This Sunday, Newland Presbyterian Church welcomes you to join us at 10am for a 30 minute Outdoor Worship Service On the Lawn!
We’ll gather in the Name and in the Spirit of Jesus Christ; we’ll sing praise to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb; we’ll attend to the Word of God as it comes to us in the Gospel of Luke, and we’ll pray for one another, our community, our nation, and our world. We’d love for you to bring a lawn chair and sit outside, maintaining physical distance (6′ minimum), or to sit in your vehicle if you’d prefer. Alternatively, you can join us via our live stream, accessible under the Worship tab on our website. Some practical details can be found below:
Service Time
Begins promptly at 10am (click here for the Live Stream), and will last roughly 25-30 minutes. This is considerably shorter than usual, and intended to help parents with squirmy kids in the car, or little ones who want to run and play while outside. A 10am service will also allow us to be a respectful neighbor to Newland Methodist and First Baptist, who typically worship at 11am.
If you plan to sit outside
Park on the church office/playground side of the building (near the bell) and walk around so that folks remaining in their cars will have ample space to park.
Bring a lawn chair from home, a mask (in order to protect others), and make sure that you keep at least 6 feet between you and other people. If you don’t have a chair, don’t worry; we’ll have access to the folding chairs in the Fellowship Hall.
We know that it will be difficult to keep appropriate distancing, but please, for your sake and for the wellbeing of those we love, do not engage in hugs, handshakes, etc. In fact, the most important thing is not to get within 6 feet of one another!
If you plan to sit in your car
There will be folks available to help park cars at 9:30. We are going to barricade Park Street (between NPC and the library) from 9:30-11am, thanks to our generous town board.
Turn onto the Square using Library Rd. (between First Baptist and the Avery County Library), then turn left onto Park Street and follow parking directions.
We are planning to have an FM Transmitter working and set to 92.5FM. This will allow folks in their cars to tune their radio and control volume from their vehicle.
Given that spaces are compact (forcing vehicles closer than the recommended 6’ distancing requirement) we encourage folks to only roll down their driver side windows for air circulation.
Order of Service
Welcome/Prayer
Praise & Worship
Scripture/Sermon (Luke 13)
Prayers of the People
Closing Song
Benediction/Sending
Adverse Weather
Should weather be an issue (and we will be at the mercy of the weather while worshipping outside), the plan is to either return to our cars OR send folks home and start a live-streaming worship service at 11am, which will be emailed to those on our mailing list (signup here) and accessible on our website, here. Updates will be posted on Facebook in case of cancellation. Michael will be present to preach; various musicians will be present to sing and play.
Restroom Availability
Should you need to use the facilities, please enter by the double door entrance on the Library side of the church. The doors will be propped open, and a station with hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, and paper towels will be available upon entry.
Prayers Are Appreciated!
For good weather, for safety, and for God to receive glory as we worship.
Blessings, one and all!
In Christ, Michael