I am thankful to be able to announce that we will resume our in-person services on May the 10^th  2020 unless there are unforeseen developments that change the current 4 phase plan outlined by Governor Little.  I know many of you are wondering why we are not starting on Sunday the 3^rd of May.  The simple answer is we are not ready yet.  I decided to capitalize on the downtime and catch up on cleaning and repair work that has needed to be done for a long time around the church.  It has also been an opportunity to upgrade our ability to livestream our regular services in a more professional way.  While we will resume services on the 10^th it is not yet business as usual at Gethsemane or in our community.  My plan for the remainder of May will look like this:

• For the month of May there will be no Sunday School, midweek or Sunday evening services. 
• I will continue with the daily devotions on Facebook through the end of May at least.
• There will be no nursery or children specific classes provided in May. There is just no way to staff them right now since many of our workers are in high risk categories and little kids do not understand or follow social distancing guidelines. 
• A livestream will be provided on the big screen in the fellowship hall for families with small children that cannot sit for an hour in our regular service.  If you want to take advantage of this, please let us know in advance so we can arrange seating for your family.
• Our services will continue to be livestreamed if you are not comfortable being in the building yet and we encourage you to take that option if you are in an at-risk population.
• There will be no coffee and donuts provided.
• Every other pew will be roped off so as to keep social distance.  Families are welcome to sit close by each other, but please respect others by not encroaching in their personal space. 
• It should go without saying, but if someone is wearing a mask, be extra careful to respect their decision to be cautious.
• We will not collect the offering as we always have, A offering box is in place in the back or the auditorium for you to use at any time during your visit.
• Even after we return to our normal schedule, I encourage you to use Tithe.ly for making your offering as this limits the possibility of spreading the virus to our church staff that has to physically handle the checks and envelopes. 
• You can access Tithe.ly from the church website at www.gbcidaho.org it is easy, fast and secure.
• If you are sick or if you have a child who is sick, please stay home and enjoy our services on livestream.
• Hand sanitizing stations will be located in the entrance and throughout the church building.
• The church is disinfected weekly between services with sanitizing wipes and an ozone sanitizer. 

We will add ministries back as we can staff them and stay in compliance with the states requirements.  My hope is that by the first of July, we will be back to our normal schedule with all of our regular ministries back in place and functioning.  I realize many of you are not concerned about catching the virus.  I respect that position but remind you that many others are concerned.  The only way to make everyone feel safe is to maintain the social distancing rules even if you are not personally concerned about catching the virus.  Let’s do our best to look on the needs of others and not make anyone feel unsafe in their church by not respecting their choices concerning personal contact. 

One last thing, I know this has been a trying time for all of us, and I realize there have been inconsistencies and controversies every step of the way as our nation has responded to this virus.  There is much to talk about as a nation and as a state concerning all that has happened in the last month or so concerning the handling of the stay at home order.  But….when we meet together, let’s put all that controversy aside for a moment and worship God together and praise His name for His faithfulness instead of rehashing the politics of the day.  Looking forward to seeing you soon!

In Christ’s Love.

Pastor