February 26, 2021
This year’s Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) went by quietly. There were no family members to eat together with, no friends to exchange New Year congratulations with and a lot fewer people buying New Year goods at Chinese shops in San Francisco. I joked with myself that the biggest advantage of this year’s Spring Festival is that there was no need to give red envelopes to the grandchildren, which saved me a little money. But the good news is that with the increase in vaccination numbers, people’s expectation of leaving the coronavirus haze is getting higher and higher. After being quarantined at home for a year, people hope life and society can return to normal as soon as possible. After all, people gather and interact in groups. Long-term isolation not only makes life alienated but also makes many people feel helpless in life. For many people without faith, in addition to eating, drinking, sleeping, watching TV, computer, mobile phone or other virtual online activities or media, people feel not only bored but also no meaning in life. But thanks to our Lord our God that our lives have purpose and a sense of direction because we know that our lives are in His hands and the purpose of our life is to glorify God!
On next Sunday (3/7/2021), we will reopen the church building for on-site worship. Before that, we need to do some preparation. This Sunday we will have a small number of people worship at church and will livestream it so members at home can watch it live on YouTube. The purpose of this dry run is to find any hidden problems or challenges so that we can resolve them before the following Sunday. For this Sunday, please use the link below to join Sunday worship!
Starting March 7th, the church encourages everyone to return to church to participate in worship in person, especially those members who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 since they should be able to return to the church without worries. Of course, we also welcome all brothers and sisters to come back to the church. In order to maintain the church’s pandemic safety measures, we will re-emphasize the precautions (communication letter 6/26/2020) that we brought up during the last reopening. Some of the content has been revised and we hope we can work together. Please see the information below.
I am very excited on behalf of the church to announce to everyone that the date for the church reopening is March 7th. This date is the first phase of our church’s reopening. Eventually, all ministry activities on the church premises will resume. We are still under the COVID-19 health decree so we must also observe all necessary health and safety measures for the congregation.
The first stage of returning to the church will be limited to Sunday worship. The Sunday worship for all three congregations will be held in the church with livestreaming (YouTube Livestream) available to those joining online. Afterwards, the worship videos will be available on the Internet for everyone to watch. Other church meetings and ministries will remain on online as usual.
• English Worship 9:30 am: https://youtu.be/HocfPwW8Rlk
• Cantonese Worship 9:30 am: https://youtu.be/0cBSEZI9hV0
• Mandarin Worship 11:00 am: https://youtu.be/MxSlopMu16g
Alternatively, you can also join the worship services online at our church’s website (www.tccbc.org).
Please register using the online registration form first. This is to let the church know that you plan to attend the worship services in person on your selected Sundays. It is also for compliance with government regulations and to control the number of people attending. If you cannot get the registration form on the website, please contact a member of the Reopening Committee. There will be no child care for the time being. When you come to church, please bring a mask, a notebook and pen and your own Bible. We will count each family as one unit and use socially distanced seating arrangements to maintain health and safety.
In order for us to provide you with a healthy environment as much as possible, if you belong to a high-risk group or if someone in your family has the following symptoms during the week, please remain at home and join in worship over the Internet:
• Body temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit
• Cough or sore throat
• Shortness of breath
• Has had contact with someone who had COVID-19 in the past 14 days
We have done a good job of cleaning the surfaces at church and toilets, and hand sanitizers are also available for everyone to use throughout the church. Please also maintain social distancing when using the restroom.
There will also be spare masks for anybody who forgets to bring one.
To enter the sanctuary, please enter through the main, glass doors of the church and exit through the doors at the rear of the church.
At entry to the church, a greeter will measure your forehead temperature.
These regulations and conditions may appear a bit cumbersome, but the reopening committee co-workers will their best to ensure that everyone can gather together in a safe and comfortable environment. If you discover certain needs or have suggestions for improvement, please let the co-workers know. We will continue to make improvements and adjustments. Thank you for your patience. I hope to see all of you soon back at church and worship the God who loves us together.
Many elderlies in the church have been vaccinated, and what I have heard so far is pretty good. If you want to know more about the vaccination situation, you can call them to ask. So far, I have been tested for the coronavirus and showed a normal (negative) response. I also received the first vaccination. On March 5, before the church reopens, I will receive my second dose of vaccine. Thank God for His preservation and protection over the past year. All thanks and glory to God!
Looking forward to worshipping in church together,
Job Lee
Pastor Job Lee, Senior Pastor
With fellow church leadership team
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