UPDATE – May 30
The state of New Jersey has lifted all making and social distancing requirements. Please join us in thanking the Lord for bringing us through this pandemic, and for the easing of the measures to fight it!
UPDATE – February 21st
With the raising of occupancy limitations we are able to go back to one service at 11 AM. We will still need people to sit upstairs and downstairs, wear a mask, and practice social distancing, but between the two rooms we can fit everyone in at the same time. Let’s keep praying that the Lord would bring an end to this pandemic!
SNOW ALERT! – February 6
With the expected snow tomorrow morning we’ve decided to cancel our 11 AM service. The 9 AM service is open to any who are available to come. We will record the service and post it here and on our website. If we need to cancel the 9 AM service as well, we will update this page, send out an email, and post on Facebook. Stay safe and warm everyone!
UPDATE – December 20
We are thankful that no new cases seem to have come from our in-person worship services. As a result, we are bringing back in-person worship this Sunday, December 20th, at 9 AM and 11 AM. We are not ready to resume evening worship at this time.
Thank you for your prayers and understanding!
UPDATE – December 6
Out of an abundance of caution, the session has decided to move our services online this Sunday (December 6) and next Sunday (December 13). We will record the service and post it on our website and Facebook by 11 AM Sunday morning. There will be no evening service this week or next week.
We will go back to our regular 9 AM, 11 AM, and 6 PM in-person services on December 20.
Please bear with us as we try to navigate these difficult times, and remember to pray for us, our church, and those affected by the virus. Thank you for your flexibility and understanding.
On behalf of the session,
Pastor McDaniel
ONLINE SERVICE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES – November 15
There may come a day when everything works the way it should. This is not that day. Our internet connection has been dropping all morning, so we will not be able to upload today’s service by 11 AM. We will have it up as soon as possible, we sincerely apologize for these disruptions.
INSIDE SERVICES – November 1st!
We’re bringing all of our services inside for the colder months. Because we are still under occupancy restrictions, we have to limit the number of people who can be at each service. Our 11 AM service is full for the month of November, but we have a few seats reserved for guests and visitors. There is room at the 9 AM service in our Sanctuary, and to watch the video feed in our Fellowship Hall.
We are working on live-streaming the 11 AM service here on our website. You will also be able to watch the recorded service later in the day.
Evening service at 6 PM will resume on November 1st.
For all of our services inside the building, please wear a mask and practice social distancing.
Thank you for your patience as we work out these details.
See you Sunday!
Pastor Steve
IN-PERSON SERVICES – June 14!
On Tuesday, Governor Murphy announced the lifting of some restrictions on indoor and outdoor worship services. Inside services can have up to 50 people, outdoor worship services are unlimited.
These numbers mean we can move forward with our reopening plan. Sunday morning at 9 AM we will have an indoor worship service. We are asking people to wear masks, and for family groups who attend to sit at least 6 feet apart. There will be hand sanitizer available as you come into the church. We will not have nursery or training time. Since the numbers are limited, please reserve this service for those who cannot worship outside.
Our outdoor service will be on the church lawn 11 AM. Please wear a mask and bring your own chair. A limited number of church folding chairs will be available. Family groups will need to sit six feet apart from each other. We will have the building open so people can use the bathrooms. Please dress comfortably for sitting out on the lawn. We will produce a bulletin for both services with the Bible readings and hymns.
Our plan is to have the outdoor service even if it is sprinkling or looks like it might potentially rain. If we do have to cancel because of weather, we’ll put a message up here on the church website and Facebook page by 10:30 AM. If there is no message, you can assume the service is still on.
The 9 AM inside service will be recorded and posted online to the website, Facebook, and Mixlr. We’re hoping to have them up by 2 PM. If you are not ready to come out, or you are not feeling well, please stay home and watch the service online. We’re also hoping to stream the 9 AM service audio live over Mixlr.
It’s been a long time since we we started this quarantine in mid-March. I am excited to see your faces, and sing, pray, and hear God’s word together! Please be patient with us as we continue to work on details and adapt our plans. Please pray that God would be honored, his people built up, and the kingdom of Jesus extended!
See you Sunday!
Pastor Steve
UPDATE: June 7
Our online services are going to move to 1 PM. This gives us time to record them Sunday morning and upload them to Facebook and our website. If you can’t watch on Sunday afternoon, the services will continue to be available all week. We are going to meet again for prayer on Sunday evening at 6 PM on the church lawn. Please bring your own chair and wear a face mask.
