Hey Tom's Creek Church Community, it is a beautiful day to be alive! This is always true even if the weather is foul, even if the circumstance of life are weighing us down, it is true because we we can bask in the never failing and life changing Sonshine (yes, I meant to type Sonshine)! Jesus can break through the clouds of life even in the biggest storms. We have the amazing musical band "The Unclouded Day" coming to sing in worship this Sunday at both at 8am and 10:30am. They have changed up the music from previous visits to assure we hear some new songs too! I can't wait to join them with clapping along and letting loose to give praise to the Sonshine in my life!
We have great news to report that those we have lifted up in our church family that were struggling with COVID have all improved since we last shared. I want to thank everyone who wore masks to church last week and those that quarantined themselves who might have been compromised. We are going to lift the requirement to have masks on at all times in worship. We are going to ask that when it comes time to sing in the service that if you want to sing along that you put the mask on. This is a way that we can be a little safer and assure that we are not needlessly spreading COVID in case we have it and do not know. It also allows some of more cautious and immune compromised individuals to feel a little safer. Remember singing and talking loudly does push a lot of aerosoles into the air that can make transmission of COVID more likely. Those up on the altar area will not have masks on when speaking or singing because it distorts the sound and all on the altar area have made a choice and know the added risks that they are putting themselves at and are a good 10-20 feet away from the rest of the congregation. And a reminder there are other ways you can enjoy the music besides singing along like clapping, putting your hands in the air, allowing your body to move with the music. We will continue to monitor the situation and will make changes and the need warrants. We have done well throughout COVID in not putting each other at risk and we want to continue for that to be the case.
The bulletin is attached for this week. "The Unclouded Day" is arriving at 7am to set up equipment and plug into our new sound system. We are hoping that the online sound will be great at the 8am service BUT if there are issues we will work on it between services and livestream the 10:30am service as well. It is almost impossible to know what it will sound like online without going live first. They have 4 different stringed instrument and then 4 vocal microphones that will all have to be adjusted and there is no way to do that for the livestream until we actually go live! And even then it is hard to hear what is being livestreamed from our tech booth. Have I told you lately what an amazing team we have back in our tech booth that makes sure we can hear both in the sanctuary and online? Well, let's just say they rock and we are blessed by their ministry in this area.
If people are not able to join us in the sanctuary for worship we continue to livestream at 8am (it will be available to view after too) services via Facebook ,(https://www.facebook.com/tomscreekumc) or YouTube(https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX6E7eCwH2ZGYspkSCF0CGw). If you join and follow our Facebook page or subscribe to our YouTube channel, they will let you know when we are live. You can always watch any videos we post later because we leave them up. Also Sunday afternoon a shortened version is available on our website and on YouTube.
We are not passing offering plates so the wooden boxes are available to put your offering in. Of course you can also give online, click the donate button on our website, or use text to give (844-406-0358), or mail in the offering to church. In addition, we will be collecting prayers in the prayer box on the table in the parlor. Also, if you have announcement that you need to be shared please write them down and give them to me before the service. This will be an ongoing practice for prayers and announcements to help ensure that they are heard and understood by all (especially those worshipping with us virtually).
Each day is a new day to give praise to God. Let us give praise to God on this Unclouded Day. And let us invite people to join us in worship this Sunday so they and we can be reminded that no matter the weather or what is going on in our lives it is an unclouded day thanks to Jesus!
Blessings,
PH
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