Big News

Later this month Deep Rivers Church will resume meeting together again in person!

Starting Sunday June 14, we will be offering an on-line and in-person gathering at 9:00a.m. at the 200 S. Hanover St. building.

Starting Saturday June 13, we’ll be hosting six Saturday Night services at 6:00p.m. (June 13, 20, 27;  July 11, 18, 25)

(Continuing the Saturday Night service beyond July will be dependent upon the interest shown during these 6 weeks.)

This has truly been an unprecedented time. Churches everywhere are having to navigate this unique challenge. But even in the midst of all the uncertainty, here are five “We Will…” statements we are committing ourselves to as a church:

1. We will continue to host an on-line option. This means that if you’re still not yet comfortable meeting in a group, you can still participate and be a vital part of our fellowship.
2. We will not judge one another for our personal decisions and preferences to either gather in person or to gather online.
3. We will not label those who meet in person as being indifferent toward the health concerns of others.
4. We will not categorize those who join us online as being overly cautious, fearful or faithless.
5. We will take the necessary, common sense precautions to help enable everyone’s well-being.

Questions You May Be Asking

Why reopen now?

Some rather large churches in our area have already started meeting again, while others are waiting until we officially “go green.” There will always be varied opinions on issues like these. Paul referred to them as “disputable matters” (Rom. 14:1). The solution? Each of us must seek the Lord for guidance and respond as they are “convinced in their own mind” (Rom. 14:5).

While we’re all in the same storm; we’re not all in the same boat. Some have lost friends or loved ones; some are healthy and unaffected; some have experienced job loss; and some have pre-existing conditions that dictate their decision to participate on-line.

Why two services?

Meeting together in smaller numbers is more appealing to most people at this time and the Hanover St. building is too small for all of us to meet there together.

Why Saturday night?

We believe that some in our community not currently attending a church may be more interested in attending a Saturday night gathering than a Sunday morning service, especially during the summer.

What about Children’s Ministry?

Social distancing is a challenge for adults and an impossibility for kids. So, for the time being we won’t be offering Children’s Ministry. (This is the current practice of most churches that have already reopened.) But please note, we will also make a special effort to help keep kids engaged this summer with interactive elements.

What about the “social distancing” guidelines?

During the “yellow” phase, we will observe the suggested 50% occupancy guideline at the Hanover St. building.

More summer plans and details about our upcoming weekend gatherings will be coming out in the days ahead.

Watch your email for updates and notifications at www.deeprivers.church and our Facebook and Instagram pages.