Church Blog

Transition to a New Schedule

We find ourselves in a yet another period of transition as every state and locale in our nation grapples with the right timetable and path to reopening. As individuals, couples, families, or households, we all do our best to absorb the latest information, some of it confusing, to make wise choices about vaccines, work and family life, social gatherings, travel — and yes, church!

Two prayers for the Fourth Church family come to mind: 1) May we all find our way prayerfully in these days and lean hard on the Lord for grace, wisdom, and peace; and 2) In a period marked by a necessary but decidedly inward focus on our personal well being, may the Lord help us to look outward and reconnect with the joys of in-person worship, fellowship, and sharing together in gospel mission.

Outdoor & Indoor Services

As Todd shared in his March 10 update, Fourth recently applied to Montgomery County for a waiver on the tight size restrictions for outdoor gatherings. Praise the Lord, the waiver was granted, and we can move forward in faith with a mix of indoor and outdoor services! With Holy Week and Easter a few short weeks away, let me elaborate on a few of the details:

Easter Sunday

• Both the 6:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services will be held on the lower parking lot, with the same setup and safety measures that were in place last summer and fall.
• The 8:00 a.m. service will be held in the Sanctuary and the 9:30 a.m. service in the Upper Room.
• The 8:00 a.m. service will be live streamed and available on demand throughout the rest of the day. If you wish to tune in at 11:00 a.m. as you normally would, your experience will be the same; just visit 4thpres.org/livestream.
• We will continue to observe the safety protocols we have had in place since last spring — wearing face masks, physical distancing, one way in and out for indoor services, disinfecting of surfaces, auxiliary air filtration, and more.

For the full Holy Week week schedule, please visit 4thpres.org/holy-week. Note that reservations for all Sunday services, including Easter Sunday, will open the Wednesday prior, but Maundy Thursday and Good Friday reservations will open Monday, March 29. The reservations page will be updated with the proper events week to week.

After Easter

As of this writing, the plan is to continue the same schedule of outdoor and indoor services used on Easter Sunday, minus the 6:30 a.m. service.

As always, please reach out to let us know how we can better serve you. It’s a privilege to be joined with the Fourth Church family.