“Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?
I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert”
(Isaiah 43:19).
Greetings to each of you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. In my 34 years as a pastor (7 ½ years in San Francisco and 27 years in Richmond), I have experienced my most grueling season these last 17 months. Navigating St. John through this pandemic has been a great challenge, and this is why I am constantly soliciting all of your prayers on a daily basis.
Modified Seating
By the grace of God, no one has become ill with the Coronavirus while attending any of our corporate Worship Celebrations since we reopened the 1st Sunday of June. Again, we give God all the glory, but I must commend (on a level beneath God) the Ushers Ministry, Hospitality Ministry and everyone who has assisted to keep all of us safe and comfortable.
If God is willing, we are going to accommodate more people in both of our Worship Celebrations. At the North Campus (9:00 a.m. Worship Celebration), when people enter the sanctuary, individuals that choose not social distancing will sit on the left side of the North Campus Sanctuary. This means that all of the pews on the left side of the North Campus Sanctuary can be utilized without people having to sit 6 feet apart. If you have not been vaccinated, please sit on the left side of the North Campus Sanctuary.
Individuals that are vaccinated but prefer social distancing will sit on the right side of the North Campus Sanctuary (the side that has open windows allowing air to circulate). This means that every other pew will be utilized with no more than 3 people on every other pew unless people are from the same family or pod. People who have not been fully vaccinated should not sit on this side of the sanctuary. If you have not been vaccinated, please do not sit on the right side of the North Campus Sanctuary.
At the South Campus (11:00 a.m. Worship Celebrations), when people enter the sanctuary, the seating will be the opposite of the North Campus since better air circulation is on the left side of the South Campus Sanctuary. Individuals that are vaccinated but prefer social distancing will sit on the left side of the South Campus Sanctuary. This means that every other pew will be utilized with 2-4 people on every other pew unless people are from the same family or pod. People who have not been fully vaccinated should not sit on this side of the sanctuary. If you have not been vaccinated, please do not sit on the left side of the South Campus Sanctuary.
Individuals that choose not social distancing will sit on the right side of the South Campus Sanctuary. This means that all of the pews on the right side of the South Campus Sanctuary can be utilized without people having to sit 6 feet apart. If you have not been vaccinated, please sit on the right side of the South Campus Sanctuary.
We are still adhering to some of our church safety protocols. Temperatures will continue to be checked and hand sanitizing will continue to be urged upon entering, wearing masks will continue to be strongly encouraged, utilization of restrooms will continue to be restricted to 2-4 people at a time (depending on the size of the restroom), and congregating before and after Services will continue to be prohibited. We ask everyone to arrive at least 10 minutes before Worship Celebrations begin to ensure safe and comfortable seating.
Cooperation and unity have been excellent in regards to our church safety protocols; hence, please continue to adhere and remember that God requires each of us to be compliant, considerate, and careful. Let’s do this being mindful of the safety of each other.
Holy Ghost Worship
We have been experiencing a hallelujah time every Sunday since we reopened. Without exaggerating, our morning Worship Celebrations are high-spirited like a Revival, for God is definitely doing a new thing at St. John! God is anointing and inspiring me to preach a message on Sunday that I believe will be informative and inspirational, and our Praise Singers are preparing to minister exceptionally in songs; therefore, make sure you worship with us this Sunday in person or online (live streaming or podcast).
Church School
Have you heard lately about one of the greatest features of St. John? Our Church School is prodigious! We strongly encourage everyone to participate in our Church School (formerly called Sunday School) which convenes Sundays at 2:00 p.m. and Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. The teachers and curriculum are the same as they have been, and the teachers are doing a great job weekly preparing and presenting their lessons. In order for St. John to continue to have a stellar Church School, more need to participate, so we appeal to everyone (members and non-members of St. John) to log on to our online Church School via our website (sjmbc.org). You will be blessed as a result, and you can choose the class that you desire to attend.
Pastor Edification Month
Unfortunately, last year we were not able to celebrate Pastor Edification Month due to the pandemic. Nonetheless, if God is willing, August is Pastor Edification Month, and we will be celebrating my 27th year as Pastor of St. John. In each Worship Celebration throughout the month of August, a parishioner will encourage the pastor with a one-minute edification. If you appreciate the 27 years (especially these last 17 months) that the pastor has served St. John, demonstrate it at some point in the month of August.
It’s Blessing Time!
We thank so many of you who have been supporting St. John financially. With everything that we have done and are doing, your financial contributions are needed. We currently give in person during Sunday Morning Worship Celebrations, by mailing or dropping off our Tithes and Offerings at our Administration Building or South Campus, or by giving online through our website (sjmbc.org). If you are financially able but not supporting St. John financially, allow God to bless you with more by giving today your Tithes and Offerings.
May God bless and sustain each of us.
Your Servant In Christ,
Dr. Kevin B. Hall, Pastor