[Updated July 21, 2020 with new dates]
“But when we were separated from you, brothers and sisters, for a short time (in presence, not in affection) we became all the more fervent in our great desire to see you in person,” (1 Thessalonians 2:17, NET).
All of us desire to gather together again! After much thought and prayer, we’ve decided to step back into in-person gatherings in three phases. Here is TCC’s phased approach:
Phase 1: Planning. We finished this phase on the last Sunday of June. There were three aspects to this phase: switch to live streaming, finalize a written policy, and get feedback from the congregation. Only staff, musicians, and a few volunteers are attended the 9am live stream to help. This phase ensured that we could provide a reliable live stream each week and created a plan based on federal and state guidance in addition to congregational feedback.
Phase 2: Preparing. This phase began on Sunday, July 12. The main feature of this phase is inviting key leaders, volunteers, and members to come to the building during the live streaming. This phase ensured our congregation was confident that we can host our wider congregation and community. This phase also focused on creating a safe and controlled environment in addition to having clear communication ready for the congregation and potential guests.
Phase 3: Launching. This phase begins on August 2nd. 9am Social Distance Gatherings are now open to the congregation and public. Live streaming continues for those participating from home. We’ll add a second 10:30am service if necessary.
Each local church will approach these decisions differently because each community and congregation is different. Our goal is to go through each phase in a way that unites our congregation and applies the federal and state guidelines to our context based on data-driven analysis. We continue to ask for your prayers, unity, and patience as we move forward!
On behalf of Trinity leaders and staff,
Pastor Bryan