COVID-19 — Harvest

"And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” - Colossians 3:14

March 4, 2022 UPDATE

Dear Harvest Church Family,

The Anne Arundel County Health Department public safety order requiring facial coverings for all indoor public spaces expired on Monday, January 31st. At the heart of every prayerful decision we have made since the beginning of this pandemic is our desire to honor God, to care for you, your families, and the community, and to respect our governing authorities. Our heart and commitment are to prayerfully do our best to love and shepherd God’s church at Harvest in each step we take on this journey. Thank you for your continued grace, patience and partnership as government recommendations and mandates regarding the pandemic evolve and change.

The CDC also now deems our county as an area of low community transmission of Covid-19 where masks are not needed to be worn indoors. It is with this heart in mind, and after much prayer and processing, that our elders have decided to make the following changes going forward in an effort to best love and care for our families and community. We are confident that this will not be the last step, but it is the next step for Harvest.

As of Friday, March 4th:

1) Masks are optional at both the 9am and 11am services. If you have not been fully vaccinated, we strongly urge you to continue to wear a mask. If you have been vaccinated and feel more comfortable wearing a mask, please feel free to continue to do so.

2) Masks are optional for Harvest Kids and are required only for Harvest Kids volunteers in the 1-2 year old and 3-4 year old classes.

Note: The full Harvest Kids ministry is offered during the 10 AM service.

3) Masks are optional at any adult indoor events on the church campus (i.e. small groups, men’s breakfast, etc.). If you have not been fully vaccinated, we strongly urge you to continue to wear a mask. Masks are not required at any outdoor events on the church campus.

We understand that there are a variety of viewpoints surrounding masking, vaccinations, and other covid-related things. We ask for your patience and that we continue to treat each other with grace, love, respect, and humility as you have done so well throughout this journey. This is much more about love than it is about license.

We completely understand and support you and your family if your comfort level or circumstances prevent you from being able to attend in-person services. We will continue to broadcast our service via live stream on our website (www.harvestannapolis.org/live) and on Facebook (www.facebook.com/hbcannapolis) and are excited to worship with you and your family whether in-person or virtually.

Please pray with us that God would continue to be glorified through every evolving aspect of the pandemic, for God’s healing for all those in our church family, extended family, and community, and for God’s presence, protection, and provision as we continue to walk these unprecedented times together. Finally, please join me in continuing to trust the faithfulness of our great God who is in control even amidst this ongoing crisis.

Please don’t hesitate to let any of the elders (Ted Dressel, Austin Jewell, or myself) know if you have any questions or concerns. Also please continue to pray for God’s wisdom for us as we seek to continually navigate the ever changing dynamics of the pandemic and do the next right Biblical thing for the glory of God and the love of His people.

Please continue to pray with us that God would be glorified through every evolving aspect of the pandemic, for God’s healing for all those in our church family, extended family, and community, and for God’s presence, protection, and provision as we continue to walk these unprecedented times together. Finally, please join me in continuing to trust the faithfulness of our great God who is in control even amidst this ongoing crisis.

We understand you may have many questions regarding the worship services especially as it relates to Covid. To assist you in better determining whether this worship option is right for you and your family we have included some FAQs below. Please let us know if you have additional questions and be sure to check back here for the most current update.

You Are Loved,

Pastor Dan

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

KID’S MINISTRY

1. What ages of children are eligible for Kid's Ministry at this time?

Harvest Kids is open in the kids building during the 9am service for ages one through the 5th grade. Childcare only is available for children ages 1-6 during the 11am service.

2. Will my child be required to wear a face mask during Kid’s Ministry?

No. Masks are now optional for all children during Kids’ Ministry. Teachers and volunteers will continue to wear face coverings during Kid’s Ministry for the 2 younger classes (1-2 year olds and 3-4 year olds).

3. Will my child be required to maintain social distance during class?

No. While we are set up to maintain social distance by limiting capacity and seating in each classroom, we understand the difficulty of keeping young children socially distant from each other.

4. How can I be sure that my child will not be exposed to the Covid virus?

Harvest is following all health-related recommendations regarding cleaning and disinfecting the Kid’s building and its contents prior to the service. However, no system is perfect and there is much we do not know about the virus so you must individually weigh the risks of attendance.

WORSHIP SERVICE

5. Do I need to make a reservation?

No – reservations are absolutely not required. However, we would love to hear from you if you plan to attend and you can let us know at info@harvestannapolis.org .

6. Will I have to wear a face mask?

Effective February 1st, face coverings will be optional for both the 10 am service.

7. Will the nursery be available?

Yes. While it is not staffed by volunteers, the nursery in the main building will be open for up to 4 people at a time for nursing, comforting fussy babies, and changing diapers.

8. What should I do if my kids cannot sit through the service?

If your children are not able to sit through the service, we would encourage you to take advantage of our children’s ministry program.

9. How can I be sure that I will not be exposed to the virus?

Harvest is following all health-related recommendations regarding cleaning and disinfecting the church building prior to each service. However, no system is perfect and there is much we do not know about the virus so you must individually weigh the risks of attendance.

10. How can I help keep others safe from the virus while at church?

Please continue to use the available sanitizer and stay at home if you are not feeling well or experiencing fever, chills, frequent cough, or other Covid related symptoms.

If you have further questions, please feel free to email info@harvestannapolis.org .

In addition to in-person services, the following schedule is currently being followed at Harvest:

Sunday Worship Service

· We are also meeting virtually and live streaming our Sunday service each week at 10 AM.

-on Facebook (www.facebook.com/HBCAnnapolis)

- on our webpage (www.harvestannapolis.org/live)

The bulletin and sermon notes will be posted on our main webpage (above) before the service begins.

Small Groups

·All small groups are meeting and some have adopted a hybrid of in-person and virtual. If you are uncertain as to the platform or technology being used by your small group, please contact your small group leader.

· If you are not currently in a small group and would like to get connected, please email us at: smallgroups@harvestannapolis.org

Additional Information:

·Please let us know how we can be best praying for you and your family by submitting a prayer request online by clicking on the “Request Prayer” at: https://www.harvestannapolis.org/prayer

·Please let us know of any tangible needs you have by emailing us at: info@harvestannapolis.org

·Please continue to worship through your faithful and generous giving online at: www.harvestannapolis.org/give or by texting “Give” to 443-292-9210.