June 17, 2021 | Dan Low
Dear Bread of Life Family,
THANKSGIVING: We appreciate you and your ongoing commitment to our church throughout the past sixteen months. We realize that we have all been stretched to new limits in every segment of our lives. Taking nothing for granted, we are so incredibly thankful to God for the privilege that we have received to worship him together—whether that’s been through our livestream or in-person.
MEETING TOGETHER: As we have regathered for in-person worship (starting on March 21 with our 11:15 am outdoor worship under the tent and expanding on May 2 with our 9:15 am indoor worship in our sanctuary), we are deeply encouraged by each and every individual who has joined us. We love and cherish being able to sing, listen, laugh, and fellowship together in person.
We realize that some are unable to join us because of underlying health conditions, lingering concerns, or geographical distance (outside of our area). We are hopeful and eager to see you soon, wishing you God’s continued protection and wisdom.
For all who have transitioned from the comfort of our own home to our in-person services, we definitely have gained a renewed and collective sense of appreciation for the opportunities to meet together to worship God and encourage one another. If you are still at home because it’s more comfortable, we would love for you to return and join us for in-person worship (Hebrews 10:24-25: “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”).
SAFETY MEASURES: While we implemented the use of plexiglass shields and temperature checks from the very beginning, we no longer use these measures. With the overall situation continuing to improve and the guidelines from the CDC as well as the California Department of Public Health, we will keep on adjusting our protocols. Starting on July 4, facial coverings will be optional in our 11:15 am outdoor worship for all who are fully vaccinated (worshipers will confirm this with their actual vaccination card or a picture of it). Since our English congregation will be the first to make facial coverings optional for the fully vaccinated, please be sure to cover up when we enter the lobby or common area of our church facility.
Facial coverings will be optional in our 9:15 am indoor worship for all who are fully vaccinated beginning on August 1. Additionally, if individuals with a facial covering (regardless of vaccination status) feel more comfortable sitting with others who are also wearing masks, they have the option of sitting on the organ side of the sanctuary (a mask-only section).
If you have not yet been vaccinated, we strongly urge you to do so for your own sake, for your family, and for our church community.
We will also continue the registration process for our worship services. Thanks so much for making the effort to do this each week.
GRACE AND PEACE: We recognize that there’s a wide spectrum of opinion and comfort level within our own English ministry. We respect and value these differences. As we carefully weigh each decision before the Lord for the sake of our overall faith community, we depend upon his grace to embolden our witness in the world and trust in his peace to unite our hearts as his church. Seeing the light at the end of this extraordinarily long tunnel, we pray that God will embrace us with his Spirit in a powerfully transformative way that will ultimately lead us and many others closer to Jesus.
Forever thankful to God for you and our life together in Jesus,
Pastor Dan
