreno
Todd Westerman