Resuming In Person Meetings
Many people have expressed a strong desire to resume in person services and have asked when we think that will happen. We are pleased to announce that, on June 14th, we will be resuming in person services at First Assembly. We will offer two in person services, one at 9am and one at 11am. In addition we will continue to livestream our services on Facebook and Youtube, and we will broadcast our services via a short-range FM transmitter that will cover our parking lot. This way everyone can return to in person services when they feel comfortable doing so.
Now we know that there will naturally be questions about how we will do this as safely as possible. No one can promise that you will be safe 100% of the time when you step outside your door. However, here are some of the precautions we are taking.
Safety Precautions
Sickness: If you are sick or if you have recently been tested for Covid-19 and are awaiting the results, please
At risk: Please continue to feel welcome to attend online or by drive-up. We encourage you not to return to in person services until you are comfortable doing so.
We will begin with only Sunday Morning Services at 9am and 11am. Doors will open 15 minutes prior to service. Sunday School, Sunday night, and Wednesday night activities will remain on Zoom for a while.
Family Style Services for a while
Children should sit with their parents.
There will be no children’s ministries at first.
Some increased noise is expected and okay.
We may add a children’s element to the service.
The nursery and the large yellow room across from the water fountain will be available for those parents who feel they need to use them
We are endeavoring to make the building as low/no an environment as possible.
When you arrive someone will hold the door for you.
There will be no bulletins right now.
Inside you will find an offering box on the wall that you can drop your tithes and offering in.
Seating will be in every 3rd pew. Only families that live together should sit together.
We are asking that once in the sanctuary, that you please limit your movements and avoid hugging and handshakes.
Face Coverings
CDC guidelines for churches say, “face coverings are most essential when social distancing is difficult.”
Therefore, we recommend wearing a face covering when social distancing is difficult.
No Coffee or food will be made available. The couches & chairs in the Fellowship Hall will remain put away for a while.
After services, we discourage gathering for extended periods of time inside the building. Instead, if you desire to fellowship, please use the outside of the building. This will help give us space to clean and disinfect the building in between services.
COVID-19/CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE
April 3, 2020
A lot of people have been asking me, “Pastor Paul, When do you think we will begin meeting in person again?” Well my short answer is… I hope as soon as possible. Because, in the words of the Apostle Paul to the Philippians, “God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” As much I loved you all before this happened, my love for you all and my desire to see you has only grown and intensified as I have been praying for you and lifting you up before the throne of grace. And I’m sure many of you are experiencing the same thing in your hearts as you have been praying one for another and talking with each other on the phone. And so, I know we all long to see each other.
However, the situation is still worsening at this time. This past week the CDC said that nationally the peak of this will likely be over the next two weeks. At the same time, the governor’s Stay at Home order has been extended to the end of April.
And so our services will remain online until at least that time.
In addition, some of you may have also noticed that some of our local health officials have said that the peak of this virus may not hit Lancaster County until Mid-May through Mid-June.
And so this requires the both the fruit of Patience and Increased Faith on our part. But I want to encourage you with a couple of thoughts. Though this situation is unprecedented in our lifetimes, it is not unprecedented in the history of the Church or even in the history of Pentecostals. Some of our Assemblies of God historians have been digging through archives and finding many reports during the Spanish Flu of 1918, of our churches suspending and postponing services for weeks at a time and adjusting as best they could. They got through this at a time when supply chains were less reliable and medicine was less reliable as well. And we… will… get… through this as well.
So I’m encouraging everyone to
Be wise and follow the practical guidelines of our health community
Grow in faith. Get in the Word of God. Get in prayer.
Remember Phil 4:5-7, “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
So if you find yourself being worried or anxious:
Get alone with God.
Start by thanking God for blessings you do have right now.
Then go ahead and take the things you are worried or concerned about and turn them into requests for God.
Then leave them there, with your loving Savior, and let His peace guard you hearts.
