It has been very difficult for us to enjoy our Sanctuary especially for the Christmas season. Even with that our dedicated church decorators did a wonderful job of preparing the sanctuary for the holly season of Christmas. Thanks so much to everyone that participated, even though it has been hidden because of the virus. Back better than ever in 21.
Have you ever wanted to see how OCC boxes are processed? Deedee and I are going to the Charlotte distribution center on Dec 2 from 9 to 5. There are still some openings on that day, so let us know if you would like to go and we will coordinate the trip. It’s a wonderful way to experience another aspect of the box journey, and to help with one of our best aspects of evangelism.
Providence Family,
We are still living in strange and uncertain times. If you are like me, I miss worship and seeing your smiling faces. I am happy to announce that we will gather again for worship this Sunday (June 21st) with a drive-in service! But there is still concerns with the rise of COVID-19 cases in our state and community. With that comes some guidelines that we all need to follow to make sure we are all safe.
Christians operate under two major moral principles, “love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 12:31)” and “Just as I (Jesus) have loved you, you also should love one another (John 13:34),” which obligate us to care for one another. As Methodists, we actualize these principles by making an effort to do no harm, do good, and love God. In an effort to do no harm while loving God, our move to in-person worship will adjust our church practices in the near future to minimize the likelihood of transmission of COVID-19 during our church activities.
Guidelines:
Drive-in Worship-
– If you have a fever, cough or short of breath, stay home and/or seek medical attention.
– Families will be able to stay in their cars and listen to the service over the radio or they may roll down the windows to listen.
– You may get out of the car and bring your own lawn chair to sit outside for worship. There will be designated areas for you to do so. If you do decide to exit your vehicle, you must stay 6 feet apart from others, not including families. At this time, wearing masks are optional, but HIGHLY recommended.
– You may not shake hands, hug or “visit” others. Instead, wave from a distance or nod to others.
– Bulletins will be provided as you drive up for worship with words of music. The person handing our bulletins will be wearing gloves and masks to lower the risk of transmission of the virus.
– There will be no offering plates. If you wish to give your offering, you may drop it in a plate as your get your bulletin. You may still mail in your offerings or drop it off at the parsonage.
– As you enter for the service, please use the driveway between the parsonage and sanctuary.
– Please, limit your visit to the restrooms. The fellowship hall will be open for emergencies.
– If people break these guidelines or if the number of cases in our community hits a high, I will call off worship until it is safe to reopen.
Please note, there will still be no meetings or Sunday School gatherings. This is our new norm. Once it is deemed safe to return to our sanctuary, there will be more guidelines to follow. I know it is a lot, but this is our way we can return to worshiping our God together. I want everyone to come to worship and feel safe. If you are unable to attend, you may still hear our “Church Chat” on 96.5 FM.
I am looking forward to seeing each of you Sunday! I pray everyone will continue to stay safe and if there is anything I can do, please reach out to me!
Grace and Peace,
Justin Ritter
We are taking a pause each day to reflect on Jesus’ last week.
We are taking a pause each day to reflect on Jesus’ last week.
Be sure to comment so I can improve! Blessings to you all!
Hello Providence Church Family,
I am encouraged by the outpouring of support during this difficult and strange time. I am trying to find unique ways we can still come together as a church family. We worshiped together on Sunday on 96.5 FM (we will be doing it again this Sunday at 11AM). I held a devotional on Facebook (I will be posting it weekly). Now, I am going to offer a time of prayer on Friday at noon on Facebook. There are many ways to connect with us! Make sure to check out the church webpage (www.providenceumc.com) for updates, videos and audio if you don’t have Facebook!
Please remember that our church’s financial responsibilities continue even though we aren’t meeting at the church. We will use the parsonage for our tithes and offerings. I will get them and arrange for Rusty to pick up and deposit. We need to reach out to each other either by calls or cards to keep us connected to our community. We can’t gather at the church, but we can gather in heart and spirit by keeping in contact with each other. We will continue to pray for our community, our nation and our world.
If there is anything I can do, let me know! Take care and may God bless each of you!
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Justin Ritter
We are living in some crazy times right now. The one thing that we need for than ever is a safe place to worship and pray together. I am teaming up with two other ministers in the area (Rev. Jon Hoin, minister of the Elloree Charge, and Rev. Sara Relaford, minister of St. Paul UMC in St. Matthews) to bring you a time of prayer, scripture, and reflection tomorrow morning, Sunday, March 22, from 11:00 AM- 11:30 AM on 96.5 FM radio in Orangeburg. Anyone in the area can tune in for this time of worship. We feel that it is imperative to continue our worship together during this time of need. I invite you to share this as we come together during this crazy time. As well, if there are any prayer concerns or other needs during this time, please feel free to reach out to me! Blessings to you all and stay safe!
