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A variety of factors converged last evening for Mike and his family where a decision was made by all of us to postpone his farewell message until the March/April timeframe.  The new date will be decided next week and then communicated out. Mike and Kay are in good health and have already arrived from Nashville to NOVA. This news will be especially disappointing to those planning to attend from out of town. Even though this update is being sent to several thousand email addresses, please pass the word around and notify anyone you might know who was traveling from out of town. This notice will be posted on our website and Facebook page later this morning.

Weeks ago, the leadership asked Jim Supp to tell part of his story knowing many of you don’t know Jim that well.  Jim will go ahead and do that this Sunday, January 2.  On January 9, the Elder Council will officially install Jim as the new Senior Teaching Pastor, as was already planned.  Jim will then begin a series of teachings through January and February.

On behalf of Mike and all of us, thank you for your patient understanding of this late, significant change.  We look forward to all the LORD Jesus Christ will accomplish for His church and glory as together we serve Him in the New Year.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).

If you missed last Sunday’s important announcement regarding Pastor Mike and pastoral succession at RBC, please take a moment to watch it above. You can watch the full service here.

Pastors Bruce Campbell and Aaron Osborne take some time to thank RBC for their ongoing generosity, give an update on COVID protocol changes at the 10:45am service, and encourage families who have not done so to make a plan to return to in-person worship. Starting May 30, the 10:45am service will be fully open, with no mask or social distancing requirements in services. All COVID protocols at the 9:00am service will remain in place as they are for now, and the elders will reevaluate this by the end of June.

Beginning on Sunday, March 7, we are moving to a dual service format.

The 9:00 a.m. service will have full COVID precautions as they are currently (registration, masks and social distancing required), and the 10:45 a.m. service will move to a “restaurant style” in regard to masks, which should be worn when entering, exiting or moving around inside the building, but may be removed while seated and standing during the worship service.

Please watch the announcement for more details, or see the section below for answers to questions you might have.

Will the 9:00 a.m. service have full COVID precautions of registration, masks, social distancing?
Yes.

How will the 10:45 service be different?
We will use the “restaurant style” approach. You may remove your mask once seated or standing in the sanctuary.

At the 10:45 service, when can I remove my mask?
Please wait until you are seated in the sanctuary to remove your mask. Please have your mask on when entering/exiting and when moving around inside the building.

Why do we still have to register to attend services?
Due to limited space. Also so that we can inform those who may have been exposed should someone in the service let us know they later test positive for COVID.

Is the same “restaurant style” mask policy in place at Quest, youth and other ministry gatherings that take place during the 10:45 a.m. service?
The same policy is in place in the Quest classrooms during the 10:45 service. Contact Tony Cho, Children’s Ministry Director, for more information. For other ministry gatherings taking place at 10:45, please check with the pastor overseeing that ministry.

Why will there be two rows empty between occupied rows at 10:45?
In this phase of reopening, it will lessen the risk of a possible spread to larger numbers due to singing.

When will the “two empty row” approach end and the 10:45 go back to full normal?
As all the local metrics and conditions, such as increased availability of vaccines, continue to improve. It is our desire to move to a fully open phase but it is too early to predict the week or month just yet.

Youth-Related Questions

How will these changes affect the Jr. and Sr. High Youth Ministry on Sundays?
The youth Engage elective classes which meet on Sunday mornings will follow the protocols of the main services. Specifically, classes during the 9am service will require face masks. Masks will be optional for classes during the 10:45am service. Please note that singing is not part of the Engage electives and that students will continue to sit spread out, four per table. Finally, we are currently planning to return to our combined Jr. and Sr. High outdoor youth service on April 11 (the Sunday after Easter).  

Will masks still be required at other Youth events?
Masks will be required while indoors at Wednesday night Jr. High Small Groups and Sr. High Shepherd Groups. We feel this is best at this time because: 1) it is what all our volunteers and parents committed to at the beginning of the year; 2) we do not want to exclude any students; 3) creating mask and no-mask groups would split friend groups; and 4) with Spring coming, we will be able to move back outside shortly. If you have additional questions regarding safety precautions at youth events, please contact aaronosborne@restonbible.org (Jr. High) or leebanton@restonbible.org (Sr. High).  

Quest-Related Questions

Will masks be required for Quest at 10:45?
No. After they enter their class or the Clubhouse room, masks will be optional.

Will there be social distancing in Quest at 10:45?
Not in classes or the clubhouse. Depending on the numbers, distancing may be considered.

Is class size impacted at the 10:45 service?
It depends on the situation. Although we may be able to increase numbers in some classes, we may still be limited based on the number of volunteers in classes. We will maintain the child/leader ratio we have in place to keep kids safe in Quest. We hope to increase all class sizes as more volunteers return to serve in Quest.

If you have other questions, please feel free to reach out to the appropriate pastor or Bruce Campbell the Executive Pastor at brucecampbell@restonbible.org.