And then going forward, read verse 8 and think on things that are excellent and praiseworthy.
Finally, make the most of every opportunity to represent Jesus by reaching out to people in love, by phone or over social media or by encouraging your friends to join our Sunday morning gatherings so they can be encouraged and lifted up by the love and grace of Jesus as well.
March 18, 2020
Dear Church family,
I have an update for you on our response to the COVID-19 outbreak that has presented so many challenges and caused so many disruptions in our society. As you know, the CDC and Governors across the country are enacting emergency measures to try to slow the spread of the virus. The situation has been evolving rapidly, sometimes so rapidly that we can barely respond to the new reality before another change happens. For example, last week the Governor of Pennsylvania asked that all gatherings of 250 or more people be either canceled or postponed. This directly affected many of our larger churches. On Sunday night the CDC asked that gatherings of more than 50 people be canceled or postponed. And so during the day Monday we were busy developing creative plans for ministry this week. Then, late in the day on Monday, the President unveiled a CDC initiative called “15 Days to Slow the Spread.” Among other important things, this includes a request to limit all gatherings to less than 10 people for the next 15 days.
This obviously impacts how we do ministry in a big way. I realize that many people will have differing and sincere opinions about this. So I would like to take a few minutes now and talk with you about adjustments we are making in order to continue ministry in the midst of this crisis.
· For the next 15 days, which will take us right up until the end of March, we will be suspending and/or rescheduling all of our ministries that happen at the church building. This will include events such as Ladies Night, our Wednesday night activities and our Sunday morning activities as well. After much prayer, we believe this is the right course of action for this time, not out of fear… but rather out of love for our communities and neighbors, many of whom are indeed fearfully processing what is happening. And we don’t want to give occasion for our faith to become the object of criticism, or to be seen as the cause for something evil that is happening in our world.
· However, I do want to make you aware that we will be doing an online service on Facebook Live. This will be at our regular meeting time at 10:45am. We are making plans to:
o Have some worship together and
o Bring the Word of God and continue in our series on Esther
· Now, already, we’ve had some questions come our way regarding this possibility. Questions like, “What about those who don’t have social media or are unfamiliar with how to use Facebook Live? And someone’s already asked, “How am I going to give my offering?” and more. So let me answer as many as I can here.
o First, if you don’t have facebook and you want to get set up for this so you can participate, please give us a call and we’ll see if we can help you get set up.
o And then, in addition to Facebook Live, we will also be recording the audio as normal and making the podcast available on our website.
o Also, we will be making extra copies on CD for those who wish to receive it in that format. Please, just let us know if we can help you make one of those things happen.
o And regarding offerings, there are 3 ways you can do that:
On our website, lancasterfirst.com, you can submit your offering via PayPal.
You can also use online banking, as Jill and I already do.
Or you can simply mail a check or drop it off at the church office because we’ll be here.
o Now, Some have asked about Small Groups.
We will not be having our Sunday night small groups at the church during this time since the total number who would gather here is well over 10. However, each small group may consider whether it wants to meet as an independent unit in a home, according best practices suggested by medical personnel.
Also, I am planning to host a small group discussion online at our regular 6pm time using an app called zoom that will allow for all of us to see and hear each other so that we can all participate. So I hope to see you tune in for that from 6pm – 7pm Sunday evening. More details on that will be coming later in the week.
In addition… I hope to make a downloadable version of the small group discussion questions available for you to use with your families and loved ones.
Now, if you are a little bit technically challenged I want to know that we are going to be doing a test of this twice on Friday.
At 2pm – Facebook live
At 2:30pm – Zoom
At 6pm – Facebook live
At 6:30pm – Zoom
If you receive our regular weekly email, you’ll receive an email with some simple instructions for logging on. If you don’t have email but want these instructions, please call the office.
