For the past 8 Sundays, worship was broadcast from our front porch. This Sunday, May 31, worship will return to our church sanctuary.
Worship is best experienced when it can be most easily accessed. Although we may have had to contend with the sound of chainsaws and weed eaters, worship from our front porch enabled us to provide continuity to our church family in an admittedly honest and authentic manner. We are returning to our sanctuary this Sunday because it will allow our service to be more accessible to others. With vastly improved broadcast tools in our church sanctuary, we will be able to communicate more effectively. Better access to our ministry will provide us a wider reach.
It’s natural to wonder what a return to our sanctuary will look like. For some, you will feel led to join us on-site this Sunday. For others, you may continue to join us online. Regardless of how you choose to participate in worship, we are grateful for your willingness to abide with us as we strive to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God.
We pray that this guide will help you know how you can participate in the weeks to come.
What to Expect When You Attend Worship at the First Baptist Church of Sylva
A guide to help you and your family know how to plan for Sundays this summer.
First, you will be welcomed to our church sanctuary with a warm greeting and a smile! We will be glad to have you with us for worship.
Although Sunday School will not be offered on Sunday mornings before worship, our facility will be open at 9:30 AM. Additionally, you are welcome to visit with one another where you can practice physical distancing on the church’s front brick patio, or outside on our lawn.
As you approach our facility, you will see signs at our entrances from the NC Department of Health and Human Services that encourage you to be mindful of the gathering guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic. The poster reminds us to limit our engagement with others if our loved ones or we have been exhibiting any of the COVID-19 symptoms. Additionally, the sign cautions those of us who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 from being physically present in groups or gatherings (such as being 65 years or older or having certain health conditions).
Upon entering the sanctuary or balcony, please find a seat in a pew that has not been roped off. Doing so will enable families to sit up to 10 feet away from others.
A bell will toll at 10:25 to call to worship those who may be visiting together on the church’s grounds. Three bells will toll at 10:30 AM to begin worship. The worship service will be broadcast LIVE online. You can find our LIVE streaming service on our webpage—firstbaptistsylva.com—or, by searching for First Baptist Church of Sylva on YouTube.com. The service will also be shared later on the church’s Facebook page.
Our worship service will include opportunities to pray, to reflect on the reading of scripture, to hear offerings of music, and to listen to the proclamation of God’s Word. At this time, we will not have a time of visiting with one another during the passing of the peace, nor will there be the passing of offering plates, choral music, or a time of holding hands. As such, the duration of our worship service will be abbreviated. An opportunity for congregational singing will be available when we gather on church grounds outside, immediately after our service.
Your children and grandchildren are welcome to join us on-site for worship! The nursery, which will open at 10:00 AM, will be available to children aged three and under.
With doors wide-open and hand sanitizing stations plentiful, worship on-site at First Baptist will be a touchless experience where God’s presence can touch you.
Whether you choose to join us for worship online or on-site, we are grateful for your presence with us! We love you and celebrate that we are rooted in Christ locally, across the country, and around the world.