Health and Wellness Update

Health and Wellness Update, September 7, 2020:

I wanted to share some BIG NEWS with you…

CCF will be returning to in-person services beginning Sunday, September 20!

Our restart of in-person services will happen in stages.

In Stage One (starting Sept. 20), we will have outdoor services in our south parking lot at 10:30 a.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring their own chairs and communion, although we will have chairs and communion elements for everyone who doesn’t have them. For those who would like to be at church but are still uncomfortable mingling in person, we will be broadcasting the service with an FM transmitter so you can attend the service in person and listen in your car.

In Stage One, we are asking everyone to wear masks while mingling and keep at least 6 feet between family groups when you set up your chairs. However, because we are meeting outside, you are free to remove your mask when seated.

For those who are not ready to return to in-person services, we will still be recording our Home Church services. Home Church will be available on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/ccfsiloam), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/ccfsiloam), and our Online Church Platform (http://ccfsiloam.online.church).

We plan to have outdoor services for 2-3 weeks before moving to Stage Two (worship services in the main worship center).

We look forward to seeing you in person soon – have a great day!

-Pastor Pat

Health and Wellness Update, August 14, 2020:

Many of you have asked about when and how CCF will return to in-person services. When we suspended in-person services in the middle of March, we had all hoped to be back before summer. We based our decision to continue web-based services through the summer on several factors associated with the on-going COVID-19 pandemic.

As you know, we surveyed the congregation in June as to their thoughts and comfort-level for returning to in-person services at that time. At the same time, we commissioned a committee to recommend steps for a staged return to in-person services. Based on the results of the survey, the findings of the committee, and the current recommendations from our state authorities, we have set the following external measures to aid in our decision-making process going forward:

(1) A decrease in the number of cases and lower positivity rates in the four contiguous counties around in and around Siloam Springs (Benton, Washington, Adair, and Delaware counties);

(2) The effect of opening schools;

(3) And the relaxing or changing of state or federal recommendations, directives, or mandates.

We all would like to return to the way it was before this pandemic; however, it is unlikely that this will happen in the immediate future. However, we believe these unprecedented times afford us unique opportunities for spiritual growth and outreach. Additionally, we are thankful for the way God is using our online services to reach people we would typically be unable to impact with our ministries, such as those who wouldn’t be comfortable in a traditional church setting or those in faraway places.

We are continuing to review the situation prayerfully, and we remain flexible. We know God is in control, and we seek and trust His guidance to help us make the right decisions for His church.

We love you, and we miss you. We pray that you all are continuing to grow spiritually during this difficult time. Thank you for praying for us, for the continued ministry of CCF, and for participating in the faithful journey.

The CCF Board of Elders

Bing Bingham, Pat Callahan, Cale Clemens, Derek Dewey, Rodney Ellis,
Jim Girdner, Wendell Skelton, Steve Snediker, Joe Walenciak

Health and Wellness Update, May 12, 2020:

After meeting with the Board of Elders and the Staff this week, we have decided that for the near future, we will suspend our in-person services.

Sunday was a fun experiment. We had 49 people attend our in-person service. We figured out how to Livestream our service (although we had some technical difficulties). It was great to see people’s faces, even covered with a mask. But in the end, we decided that for the time being, it’s probably best, for safety and practical reasons, to continue to hold services exclusively online.

We will continue to evaluate the changing landscape of the COVID-19 shutdown. I would appreciate your continued prayers for wisdom for our leadership team, just as we continue to pray for you and your spiritual and physical well-being.

I’ll be speaking this Sunday (May 17) about hope – something that our world desperately needs, especially right now. I encourage you to invite your friends to join you in watching the service. I’m heartened by how many people who wouldn’t darken the door of a church have connected to CCF through our online platforms.

I love you all and look forward to being together soon, in body, as well as in spirit. Until then, keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, our source of hope!

Update from May 5, 2020:

On Monday, May 4, Governor Asa Hutchinson updated his recommendations for Houses of Worship. As a result, we have decided to have one “in-person” service this Sunday, May 10, at 10:30 a.m. We will be live-streaming this service in addition to our regular online service.

Here’s what you need to know if you are interested in attending in-person this Sunday:

(1) For the safety of everyone, we ask that you stay home and watch the Livestream or the online service if: (a) you have or have recently had a fever; (b) you have flu-like symptoms; (c) you have had contact with a person who is suspected of having or has COVID-19.

(2) To maintain social distancing, we will be offering limited seating. We will only use every other row, and we will have at least 4 chairs between each family unit. If you would like to attend the in-person service, please make the attendance reservations for yourself (and your family) HERE. Once those spots get filled, you may either watch the Livestream or the online service (see below for links).

(3) Per the recommendations from Governor Hutchinson, everyone over the age of 10 will be required to wear masks at all times. We will have a minimal number of masks available for those who do not have one. If you do not want to wear a mask, we invite you to watch the Livestream or the online service.

(4) If you a member of an at-risk group, have a compromised health condition or feel uncomfortable attending in person, we invite you to watch the Livestream or the online service.

