“So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…”

Philippians 2:1-5

Flexible. Willing. Pliable.

Christian worship begins in the heart. We gather as people with new hearts–hearts that are able, ready, and willing to love God and love others. In this new season at CSBC, I ask you to examine your heart.

What measures are you willing to take for the sake of others? Who is most important in worship? Me? You? Or, is it the God we worship? And can we enter into this strange new era with hearts that long to demonstrate our encouragement in Christ, our comfort from the love of God, and our participation in the Spirit by loving our brothers and sisters?

According to Paul, we demonstrate our love for God by humble love for others.

Wherever you fall on the spectrum of concern with regards to COVID-19, our desire at CSBC must be to protect one another if at all possible, to bear with one another, to be flexible and humble, and to consider the needs of others as more important than our own. The Savior we gather to worship and glorify and rejoice was willing to be crucified for your need. This begs the question:

What am I willing to sacrifice?

As we look toward the future, there are non-negotiables, things that we must do because we are a church. We didn’t invent the church–Jesus did. So, we must do what Jesus says churches must do, and we must be who Jesus says churches must be. However, we may have to do and be “church” in new ways.

And that is frightening. And exciting.

If we enter into this season with the expectation that church is going to return to normal–meaning, it will be the same as before–we are setting ourselves up for frustration. We are also missing an opportunity to grow.

The virus has not come at this moment in time by accident. Jesus Christ intends to move CSBC forward in some new direction as we learn to care for each other and our community. God intends to cultivate new attitudes and the Spirit intends to produce unique fruit in and through us that only this season of life together can cultivate.

Be ready. Be humble. Be willing.

-Pastor Chad

Here are the particulars for our first gathering:

• Only the main sanctuary will be open to the public. Please enter through the front doors. They will remain opened the entirety of the indoor portion of the service.
• We ask that you do your best to refrain from using the restroom on campus, but if you must, please use the upstairs restrooms. An usher will be on duty to clean surfaces between uses.
• Each household will sit on separate pews with an empty pew between.
• Pew rack resources will be removed, and worship guides will be pre-laid on available pews.
• We will not sing inside the building.
• We will hear Scripture readings, prayers, and a sermon indoors.
• A giving plate will be laid in the Welcome Center. You can leave your gift as you leave the building.
• We will proceed outdoors one household at a time after the sermon, and we will sing hymns together on the lawn. Members and guests are free to socialize outdoors following the service as long as they observe social distancing, keeping 6 feet between households.
• All surfaces in the sanctuary will be sanitized after the service by a deacon family.
• We will have no other gatherings on campus at this time. This includes: Sunday School, Wednesday Night Bible Study, worship team practices, or small groups. However, we may have some virtual meetings on Zoom. We will keep you updated.

A Few Important Notes:

• If you are elderly or immuno-compromised, please do not feel pressured to gather with us until you feel safe. Sermons will continue to be posted on the Sermons Tab of the church website.
• If you have had any sick symptoms in the week prior to Sunday or have come into contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19, DO NOT COME TO CHURCH.
• If after attending service you become sick or test positive for COVID-19, please contact Pastor Chad or one of the deacons as soon as possible so we can notify the rest of the church.

Websites and Resources:

We have consulted a wide variety of resources and authorities to help shape our decisions. There is no right answer to how and when to meet, so pray for your pastor and the church leaders to have wisdom moving forward!

• SCDHEC Information and Projections
• Joe Carter at The Gospel Coalition
• The CDC Recommendations for Faith Gatherings
• South Carolina Baptist State Convention–Regathering Church
• SCBC Checklist
• Daniel P. Chin at Christianity Today