The Next Phase
Covid-19 Update
Dear Nardin Park Church Family & Friends,
With Gov. Whitmer’s extension through May 15th of the stay at home order, the church building will remain closed. We will continue to have only essential staff in the building and to follow the Oakland County Health Department Protocols for buildings and businesses open during the stay at home order.
When I first shared with you that our building was closing to all in person activities, I thought that we could all return to church at once in celebration. We are now realizing that returning to church will need to happen in phases. This means that we will need to be flexible and patient in our return to in person church activities, keeping in mind the best advice from public health officials, government leaders, denominational leadership as well as neighboring congregations. As people of faith, we trust that God is still at work and this same God also promises us “through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come, tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.”
We now have high definition live stream capabilities from the Nardin Park sanctuary. Our start date and time for Sunday morning live stream worship will depend on when the stay at home order is lifted. We will keep you informed. Until then, we will continue to provide pre-recorded devotional videos, Zoom meetings, study classes and small group gatherings, and occasional Facebook live events which will be uploaded and available to everyone with internet access on our church YouTube channel. Up to date information is also available on our newly designed church website.
We will be resuming our bi-weekly newsletter so you can stay up to date on all the ministries happening through Nardin Park because while our building is closed, we are still very much at work throughout our community. We know now, more than ever, that the church is not just a building, it is the people.
With the blessing of our board of Trustees, I have called together a five member Nardin Park COVID-19 task force which is developing guidelines and procedures to get us safely back into our church building so we can once again worship and fellowship together. The task force is led by Mike Glenn and includes our lay leader, Mike Marks, our church council chair, Don Babcock, our house committee chair and custodial supervisor, Terry West and retired medical doctor from University of Michigan Health Systems, Dr. Christine Holland along with me as your lead pastor.
Until a vaccine is available, it is likely we will need to wear a mask while in public buildings and public gatherings. With that in mind, our ‘Stitches of Love’ connecting groups have started to make cloth masks and would be happy to have you join their efforts. Here is how you can connect with them and the mask making project. Email Amy Dowell; amy@dowell.ws or call or text her at 248-595-5432 and let her know if you would like to sew or help deliver masks. Watch the church website and Facebook page for updated announcements about needed supplies.
Finally, I encourage you to continue to reach out to one another as you have been doing and assist us as we reach out to our community during these difficult times. Together we witness to the love of Christ, which calls us to do good and show love in all the ways we can.
Pastor Melanie