(5) Per the recommendations from Governor Hutchinson, there will be no classes for adults or children offered at this time and no nursery.

(6) When you arrive at CCF, we ask that you follow social distancing guidelines and that you do not hug, shake hands, high-five, etc. Our ushers will be seating you as you arrive so that we can maintain the proper distance between family units. Also, we will be filling the worship center from the front to the back (so you may not get to sit where you usually do – thank you for your understanding).

(7) We will not be passing offering plates. Instead, we will have offering boxes at the exits for you to use (in addition to giving online and using text-to-give).

(8) We will not be passing communion plates. Instead, our ushers will dismiss by rows and family units to receive communion elements at our communion stations. At our communion stations, you will receive the elements from a person wearing both a mask and gloves. Serving communion this way will help maintain appropriate social distancing and minimize contact with the communion elements.

(9) At the end of the service, we will dismiss by rows. We will dismiss people from the back of the auditorium and move to the front. We ask that you do not congregate in the building after being dismissed from the service.

(10) Other items of note: We will prop doors open so that they do not need to be touched. We will not be passing out printed bulletins. The coffee bar will be closed. Bathrooms will be open, but we ask that you maintain social distancing while using the restroom.

Online service links:
Online Church Platform: http://ccfsiloam.online.church
YouTube: http://youtube.com/ccfsiloam
Facebook: http://facebook.com/ccfsiloam

Sunday Livestream:
YouTube: http://youtube.com/ccfsiloam

We are all flying in uncharted territory. After this Sunday, we will re-evaluate and determine what we believe are the best practices as we move forward. Let’s remember to continue to pray for each other and live with an over-abundance of grace, knowing the grace we’ve been shown.

Update from March 16, 2020:

Dear CCF Family,

The elders, staff, and I just got done meeting to discuss our next steps during this time. Before we met, the President of the United States issued “Coronavirus Guidelines for America: 15 Days to Slow the Spread.” We have used these guidelines to form our plans for CCF for the next two weeks.

For at least the next 15 days:

We will hour Sunday services exclusively online. We will probably stream our service via Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo. We will make all of this information (and links to the streams) available on our website, www.ccfsiloam.com.
We will be closing our facility to all gatherings at the church, including, but not limited to Wednesday night youth group for 5th-12th graders, Wednesday night Bible studies, the men’s Friday morning Bible study, and the Boy Scouts. I you have a need to use the facility for a smaller gathering, please contact Pastor Mark in the church office.
We will be looking for ways that – even though for a time we are being separated – we can press closer into our relationships with each other and our relationship with Christ in new ways.
While our facility will be closed, the church office will be open and the pastoral and office staff will remain available to meet your physical and spiritual needs.

Everyone I have talked to in the past week has said the same thing: these are interesting times. And they are. But they also afford us the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in new and unique ways. The present us new ways we can connect with our neighbors, to love the stranger, and to demonstrate the light and peace of Christ to a dark and fearful world.

On Sunday, I read this wonderful quote that Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky shared with his congregation:

“One of the brand-new terms that has entered our daily conversation is “social distancing.” It is shorthand, as we know very well, for the practical precaution that we all need to and must take in order to protect ourselves and others. I’d humbly suggest though, that we use the term itself sparingly, if at all. Language is a powerful shaper of thinking. And the very last thing we need right now is a mindset of mutual distancing. We actually need to be thinking in the exact opposite way. Every hand that we don’t shake just become a phone call that we place. Every embrace that we avoid must become a verbal expression of warmth and concern. Every inch and every foot that we physically place between ourselves and another, must become a thought as to how we might be of help to that other, should the need arise. It is obvious that ‘distancing,’ if misplaced or misunderstood, will take its toll, not only upon our community’s strength and resiliency but upon the very integrity and meaning of our spiritual commitment. And who know if it was for this time that we have committed ourselves to walk in God’s ways. Let’s stay safe. And let’s draw one another closer in a way that we’ve never done before.”

Great words – and a great reminder to people of faith everywhere. I believe he is right: you and I have been called in such a time as this to walk in God ways, to demonstrate faith in the face of fear, peace in the face of unrest, and love and joy in the face of frustration and anger.

We are Christ’s church; his bride. We were made for times like these. I look forward to what God will do in us and through us in this time.

Be strong and take courage!

Pastor Pat
The Elders: Dale Clemens, Bob Sivils, Wendell Skelton, Steve Snediker, Joe Walenciak
The Staff: Pastor Nathan Cortner, Ethel Girdner, Pastor Mark Gumm, Pastor Wes Horton, Jenny Manning, Charlie Smythe

Update from March 13, 2020:

Dear CCF Family,

The elders and I have been in discussions today regarding this weekend’s events, including tonight’s Missions Fundraiser, the Sunday service, and the International Potluck following the service on Sunday.

Recognizing that the COVID-19 outbreak is a fluid situation, here is what we have decided as of right now:

Missions Fundraiser:
We WILL be having the Missions Fundraiser tonight. All of our servers will be briefed in extra precautionary measures and will be wearing gloves.

