Cy-Fair Edition | December Edition

C E L E B R A T I N G S A F E L Y Federal and local reopening guidance for faith communities includes steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Fellowship Church near Beltway 8. Lead pastor Jaron Jones said after about three months of exclusively online services, he noticed a gradual drop in engagement frommembers. “We believe there is serious online Zoom fatigue. Everybody’s online [for work]; kids are online for school,” he said. “I do believe that for a period of time, the church can sustain online. However, it’s just really difficult beyond a short amount of time.” Shine Bible Fellowship reopened in October after planning to do so twice ahead of COVID-19 case increases. Jones said a church provides a sense of community and belong- ing and that finding encouragement is tough without in-person inter- actions. He said he is hopeful the Christmas season brings renewed energy as the church plans to incor- porate more creative elements in a series called The New Nativity. At Community of Faith in Hockley, Creative Arts Director Sheree How- ard said one of the staff’s biggest challenges was measuring church members’ readiness to return. The campus reopened in September with social distancing in mind. In addition to continuing to offer online streaming and space in between parties in the primary worship space, she said the church designated a space for immunocom- promised attendees where masks are required to ensure their comfort. “You can’t really know how every individual in your congregation is going to respond and react to coming back to church,” Howard said. “We can’t know how people feel, so what we’ve taken the responsibility of is making sure that we offer a safe place so that whenever they are ready, they can come back.” Despite the challenges COVID- 19 has presented, religious leaders in Cy-Fair continue to find ways to

congregation at CyLife Church are the key to connection, Reed said, as most groups have continued to meet via Zoom or in outdoor settings. Oth- ers have gotten comfortable not going to church and staying home to watch services online, if at all, he said. “I hear all the time, ‘I can’t wait until it goes back to normal.’ I don’t really think it’s going to, and I’m not sure what the new normal is yet,” he said. “We were in the midst of looking at having to build more buildings, build new office space because we were run- ning out of space and all of a sudden, COVID put a major halt on that.” Even so, Reed said the church has gained new members and financial contributions remain fairly steady despite the pandemic, allowing for the continuance of charitable efforts, counseling and recovery ministries. As the holiday season approaches, faith leaders said they are preparing for a spike in attendance, although it is difficult to estimate crowd sizes. To maintain distance, Community of Faith is planning five Christmas Eve services in two days, and Christ the Redeemer has seven Mass services scheduled with overflow space across two days. “There’s a great tradition of peo- ple coming to church on Christmas,” Horrigan said. “They may not even be Catholic … or maybe they’re not actively practicing their faith every week, but they still come back or come to visit family at Christmas.” Leaders from The Family of Faith, Shine Bible Fellowship and Christ the Redeemer—none of which previously streamed services online—agreed the new feature is here to stay beyond the pandemic as it expands their reach. Still, uncertainty looms as budgeting and other plans for 2021 are underway, but religious leaders said their faith remains the same despite church look- ing different. Jones said he believes

meet community needs by hosting food drives and blood drives. Most churches also have protocols in place to reach out to members to assess needs—whether through small groups or by individual contact. Marinovsky said he contacted all members of his organization, ensuring no onewas overlooked. Activities were virtual from March through Septem- ber, but the organization innovated when celebrating Jewish traditions. For instance, the group distributed “Shabbat to-go” and “Passover to-go” packages with essential food items and reading materials in lieu of gathering for communal dinners. While these efforts increased his workload, Mari- novsky said he knew he had to adapt rather than eliminate programming during this time of need. “We wear a mask and stay safe, but at the same time, we remember it’s God who keeps us safe,” he said. “When we do charity and when we care about others and share with oth- ers, that is one of the surest ways that we can be sure of God’s compassion The Rev. Sean Horrigan, pastor at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, said he continues to preach the mes- sage of hope during a time of darkness as parishioners have experienced anx- iety throughout the year. Counseling services are also available on-site for those dealing with emotional, mental and spiritual adversities. “We always want to provide a lis- tening heart and a place of refuge that they can come and talk to someone … and for us as Catholics, also providing the sacraments of the church—Holy Communion, reconciliation—just the rhythm of our Catholic life,” he said. “I think when people were out of that rhythm, they disconnected.” Small group meetings within the and care for us.” Keeping the faith

Offer alternative service options such as virtual, drive-in or outdoor when possible. Consider limiting in-person gatherings to allow social distancing between parties. Encourage the use of cloth face coverings. Limit the use of shared or passed objects such as pamphlets and collection plates. Encourage safe alternative greetings instead of hugs or handshakes. Maintain an adequate supply of soap and hand sanitizer. Establish a model for notifying health officials

and participants if someone who attended a gathering becomes ill. SOURCES: HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH, CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER the pandemic has forced society to become more flexible, and the church will keep adapting to meet the com- munity’s needs. “Everything’s so different and so uncertain,” he said. “[Maybe your] favorite restaurant’s not open; gro- cery store hours are different, and they may not have all the things they used to have. Taco Bell has [limited] their menu. I think we’re just learning to be more flexible and not so entitled.”

For more information, visit communityimpact.com .

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CY-FAIR EDITION • DECEMBER 2020

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