Akron Adventist

As a church body we have been moving through the COVID-19 crisis as one family with a great sense of faith and fellowship. Our journey has been a most unusual one. Many of you have returned to our Saturday morning worship services and other church activities while others continue watching our online worship services, gathering in our “Church Connect” small groups, and finding other ways to be a blessing to each other.

Within the past week Governor DeWine has amended the state COVID-19 health orders to line up with the latest guidance from the Center for Disease Control and announced the lifting of the majority of COVID-19 Ohio public health orders beginning June 2. The City of Akron and Summit County have taken similar steps. Churches, businesses, and private citizens have been granted the authority to determine the best practices necessary for the health of their communities and personal well-being.

Moving forward with scientific data, advice from health officials, and looking at the current conditions in Akron and Summit County, we have concluded that the best course of action for our church is to relax our COVID-19 protocols on several points and update our current practices. These measures strike a sober balance between caution and moving too fast, while taking the church from a posture of mandatory regulations to voluntary responsibility. It acknowledges the progress that has been made in the face of the pandemic while realizing that not all risks have been fully eliminated.  We strive to continue to find the best way for our church family to worship together in a welcoming and safe environment. After prayer and further discussions, the following changes to our COVID-19 health protocols will be implemented over the next few months.

==Upcoming changes and timeline==
Effective May 29
* All church-sponsored actives will be mask-optional for those who have been fully vaccinated or are not required to wear a mask by existing Ohio health orders.
* Most pews in the Sanctuary will be reopened and available for use. A section of pews will still be available to provide for social distancing for those who feel that this offers the best and safest option for them.

Effective June 5
* All church-sponsored activities will be mask-optional for every individual on our church campus.
* Water fountains will be opened. Cups will be provided but please do not drink directly from the fountain.
* All Adult Sabbath School classes eligible to resume in-person on Saturday mornings. Your class Sabbath School leader will communicate with you the exact date when your adult Sabbath School class will begin meeting again in-person.
* Greeters will be in place for Saturday mornings and will resume activities such as passing out the bulletin.
* Usage of the Toddler & Mother’s room will begin with limited capacity.

Effective July 3
* All pews in the Sanctuary will be reopened and be available for use.
* Offering plates to be passed during the service.
* Saturday morning Sabbath School time extended from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM

Effective August 7
* Full usage of Toddler & Mother’s room
* Usage of Fellowship Hall for meals

We give thanks that our church has been blessed during this crisis and that the Ohio infection, hospitalization, and death rates continue to be on the decline. We will continue to evaluate the Covid-19 situation in our community and consult with medical professionals and church leaders as we move forward. In the meantime, we ask everyone to practice mutual respect and grace as we seek to love and protect one another.

Our worship service for tomorrow morning (9/19) is canceled. We have been fortunate the last few months that Mayfair Christian School has been gracious in allowing us to meet in their facility while we renovate our church home. Over the last few days two positive cases of COVID-19 have been identified in individuals associated with Mayfair. Consequently, out of an abundance of caution, the decision has been made to not meet in person this Saturday. Expect to hear more early next week on how we will worship together on Saturday (9/26).

This Sabbath please be sure to join us on for one of our virtual “Church Connect” small groups or children Sabbath School classes. In addition, you can view one of our worship services from this year at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8FPX7520pC4qI5GHsid66w on YouTube.

Please continue to pray for Mayfair and our church family as we navigate through this pandemic. We have been blessed to be able to fellowship together during this COVID crisis, either in person or virtually online as a church family. God is good and we give thanks for the protection he has provided for us.

Dear Church Family,

As a church body we have been moving through the COVID-19 crisis as a family with a great sense of faith and fellowship. Many of you have been watching our online worship services, gathering together in our “Church Connect” small groups and finding other ways to be a blessing to each other. While this has been a great opportunity to come together in new ways, we have been anxiously waiting for that time when it would be appropriate for us to fellowship together again in-person. As Pastor Levin shared in the short communication sent out on June the 3rd, the time is now. As more and more business and organizations are opening up around Ohio, the virus risk decreases and/or we learn how to manage it, now is the time when we are ready to begin to come together again in a three phased and gradual manner.

PHASE 1 WILL BEGIN ON SATURDAY, JUNE 13 and include Worship Service only at Mayfair Christian School. Phase 2 will include both the Worship Service and Sabbath School while phase 3 will be a return to most of our church activities. As we move into Phase 3, our expectation is that we will have the renovation of our church home completed and we will be able to return there in person. During Phase 1 we will continue to offer the other virtual ways we have been using to connect such as virtual Sabbath School, the “Highlights of Hope” newsletter and Church Connect.

As we return for Phase 1 at Mayfair Christian School you can expect to see some changes to the way we worship. Particularly in that:

* The service time will be shortened to one-hour with a slightly different order of service. The time for the service will be from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM.
* Sabbath School sessions will continue to meet online. The timing of these current sessions may change to accommodate travel to and from the worship service on Saturday morning.

At the school itself, during Phase 1, access will be restricted to the main hallway, bathrooms and gymnasium. Seating will be at a minimum of six feet per household unit with chairs arranged to promote social distancing with one-way travels for passage. We’ll be cleaning high contact points and the restrooms on a regular basis. We’ll also suspend some of our fellowship activities such as physically greeting one another, passing the offering plate (a container will be placed at exit points to collect the offering) and providing bulletins & hymnals.