UPDATE: May 31
The situation in New Jersey continues to change, and we are anticipating being able to restart in-person worship services soon. For this Sunday, May 31st, our morning service will be here on our webpage and on Facebook. We will meet Sunday evening at 6 PM in the church yard for prayer. Please bring your own chair and wear a face mask. If more than 25 people come, we will split into two groups.
UPDATE: May 24
With the Governor’s order allowing groups of 25 to meet outside, we are going to have our Sunday evening prayer gathering on the church lawn at 6 PM. Please bring your own chair and wear a face mask. If more than 25 people come, we will split into two groups. In the event it rains, the meeting will be canceled. Our AM service and kids activities will continue to be online for the time being.
UPDATE: March 28
This week we pre-recorded our message. You can find it on our homepage and our Facebook page. I will host a watch party through Facebook on Sunday morning at 11 AM. We will also stream the audio over Mixlr. Please join us!
UPDATE: March 21
Dear Church family,
I am planning on broadcasting over Facebook live tomorrow morning at 11AM. You don’t need a Facebook account to join us, just go to our page: https://www.facebook.com/POPCMantuaNJ
We’re also planning on sending the audio through Mixlr here on our website.
You can find the service order and announcements for tomorrow along with the children’s outlines here: https://providenceopc.org/order-of-worship/
Our plan for next Sunday is to broadcast over Facebook again. We’ll do our best to keep you updated.
You can send prayer requests to me directly, or send them to [email protected]
I’m praying for you all, keep strong in the Lord!
Pastor McDaniel
UPDATE: March 15
Dear Church family,
The session met before our worship service this morning to discuss our immediate plans. There will be no evening worship tonight, March 15th, and we have decided to cancel our in-person gatherings for the next two weeks, March 22nd and 29th.
Please pray for us as we determine how to move our services online, and pray for those who are immediately affected by the virus.
Our hope is we will be able to gather again as God’s people soon. We will do our best to keep you up to date.
For the session,
Pastor McDaniel
March 13
Dear Church Family,
The session is closely monitoring the developments with the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Right now it seems like our exposure in New Jersey is low, but we think it is wise to take a few precautions.
Starting on Sunday, we will be experimenting with broadcasting our service over Facebook Live. If you go to our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/POPCMantuaNJ) around 11 AM on Sunday, you should be able to see the video. You do not need a Facebook account to watch. There will be a link to the Facebook page on our website (https://providenceopc.org) and you will still be able listen to the service directly from our website. The bulletin and sermon outlines will also be posted and available (https://providenceopc.org/order-of-worship/).
We have bottles of hand sanitizer in the Narthex and on the coffee table downstairs. Please wash your hands as you enter and leave the building. The best way to wash your hands is with soap and water. There are bathrooms available in the Narthex, the Fellowship Hall, and the Library. I’ve attached our latest safety insert, it gives instructions on proper hand washing, and how to prevent the spread of viruses and infections.(Wash your hands!)
One of the most important ways to combat the spread of the virus is through social distancing. While the outbreak is happening, please refrain from shaking hands or hugging at church. We know this will be harder for some of you than others!
If you or anyone in your house are not feeling well, it’s important that you temporarily stay home. Please watch or listen to the service online, and make sure to let us know so we can be praying for you. If you or someone in your home is at a high risk for this virus (elderly, reduced lung capacity, immunocompromised) it may be wise to consider staying home until the outbreak passes. Again, please let us know so we can be praying for you and can check in.
In the event the governor requests us not to have meetings of our size, our current plan is to move the service completely online. We will communicate that through email, a message on our answering machine, on our Facebook page, and on our website. This is a changing situation, so please be patient with us as we try to figure out the wisest course. Please also remember that this is a temporary situation. We believe God’s people are commanded to gather together to worship him (Heb 10:25). We’re looking forward to the time when it is safe and prudent for all of us to do so.
We know that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Ps 46:1-3). Please pray for wisdom for us and for our state and national leaders. Pray for the doctors and nurses and others involved in treating the sick, and for those affected by the virus. Most of all, pray that God is glorified, and the light of Jesus continues to shine out from his people. If you would like to talk, please feel free to call me or one of the elders.
I’m looking forward to seeing you on Sunday.
For the Session,
Pastor McDaniel