One of the cornerstones of our weekly rhythms that we have most missed is Wednesday Night Church. While these gatherings will look different from years past (both due to Covid precautions and exciting new planned opportunities for children and youth), we look forward to restarting this midweek time of fellowship, mission, and ministry. Because supper will be less centralized than normal, we will have an abbreviated time for announcements and our Deacon Report from 6:15-6:30pm.
Wednesday Night Supper
5:30pm-6:30pm
We are excited to offer supper as part of our Wednesday night schedule. Providing our meals this fall will be Evette Goolsby of E.G. Catering. Evette will offer a monthly rotation of delicious meals (see full menu on the side). The cost will be $6 per plate. To help streamline our logistics this fall, there will be no discount for child plates or families.
Reservations:
To help us know how much food to provide, we will also ask that meals be reserved. You can do this by following a link in the weekly email, or calling the church office. You can also set up a recurring reservation. We encourage as many who can to pay through the church’s online giving/payment portal.
Precautions:
In an effort to reduce possible exposure, all meals will be boxed, “take-out style,” to allow folks to eat at different places around the building should they choose. Tables will be prepared in the fellowship hall, the annex to the fellowship hall, and just outside the fellowship hall on High Pl. We ask that only family groups eat together, and the exterior doors will be kept open as much as possible to improve ventilation. Meals may also be eaten elsewhere outside or around the building.
Children
As we seek to make church a place of engagement and renewal, especially for children, children’s ministry leadership has developed a new layout for Wednesdays. The new plan aims to cut back on the rush of long Wednesdays for young ones, provide options for families with different needs, and broaden what we hold dear about our Wednesday programming.
3:00-4:45, Koinonia Corner
The children’s center will be open right after school so children can come straight to church and skip the quick turnaround from school→ home→ church. This will be an open time with space for snack, homework, rest, and play. The open time will allow for families who want to take advantage of this to arrive from different schools with different schedules.
4:45-5:30, Worship Arts
We serve a creative God, and we connect with God when we tap into our creativity. This is especially evident when we see children free to create, so this year we are excited to provide some creative space! This fall, artists and creators from our church will join the children before dinner to guide them through their specialty as children see many different ways we can worship creatively.
5:30-6:00, Dinner
6:00-6:45, Children’s Choir
FBCX is a church that values music for all ages. For decades our children’s choirs have provided not only music education, but also opportunities for children to be worship leaders. We look forward to continuing this tradition in person this year after a challenging year of virtual choir!
6:45-7:30, Flex Time
There is much that we value in children’s ministry, and it’s impossible to cover everything each week in our limited time together and provide chances for renewal and community building (especially after a long day at school). That’s where Flex Time comes in! This will provide a chance to check in with the children about their lives. Some weeks we may have more play time, some weeks a missions emphasis, or some weeks discipleship. Being flexible with this time allows us to be in tune with what the children need as we seek to build a strong faith foundation.
Youth
Inspired by the new plan for children, the youth will follow a similar schedule on Wednesdays that allows our students the time to work on homework, relax, and play. The youth space will be open for students to come to as soon as they get out of school. They will be free to work and relax however they like until 4:45pm when they get to choose from a few activities to participate in.
Schedule
3:00 Youth room open: homework, relax, and play
4:45- 5:30 We will spend this time helping in different areas of the church. Students have the option to work on a chosen project in the church or help the children’s leaders if they are interested in the worship arts theme for the week.
5:00-5:45 Youth Choir
5:30-6:15 Pick up dinner in the fellowship hall. In order to help with social distancing while eating, youth can sit with their family in the fellowship hall or come up to the youth room where they will be assigned seating that is spread out while they eat.
6:15-7:15 Youth “Unplugged”
After a long and busy day, this is the time that we will protect as “family time” where we will put away our phones and distractions in order to be intentional about our time together. This time includes a brief devotion and conversation, games, and prayer.
Youth Family Meeting September 1st at 6:15
Parents are invited to join us up in the youth room to go over the fall calendar and learn about what the youth will be doing this semester. Stick around to play a game of ping pong!
Adult Bible Study
6:30-7:15pm
Adult Bible Study, too, will resume September 1. We will once again meet in the fellowship hall, but will also offer a hybrid option on Zoom.
Chancel Choir
Chancel choir will continue to meet at their normal time of 6:30pm in the choir room.