Oak Chapel Intends to be ‘Open’ on Christmas Eve
What will Christmas Eve look like this year at Oak Chapel? Hard to say for sure,
but right now, we are committed to being “open” that evening so that you and your
family can worship with us in a safe and secure environment.
Because of the spike in Covid cases in our area, it is unlikely that we will have a
hearty gathering of more than 100 people that we had last year. Still, we want to provide
a variety of options, including an opportunity for as many people as possible to worship
in person that evening — with appropriate safety protocols in place — so we’ve hatched
a plan.
We believe that we can safely accommodate 75 people in the sanctuary at one
time. If you are comfortable there, we will help you find a desirable seat that evening.
The sanctuary will have been cleansed by a new electrostatic sprayer which has been
graciously made available to us through one of our members, who will execute the
cleaning process prior to the service. The unit, which is used in hotels and other
commercial settings, has been proven to eliminate 99.9-percet of bacteria and viruses,
as well as fungus, mold, and mildew at the source. It also inhibits growth and eliminates
odor at the molecular level. This, we believe, will provide a very clean, sterile, and safe
environment in our church.
If you prefer to worship inside but remain separate from others, we will make
various rooms available in the educational wing, with audio and possible video
available. You can reserve a room here or by calling the church office (330-264-2537) Monday through Thursday mornings from 9 a.m. to Noon. Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis until Dec. 18. Several reservations have already been made, but there are still approximately four rooms available for you and your family.
If you wish to continue to worship from your car, the FM feed will be available. In
addition, we hope to have a livestream option, which you can view on your phone, tablet
or computer in your car or in the comfort of your own home.
We will not let the coronavirus impede our efforts to offer meaningful worship
opportunities on Christmas Eve and beyond. We just need everyone to understand the
parameters and be considerate of each other, so that everyone can be blessed during
this sacred time of year.
Remember that masks will be required in all areas inside the church, with the
exception of our family rooms. Also, we encourage people to be respectful of others
who chose not to congregate after the service.
Through the grace of God and the cooperation of others, we will all get through
this together as one in unity with Christ our Lord!
Until we meet again, Be Blessed! – Pastor John