Greetings, one and all.

The journey down that long and winding road leading us back to public worship is almost over. I commend entirely the actions, attitude, and approach taken by our Board of Trustees, COVID Response Team, Staff, and Trained Volunteers toward regathering for large groups of people. God bless you!

In this communication, you will find valuable and instructional information in the COVID RESPONSE TEAM UPDATE as we prepare to regather for public worship. Please read it and prepare accordingly.

Right now, we need everyone’s prayers as we test our capabilities over the next two weeks. If you watch us online at 9:00 and 11:00 the next two Sunday mornings, we will be LIVE. The service will still post automatically afterward. Please give us feedback on issues with sound, lighting, and other things you see, hear, don’t see, and don’t hear so that we can tweak it next Sunday. As this is happening, our volunteers will be working in real-time to disinfect after the 9:00 service this week and tweaking our discoveries next week. If all goes well, then we hope to regather for public worship on October 4, 2020.  

Honestly, the most critical factors that could impact regathering are:  

1. Reconciling all health and safety issues, especially disinfecting.  

2. Cheerful conformity to the guidelines and new orders of worship we put forward, including masks, social distance, attendance registration, and sanitizing.  

3. No other spikes in the Pandemic OR in financial support matters that may make adjustments to the plan our best option.  

4. Our ability to live stream the service successfully to those who choose not to regather at this time.  

5. Management of post-worship exit strategy so that we have adequate time to prepare the sanctuary for the next service (s).  

If we can do all of these things and be ready for the next service in less than 20 minutes, we believe going back to our regular three service schedule is possible.  

Again, I want to commend everyone for your prayers, encouragement, and continued financial support of the General Fund.  

Your positive responses to our request for assistance through the survey, questionnaire, volunteering, training, and happy spirit of cooperation continues to lead us down the long and winding road, and it will lead us back to regathering for public worship very soon.

Click here for the CRT Update for Re-opening

We encourage you to listen and reflect on these thoughtful and encouraging words from Bishop Leeland of the Western North Carolina Conference before reading further.

Click here to view Bishop Leeland’s message.

A Message from Pastor Gene

September 9, 2020 

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Thank you for your support of our efforts as we move toward the reopening of Seaside United Methodist Church for public worship.   My heart is humbled by the patience, wisdom, and promptings of the Holy Spirit at work among us during this time.

I would be remiss not to share my love and appreciation for all of you as we have struggled through this time with so many challenges, so many concerns, so many tests of our faith.

We asked you to respond to a survey.  As we release the survey results with reopening recommendations, we continue gathering the critical information we need through a follow-up questionnaire released on September 8 online.   Please complete the questionnaire online as soon as possible so we can make safe and healthy plans as we reopen.  

Your prompt response will help us move toward reopening as soon as possible.

The original plan for reopening included a slow start with a 9:00 and 11:00 Worship Service.  That plan allows us to have one cleaning a Sunday between services and meets CDC guidelines.  When we can do it in less than 20 minutes, we can begin moving back to our regular schedule of 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 Services with two cleanings each day.  

We are providing the raw data from the survey, recommendations from the Clergy and COVID Response Team, and Trustees in digital form.  If you wish to receive a paper copy, please call Kathleen Thompson at 910-579-5753 and request it.  Be prepared to leave a message with your best contact information. 

All of this information is now available for those who utilize the internet in every way we know to make it public.  

Expect things to be different for a while.  Expect things to change over time.  Come with a happy heart.  Watch us on YouTube from your home with a happy heart.  Love God.  Love one another.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Gene

Click here for the Survey Results
Click here for the Report

In June, Seaside’s Covid Response team made plans to re-open the church offices and re-gather for worship in the Sanctuary on August 2nd, based upon the estimated timeline for entering Phase 3 in NC in July. However, an announcement was made earlier this week stating that NC will remain in Phase 2 until at least mid-August. Therefore, the plan for Re-Gathering & Re-Opening is also being postponed and Seaside will not gather for Sanctuary worship on August 2nd as we had hoped. When NC moves into Phase 3, the Covid Response Team will begin making plans for how to re-open and re-gather. Please continue to pay attention to the emails you receive from Seaside as all plans and dates will be communicated through them. In the meantime, please continue to connect with us on Sundays through digital worship on the Seaside YouTube channel.

Dear Seaside Family,

We continue to adjust in this difficult time. I am amazed at the participation and engagement demonstrated by the staff and congregation of this church. It just continues to prove what I have heard repeated since I arrived on scene here several months ago. “This is an amazing congregation.” Thank you for your faithfulness and your flexibility as we continue our sensitivity to the threat this virus poses.

Yesterday our Bishop sent out another email which affects our initial projection for getting back in the church for worship. In part, this is what she stated: “This morning, I was in zoom conferences with faith leaders, public health professionals and several episcopal colleagues. In addition, with you, I received the directive of Governor Cooper for schools to remain closed through mid-May. I urge you to continue the compassionate practice of not gathering for worship, funerals, weddings, studies, and other groups for the next two months.” So, as it now stands, we have shifted our plans to worshipping together and resuming our “normal” services on May 17. This does not mean that the church is “out of business.” The building is just closed.

Over the course of the remaining weeks there are several things that we will be doing to keep ourselves in touch as a congregation.
Lenten Disciplines: I believe that it is God’s Prevenient Grace that has placed the Lenten Disciplines in our lives to aid us in this time that we are apart. By continuing to read the scriptures, pray for one another, write letters and make the phone calls, we continue to experience the fellowship we enjoy as the Body of Christ.
On-line Worship Services: Hopefully you have been able to enjoy and participate in the on-line video services that we have been sharing on youtube and Facebook. Granted, these are pre- recorded but Stefanie and Meg have worked very hard to be sensitive to the normal worship times to which we are accustomed. You will receive an email early on Sunday morning and you can participate in worship by viewing it on Facebook. In addition to the worship services, we will be placing certain meditational moments on-line as well.
Holy Week & Easter: If matters continue as it presently appears, we will not be able to join together during Holy Week or Easter at the church as we would prefer. Please rest assured that we are exploring the best possible plan we can utilize so that we can worship during this important time in our life of faith. Congregational Care: Our Congregational Care Team has continued our weekly meetings via Zoom video conferencing. There are many people who have stepped up to make phone calls regarding health and wellness for those who are alone and vulnerable. While these persons are valuable and their willingness to serve is very much appreciated, it is important to remember that each of us, lay and clergy alike, are part of the congregational care of this congregation. Please take the initiative to check on one another and let Carol Sigafoos (585-749-2576) know if there are special needs that you discover. One excellent way to check on one another is by calling our prayer partners that we received on the second Sunday of Lent.
Committee Meetings & Classes: We continue to explore video conferencing so that we can once again establish our routine for committee meetings and classes. Continue our Faithfulness in Giving: Because of your financial support Seaside is able to:
· Continue our ministries of congregational care, reaching out to those in our family of faith who are in need of connection and care during this unique time.
· Support Seaside’s staff who continue with the daily operations of the church, being creative in keeping Seaside connected, and work toward the day we worship together in person. To assist you in this endeavor, especially since we are in a season of remote worship, you may mail your offering to the church at 1300 Seaside Road, SW, Sunset Beach, NC 28468 or set up on-line giving or automatic withdrawal by contacting Seaside’s Financial Secretary, Wayne Matthews
(910-575-4267). Wayne continues to monitor Seaside’s financial health.
Once again, thank you for your faithfulness. Please continue to pray for our church, our leaders, those who are affected by this virus and one another in the hopes that this will soon pass and we can gather in person.

Still in One Peace,
Francis