· Now, I know that we are navigating new territory together here, and… it can be unnerving and unsettling. But I want to encourage you with a few thoughts about the nature of the Body of Christ Jesus designed the Church, the Body of Christ, to be flexible. In the very earliest times, they met at the Temple and in an upper room. When they were forced out of the Temple, they met in homes in Jerusalem. When a persecution drove them from Jerusalem, they began to meet in Samaria and Galilee and in various cities as far away as Antioch. As the Gospel spread across Asia Minor and into Europe, sometimes entire synagogues were converted and the followers of Jesus met there. And they continued to meet in homes. Then, in Ephesus, the Apostle rented a lecture hall for 2 years to meet in. And even in our day, the church across the world has adapted to whatever situation they found themselves in. Some have met under trees, or in homes, or wherever. And so what I am trying to communicate is that the Body of Christ was designed to be adaptable… it is adaptable… and we can adapt to this temporary crisis.
· You’ll notice before that I did not say that we are canceling or closing but that we are adjusting. And so in spite of the challenges and disruptions that this crisis is causing, I believe it also presents us with an opportunity for creative ministry and with an opportunity to come out on the other side of this with even greater fellowship and love than we had before.
· So let me share some of the things that we are working on and processing this week.
o First, the church office is remaining open. If you have questions or needs, or if you have a prayer request, please call. We are here for you. We want to pray with you over any situation.
o Second, we are currently working on plans to increase our communication (especially for those who are not on social media), to promote fellowship, and to explore new avenues of ministry during this time.
o We’ll be sharing more about that as the week progresses. So check back with us often.
· For now, I want to encourage you with a few spiritual thoughts.
o First, I believe that the timing of our series on Esther has been providentially arranged by our Loving Heavenly Father. I intended to do this series last fall and at other times, but it kept on getting delayed. And now I think I know why.
You may remember that the main takeaway of the first message was God is In Control.
The main takeaway of the second message was God is Way Ahead of the Game.
The main point of the third message was God is With You in the Crisis.
The Coronavirus has not knocked God off his throne. He’s not surprised. He’s way ahead of the game. And, He’s still very much in control. He’s still going to accomplish his purposes in the Body of Christ and in you and your family. And He’s going to be with us along the way. He will never leave you or forsake you.
o And finally, I want to encourage you with our theme Scripture and God’s vision statement for the Body of Christ found in Ephesians chapter 4, verses 15 and 16. And keep in mind as we read these, that when the Apostle wrote these words, he was in a very difficult situation. He was in prison. And he said, “…Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect, the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
o So I encourage you:
Lean into God. Grow in your love for Him, for others, and in your knowledge of His Word.
Ask God for creative ways to serve your family, serve the Body of Christ, and serve the community around you.
As we navigate these new challenges, I encourage you, instead of being overcome and overwhelmed by disappointment about what we can’t do, instead look for what new things God can do in the middle of this challenge.
God bless you and fill you with faith. I love you. We’re praying for you. And we’ll talk again soon.
March 13, 2020
A Message from Pastor Paul
As you all know, the situation with the Corona Virus pandemic has been developing rapidly over the course of this past week. Many of you may be wondering how the church is responding and what steps we are taking.
Let me start by saying that, as with all challenges that we face, I believe that we can and should act with both wisdom and faith. Doubling down on practical efforts to limit the spread of this virus during a pandemic is wise. Tripling down on Loving God, His Word, His People, and His World – is faith.
And with that, here’s some of the things we are doing.
Wisdom: Practical Steps
· We have been carefully monitoring the CDC and PA Department of Health websites to make sure we have accurate and up to date information
· We have increased our efforts at cleaning and disinfecting pews, bathrooms, door handles and other high traffic areas.
· Although we are a friendly, handshaking and hugging kind of church, we are asking our greeters, ushers, and connect team not to shake hands at the present time. They will, however, continue to greet everyone with a smile and with love.
· We have purchased hand sanitizer for the main bathrooms.
· For Communion, during this crisis, we will be using individually wrapped packages similar to what we already use for shut-ins.
