COVID-19 Update & FAQ

We are committed to doing all we can to create a safe environment for worship for those who choose to attend College Park Church. We continue to monitor our local and state guidelines, and we may change our plans. Thank you for your patience, grace, and prayers as we ignite a passion to follow Jesus during this season. We hope to see you soon!

In-Person Ministry

We are excited to regather in-person, even though it is in a limited way. We have modified our service times to accommodate for additional sanitization between services. Our services are at 8, 9:45, and 11:30 a.m. Sanctuary seating will be at less than 25 percent capacity to allow for proper social distancing. 

Digital Ministry

We have continued devoting our energy, attention, and resources toward our other available ministry avenues: our Sunday morning live stream, virtual ministry and resources, providing resources for families, and serving our community. We miss seeing you but are also encouraged to see God at work through praying for one another over the phone, fostering group life through video calls, giving generously, and finding other ways to connect. We commit to you that we will gather again as soon as we can do so in a safe and welcoming way.

Below is a set of frequently asked questions and our phasing plan for how we plan to re-engage in in-person ministry.

Reopening FAQ

What are the guiding principles for how College Park plans to meet on Sunday mornings?

At this time, our plan is to continue worshiping together In-person or online. The guiding principles that are informing our decisions and planning, as Pastor Mark shared, are:

1. Health & Safety 
2. Effectiveness
3. Phasing
4. Wisdom

What inputs are we considering in regards to worshipping in-person?

We regularly monitor input from state and local officials, as well as internal and external subject-matter experts from a wide variety of perspectives to make the wisest possible decisions regarding worship in-person and limited size in-person events. We have learned ways to effectively clean the facility with sanitizing procedures and are continually assessing room capacities in light of social distancing recommendations. 

We want to ensure that we continually are properly equipped and trained to address the complexity involved in opening a church of our size and demographics. 

Can we gather together in homes to watch the Sunday service?

At your discretion, you may consider watching the Sunday live stream service together with a few other individuals or another family unit, provided that your group is 10 individuals or fewer and you are following CDC and ISDH guidelines regarding hygiene, social distancing, masks, and vulnerable populations. 

There are a variety of factors and levels of risk for each individual and family; therefore, we want to offer a few guidelines and allow each individual or family to decide what makes the most sense for them. If you are at-risk or feel uncomfortable or unsafe hosting or being hosted, we encourage you to stay home.

In compliance with CDC, ISDH, and local guidelines, we encourage all participants of College Park group gatherings to: (1) maintain a safe social distance; (2) wear protective masks; and (3) support healthy hygiene behaviors in their homes such as regularly washing hands, providing hand sanitizer, and taking proper home sanitation measures. 

To combat the spread of the virus, we also ask you to consider meeting with the same individuals or family each Sunday. While we understand the desire to see more of our church family, keeping the same groups together will help isolate cases. 

What are we doing for church membership events? How do I pursue joining the church during this time?

Our membership events are still happening both in-person and virtually. If you are new to College Park, we encourage you to attend our DISCOVER event to get to know us and help us get to know you. If you have already attended DISCOVER, contact Kelli Ellis to learn your next steps.

Has anyone in the College Park family been impacted by COVID-19? 

Yes, many in the College Park family have either been directly impacted by the virus or experienced job loss or other economic hardship due to the pandemic. 

If you are in need, we would love to serve you in some way. Contact us at yourchurch.com/next to connect with our team. If you would like to support our COVID-19 ministry efforts, we encourage you to make a gift at yourchurch.com/give.

If I have a need, whom do I contact?

We would love to connect with you. See below for ways to connect. 

• Are you new? Want more information about the church? Or would you like prayer, counseling, or financial coaching? Connect with us at yourchurch.com/next. 
• Are you receiving regular emails from us? Ensure you receive our weekly email updates by signing up for our all-church newsletter.
• Are you a healthcare professional? We would love to hear about ways we could come alongside you in this season. Fill out this form.
• Are you a member wanting to contact an elder or deacon in the region of the city you live? View the elder map to review the information for your parish.