Return to Services Plan - A Work in Progress

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Written by Site Administrator Site Administrator

Published: 16 May 2020 16 May 2020

Our purpose statement at Twickenham is Making Disciples who Glorify God by Loving Him and Loving Others.  That purpose extends beyond the walls of a building.  The Church is the people and we can be church wherever we are, even if we are scattered in approximately 294 homes on any given day!  That said, we benefit greatly from gathering in community and are anticipating the day when we can return to 7500 Whitesburg Drive and be together again.

While we hope to do so soon, we also want to ensure that we do everything in the most prudent way and, as much as possible, ensure the safety of all our members.  Currently we are under the Safer at Home order which is set to expire May 22.  We anticipate additional guidance soon related to this order.  In the meantime, we are planning the return to in-person worship.  

Our tentative target for an in-person worship service is June 7, 2020.  That is subject to change as the environment around us changes constantly.  We are considering 2 services; one at 8:30 am and another at 10:00 am.  The 2 services will be identical and last approximately 45 minutes.  

We understand that not everyone should come the first time we meet. Those "at-risk," with compromising conditions, or that just need more time to feel safe, should not attend that first service. In fact, for some of us, it may be much longer before we feel comfortable in a large crowd. 

That is OK!  You need to feel comfortable with the decision that you make for your family; whether to gather in-person or continue to connect virtually.  We will continue to livestream Sunday worship, the Spring, and our on-line Wednesday night class.  Whether you attend in-person or at your home, you are still a part of Twickenham - a very important part.  

From our Return to Services Survey (almost 200 responses - THANKS!), we understand that many of you are ready to return when the doors open and that cannot happen soon enough.  Others of you aren't coming back until this virus is gone or a vaccine is distributed.  Some are ready for hugs while many believe we should have 20-foot social distancing.  Some believe masks should be mandatory and others just don't see the need.  

Imagine that - a wide range of views on a topic at Twickenham!  

That first Sunday back is going to be joyous. And a little weird. But isn't that pretty much Twickenham? 

Here's the thing, though: We have to be considerate of differing levels of comfort with this return.  

When we do return to worship, we will ask several things of our members related to the Loving Others part of our purpose statement.  We will send another email closer to the first service with more details and will ask everyone to help us with several items.  Here is an overview for you to be considering for your family situations:

• If you are not feeling well (fever, cough, shortness of breath, achiness, etc.,), we want you to stay home and watch on-line - Please don't put others at risk for this virus or any other illness you may have.
• We will clean, sanitize, disinfect, wipe things down and then do it all over again during, between and after services.
• We will limit the "touching" of doorknobs, handrails, and each other with open doorways and a request for no handshakes, hugs or high-fives. 
• We will follow the Alabama Department of Health guidelines for social distancing.  This will limit the number of people in the service and how close we can sit together.  We will have ushers that will help people get to their seats in a manner that does not require us to crawl over each other.
• We will not pass communion or contribution plates, but we already have a plan for both of those important parts of our service. 
• We will not have coffee or food in the common areas. (You may bring your own, though.)
• We will not have Journey Groups, children's or youth classes for our initial return, but are making plans to include those at a later date.
• We will keep Wednesday nights on-line for a while longer.

Planning for a return to on-site services

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Written by Site Administrator Site Administrator

Published: 08 May 2020 08 May 2020

We were pleased to hear Governor Ivey announce today that churches can meet again. There is only one thing we want more than to gather again with all of you. And that is to gather again safely, responsibly and in a way that honors Jesus' mandate to love our neighbors. We have been working on a detailed plan for our first Sunday back. Next week, we will fine tune that plan and announce it - along with the date of our first service - across all media platforms. Thank you for your faithfulness and patience. The end of quarantine is in sight. So is the beginning of better days.

May 5, 2020 Video Update

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Written by Site Administrator Site Administrator

Published: 05 May 2020 05 May 2020

April 21, 2020 Video Update

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Written by Site Administrator Site Administrator

Published: 21 April 2020 21 April 2020

Update: Twickenham Bible Study Webinar - The Gospel of Mark

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Written by Site Administrator Site Administrator

Published: 20 April 2020 20 April 2020

When: May 6, 2020 06:30 PM Central Time
Where: Don’t come to church - Join Zoom Meeting here.

The online Wednesday night class will begin a study of the Gospel of Mark. Most scholars believe Mark is the oldest written account of the ministry of Jesus that we possess. We will look at how Mark shows Jesus as Israel's messiah who inaugurates God’s kingdom through his suffering, death, and resurrection. The Gospel of Mark is a carefully crafted story that gives an account of Jesus' life and addresses the question of whether or not He is the Jewish Messiah. Many hoped that the Messiah would overthrow the Romans and rule as king. But in Mark, we see that Jesus came as a servant to set up the kingdom of God on earth. While He is the Son of God, He also sacrificed His life to save people from slavery to sin. Mark's gospel is a vivid, fast-paced, dramatic narrative of the Good News about Jesus. Please join us online for this study.

Please join us.

Let us know if any questions. Dan's cell is 256-682-2302