· As with any virus, if you or your children are sick please stay home and rest to avoid spreading illness to others. Also, our bus drivers have been and will continue to ask those who are sick to stay at home rather than ride the bus. In addition, please let us know if you are sick so we can pray for you and add you to the Church’s prayer group. We intend to have the sermon podcast available on our website by early afternoon. https://www.lancasterfirst.net/sermon-podcasts
· Also, Lancaster General Hospital has informed us that they are not allowing any visitors at this time to protect the health of their patients. This is understandable. It also means that if you are admitted for any reason, I will not be permitted to visit you until this changes. However, we still want to pray for you. Please let us know if you are in the hospital or need prayer. In addition, many senior living facilities are not allowing visitors. This is also understandable. This may mean that our visitation teams are temporarily restricted from seeing shut-ins at this time. But again, we continue to care for and love those weakest among us. Please let us know if you of shut-ins who need prayer.
· According to the PA Department of Health, there are no known cases of the disease in Lancaster at the time of this writing (Friday, March 13, 2020, 12:15pm). You may have heard that Lancaster canceled school today (March 13, 2020) out of concern for a possible exposure. According to their website, “…the individual with possible exposure is the spouse of a staff member. This individual is showing no symptoms and the employee has had no exposure.”
· You may have also heard that some churches in Lancaster are cancelling services this weekend. This is because Governor Wolf had a press conference in which he, “strongly encourages the suspension of large gatherings, events, conferences of 250 individuals or more.” https://www.governor.pa.gov/newsroom/gov-wolf-sec-of-health-outline-covid-19-mitigation-guidance-for-montgomery-county-commonwealth-of-pennsylvania/. He also a “encourages religious leaders to exercise discretion in order to mitigate the spread of the illness.” Some of the county’s larger churches have cancelled services in an attempt to work with the governor’s request. For this reason, our Penndel youth department has indefinitely postponed the Youth Convention that was scheduled for the beginning of April at the Giant Center in Hershey. We are still planning on holding services since our average attendance is between 150 and 170.
· According to the CDC and PA Department of Health, older adults and people who have serious chronic medical conditions are at the most risk if they contract the disease. If you feel that you are risk and need to stay home, that is understandable. If you do, please listen to the sermon online on Sunday afternoon.
Faith: Spiritual Steps
· The Apostle Paul tells us, “The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 4:5b-7)
· Well, this certainly is a “situation.” But notice several things about these verses.
· First, “the Lord is near.” He hasn’t abandoned or forsaken us. He is close to his people. Do the things that help you sense His nearness. Get in the Word. Continue in prayer. Worship.
· Next, Do not be anxious. Do not fear. Do not waste your time in worry and anxiety about what might happen. Instead walk in faith and confidence in God. As a practical step in this, I urge you also to use the CDC and PA Department of Health for accurate information. The news media has been a mixed bag of accuracy and inaccuracy combined, at times, with a motivation towards profits or political agendas. At least be aware that fear drives ratings and profits for the media.
· Walk in the Peace of God.
· Pray and petition God with your requests.
o Pray for those already infected and suffering with the virus
o Pray for those in our Body (especially those at highest risk) to be protected from all forms of sickness.
o Pray for wisdom for our leaders and public health officials.
o Pray for our missionaries, some whom (especially in Italy and China) have had their ministries disrupted.
o Pray that, for many, this focus on disease and potential death will also translate into a focus on eternal issues. Pray that the Body of Christ will be an example of hope. Pray for opportunities to display God’s peace to those around you.
One final thought. Please ask God for perspective.
· Historical perspective: This is not the first viral pandemic and will likely not be the last.
· Biblical perspective: The Bible says that pestilences and plagues will come. God’s faithful people are to walk in faith rather than fear
· Eternal perspective: For the believer, there is an eternity coming where, “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (Rev. 21:4)
Thank you so much. We will be continuing to monitor this developing situation. I pray blessings on you as we walk through this situation together with faith in the Lord Jesus.
Pastor Paul