In addition to asking people to stay home if they feel ill or are vulnerable, we are asking several things of those who come to the building for worship:

* Please maintain six feet of social distancing as you move around the facility
* Please practice “no-contact” greetings
* Please bring your own hand sanitizer
* Consistent with the actions taken by many individuals across Ohio, please consider wearing a face covering
* Please bring bottled water as the water fountains will be unavailable

Note that we will have a limited supply of hand sanitizer, masks and bottled water available for those who need them.

We completely understand that many will not feel comfortable coming back to worship on June the 13th. It cannot be stressed enough that all members and visitors are encouraged to do what is right for them. Be abundantly cautious. BE SAFE. If you are vulnerable or do not feel safe to return yet, please do not. We trust that we will soon all be able to worship together as a church family and long for that date.

United in Christ

Dear Church Family,

We have some important news to share with you regarding our church and the COVID-19 global crisis. With a desire to love our neighbors as ourselves and a concern for the members of our church family we will be suspending our Saturday morning worship service for the immediate future. Instead, beginning this Sabbath, we will be broadcasting our weekly worship service online. Our service will be recorded without an audience. We encourage you to join us for an hour of singing, preaching and prayer on Saturday morning. Watch for more details shortly on how to connect to the service and engage with your church family.

This decision was made based on the advice of our national, state, and city leaders as well as a love for our church family and surrounding community. We believe that one of the best ways we can serve our community right now is by taking proactive measures to minimize the spread of the virus and to protect the vulnerable. Your church leaders will continue to monitor the situation day to day and week to week, letting prayer and wisdom be our guide on how to move forward while following our mission statement of “Loving People – Sharing Jesus”.

In addition to the worship service, all other activities of the Akron First Seventh-day Adventist church are canceled until further notice and our church building is closed. Groups that meet through the week are encouraged to explore alternate means of staying closely connected with one another. We will be announcing more details soon on “Church Connect” and how we can continue to stay engaged as a church family.

Finally, if you are ill, unable to leave your home or need assistance of any kind, please let your church leaders know. I encourage you to contact us for assistance with things like shopping or picking up and delivering medications as needed. If you are feeling anxious or need someone to talk to please reach out. For inquiries of any kind, you can call Pastor Levin or our elders at any time. In addition, you can reply to this email address or contact us through one of our social media accounts on Facebook (@akronadventist) or Twitter (@adventist).

We will look forward to meeting together soon as a whole church but until then we encourage you to continue to connect with other members of your church family by phone, video chat or social media. And do not forget to pray. Pray for our leaders, our sick and vulnerable, and an end to this crisis. Let us rise up at this time with unified prayer and a trust in Jesus.

United in Christ.

Leslie Franke (Akron First Board Chairman)
Bill Levin (Pastor)

Dear Akron First Seventh-day Adventist Church Family,

I have some news to share with you today regarding our church and the COVID-19 global crises which has spread into Northeast Ohio. Many of you are aware of the number of precautions that have taken place across the state to prevent the spread of this virus. Yesterday Mike DeWine, the governor of Ohio, announced that due to the ongoing crisis he has ordered all kindergarten through 12th grade schools closed for a period of time.

This Sabbath (Saturday) we were planning to meet, as a church body, at Mayfair Christian School for a special Mayfair led Sabbath of fellow and worship. As a result of these restrictions, a sense of caution, and the logistics & planning of moving the worship service to our church home at this late hour, the Akron First Seventh-day Adventist church will be closed this coming Saturday (March 14) for ALL activities including Sabbath School and the Worship Service.

Moving forward your church leaders will be gathering early next week to finalize an action plan on how to best meet the spiritual and fellowship needs of our church family while at the same time providing a safe environment and being responsible citizens of our community. We will keep you updated as this fluid situation unfolds.

Please note, I am available and can be easily contacted by phone or email and our church office will be open this coming week. If you have questions, need prayer or care, I encourage you to reach out to me or the elders.

I invite you to join me in a prayer of protection for those who are sick and suffering from the virus around the world, their family members and all those working tirelessly to care for them.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isa. 41:10

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Bill Levin

The Akron Crusaders Pathfinder Club will be hosting a pancake brunch buffet on Sunday, October 18 from 9-11 am.  this will be held at Mayfair Christian School (2350 Graybill Rd., Uniontown).  Come enjoy good food and fellowship while supporting our Pathfinder club.  The cost will be $9 for adults and $7 for kids, payable at the door.  The Pathfinders will also be selling baked goods that they have made as part of their baking honor.

Our Adventurer and Pathfinder clubs will be having their induction service at 6:00 this Saturday, October 3, here at the church.

The International Food Fair will take place on Saturday evening, January 31, at 6:30.  It will be held at Mayfair Christian School at 2350 Graybill Road in Uniontown.  This event is a fundraiser for the Akron Crusaders Pathfinder Club.  Tickets will be sold for $0.25 each and can be used to purchase food from a wide variety of countries.

CREATION WEEKEND WITH DR. DAVID STEEN

This weekend series of seminars will take place on January 30 and 31, 2015. The title is “Focus On the Creator God: His Stuff Gives Clear Vision” and will include the following presentations:

• Friday Evening, 6:30 pm: Worship Him Who Made – slide show of beauties from super big to super small, telescopic to microscopic.
• Sabbath Worship: With All Your Heart – a look at the brain and its spiritual implications.
• Sabbath Afternoon, following the fellowship meal: Nanomolecular Machine.