Sunday Service:
We WILL be having the service on Sunday and will be implementing a couple of changes:

The Coffee Bar will be closed for the next few weeks.
The bread and juice will be in nested communion cups so that multiple people are not touching the bread.
Communion will be placed on tables so that communion plates do not need to be passed.
There will be offering boxes placed at the exits of the auditorium for your giving.
The message from Sunday will be posted to our website (http://www.ccfsiloam.com/category/sermons/) each week by Monday morning. Also, you can continue your practice of generosity by giving online at http://www.ccfsiloam.com/give-online/.

International Potluck:
We will be cancelling the International Potluck for this year and suspending all other potlucks for the time being.

Again, we ask that during this time you are mindful of the guidance from the CDC, including:

Staying home when you are sick.
Washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds – especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Consider this great advice: wash your hands like you just cut up jalapeño peppers and you need to take out a contact lens.
Covering your sneeze or cough with a tissue or your arm.
Getting in the habit of NOT touching your face so often.
Trading a handshake at church for a wave or a friendly smile instead.

As a reminder, we will continue our practice of sanitizing highly touched surfaces before and after every service such as doors, handles, tables, water fountains, check-in stations, and sinks. Our staff and volunteer teams will wash their hands frequently and stay home if they are sick.

Again, we realize this is a fluid situation and will continue to keep you updated as things progress.

In Christ,

Update from March 11, 2020:

Dear CCF Family,

At CCF, we want to care for our congregation in all respects, including the physical well-being of our community. Although we have not seen any developments with the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Northwest Arkansas, we are asking you, our church family, to take precautions to keep yourself and others safe.

During this time, please be mindful of the guidance from the CDC, including:

Stay home when you are sick.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds – especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. Consider this great advice: wash your hands like you just cut up jalapeño peppers and you need to take out a contact lens.
Cover your sneeze or cough with a tissue or your arm.
Get in the habit of NOT touching your face so often.
Consider trading a handshake at church for a wave or a friendly smile instead.
While asymptomatic travelers from China are not currently mandated to observe a 14-day quarantine, we urge you to consider refraining from attending church events, classes, and services until the 14-day time-frame has been observed. If you are returning from a high-alert area (currently China, Italy, South Korea, Iran, France, Germany, and Spain) consider doing the same.
While you are out, you can access the sermons by Monday afternoon each week at ccfsiloam.com/category/sermons. In addition, you can give online by going to ccfsiloam.com/give-online.
If you or someone you know tests positive for COVID-19, please let us know so we can find a way to help, pray for everyone involved, and take any necessary precautions here at CCF.

As part of the sanitary procedures that we already practice at CCF, we will continue to sanitize highly touched surfaces before and after every service such as doors, handles, tables, water fountains, check-in stations, and sinks. Our staff and volunteer teams will wash their hands frequently and stay home if they are sick. In addition, our Coffee Bar and Communion Prep teams will start wearing gloves when they prepare communion and prepare and serve coffee.

As we keep an eye on this situation, we are looking to future precautions we might need to take such as placing offering baskets at the back of the auditorium (instead of passing offering bags), using self-contained, single-serve communion cups you pick up as you come in to the auditorium (instead of passing communion trays), and the possibility of live-streaming our services for people who have to stay home.

While the coronavirus outbreak is causing fear, anxiety, and uncertainty around the world, as believers we remain certain of God’s steadfast presence and careful attention to all that is happening. We remember that “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Tim. 1:7 NKJV). We are reminded in Psalm 46 that it is God who is our refuge and strength, and our ever-present help in times of trouble.

I want to encourage you with these words and remind you that throughout history it has been Christians who have led the way in times of crisis. In 165AD and 251 AD, two plagues devastated cities and social networks. Death rates from 7% to over 50% were estimated. These plagues were socially and psychically devastating, killing a significant percentage of the community. Communities were shattered and individuals couldn’t make sense of the world in light of it.

Christian preachers like Cyprian and Dionysius helped people make sense of death and loss and reminded them of the hope of the resurrection. But they also urged Christians to keep showing love and charity no matter what. This is what made the difference. The Christian community rallied to care for people in the face of death and disease, while pagan family members fled for safety when the first signs of contagious disease appeared.

Galen, the most famous physician in Rome during the reign of Marcus Aurelius had no ability to heal the sick and so he fled the cities and rode out the disaster in his wealthy country home. A few centuries before, Thucydides recorded what happened to the sick when they were left behind in a plague; people “died with no one to look after them; indeed there were many houses in which all the inhabitants perished through lack of any attention.”

Christians did not react in the same way. They crossed two purity boundaries – caring for the diseased in their own families, and caring for sick strangers and enemies left behind. Their dedication to caring for their neighbors as themselves during times of plague and sickness, whether the sick were believers or not, showcased the integrity of their unique message of love for others.

So let us approach this situation, not in fear, but with confidence, using this opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus through our prayers and our care for others.

In Christ,

Health and Wellness Update, September 7, 2020:

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