Blog
Share this:
Blah Christmas
Here’s my new poem-spoken word film for your 2020 Christmas. It’s been quite a year, friends!
Watch it:
Read it:
Each Advent, I’d pen a poem, a Christ-themed rhyme,
a light-filled song about that night divine
My heart was full as ink struck scroll
A Christmas cheer, a snowflake here,
A starlit night inspired my mind, my heart felt bright
But try as I might… the Christmas feel is forced this year
The adornments hang like a cheap veneer
No snow, no song, no pine boughs hung
Could break this despondent spell of the no good, very bad, coronavirus 2020 year
Omit the raging illness, everyday still unveils the ugliness
Which rose to the surface in this year of fear
Politicians screaming, innocence falling, landscapes burning, and voting, voting, voting!
Facebook shouted at us every day, every month, hey, it seemed the whole year: “Have you yet registered to vote in this year of all years?”
How can I think of what’s ahead when I just want this crazy turmoil to end?
How can I write of happy glad tidings, holly and jolly, when the world appears to be going down into a sin-stained, stench-filled potty?!
I looked and waited for the Christmas inspiration,
a full week into Advent and still everything was belated, deflated
2020 was an exhausting receipt of disappointment – at least that much was clear
– stacked layer upon layer, dampening any sense of Christmas cheer
But then I heard the oddest of songs: a dusty genealogy
Set to meter and rhyme with a dose of harmony…
Take one listen and all appears as one nasty, gassy charade
From Abraham the lying began, then the whole line of sinners marched on in a disastrous parade!
Jacob the deceiver, Judah an abuser, Solomon the idolater, David an adulterer
The longer their march grew, the worse the crew!
Rehoboam, Manasseh, Amon, and Jehoiachin, all sick-in-the-head, a sinful kin!
The women in the mix? Oft-treated like cattle and chattel
But then I noticed something that would make even the sleepiest head rattle
A healing was appearing, a redeeming from the rotting…
For Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, God’s grace could be traced
Down this tree of names to a young girl with no societal place
Mary, her name is quietly sung but followed by a great anthem
She would give birth to a Son
One like no another, for He would save His people from their sins
And give true freedom within
At His Arrival…
Nothing was perfect, nothing was bright
The righteous? Oppressed.
The wicked ruled with great might.
Yet there into a darkest mess,
that year of all years brought hope and forgiveness
For the world… a name, a person, a Baby
He would be King of all kings in this our year of all years
And for every year of our Lord after that!
So my drooping head and burdened heart were lifted
For Christ arrived precisely for those being sifted
The Infant in the manger wasn’t born to the celebrating, but for those in mourning
…in the closet of grief
…in the pressure of pain
…in the darkness of death
So as my ink again struck the page
I saw the frame around my portrait of Christmas was amiss
Because I was relying on the tinsel, snowflakes, and holiday bliss
The joy of Christmas is found in the grace healing our mess, a redeeming light into deepest darkness
Emmanuel enters this year, our neighborhoods of weary, beleaguered COVID-too-near
And declares God is with us still and He will guide us into another New Year.
For the One who upended the curse and fulfilled God’s promise
Is the ultimate cure for our Blah Christmas
Jesus, the Savior, for all drowning in a stinking sin-sickness.
So, in Him receive Life
Rejoice for He arrived for you that holy night.
________________________________________
“Blah Christmas” | by Michael J. Breznau | All Rights Reserved
Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this.
Share this:
A Weary World
The world is weary. 2020 has waged its battle against us in more ways than one. Families, marriages, businesses, and nations are all showing signs of multiple stress fractures.
Yet this is not a unique or new experience for humanity.
The world was weary and broken as Adam and Eve shuffled out of the Garden of Eden. The heaviness of sin hung over their heads.
The world was weary on the day of Jesus the Messiah’s birth. Roman rulers and vassal lords meted out punishment and oppression to everyone who didn’t tow their line. Taxation was franchised as a business to people willing to sell-out to the government thugs and fleece-out their own family members.
Yet the beloved hymn proclaims:
…Long lay the world in sin and error pining
‘Til He appears and the soul felt its worth
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoicesFor yonder breaks a new and glorious morn
Fall on your knees; O hear the Angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born
O night, O Holy night, O night divine!
(lyrics from “O Holy Night,” which we will sing at our in-person Christmas Eve service at 6PM – Mayfair Bible Church)
One has come to save us from our brokenness and grant forgiveness.
…in the place of weeping
…in the closet of heartache
…in the darkness of death
He came. For you.
As the angel told Joseph in a vision, “you shall call His name is Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21)
In the worst of this year…
In the weary world…
We will rejoice.
For a new and glorious morn has arrived in the Son. Let us gather to worship this King, Jesus.
Stephanie, Hudson, Everlynn, Carson, and I are praying you all have a very Merry Christmas!
We can’t wait to worship with you today on this Christmas Eve (in-person communion and candlelight at 6PM and via Mayfair’s Virtual Christmas Special at 3PM, 7PM, and 11PM! Go here for more details: Mayfair Bible Church
Love,
Michael
P.S.
Mayfair’s Virtual Christmas Special will be aired on Facebook LIVE, YouTube LIVE, and our website on Christmas Eve: 3PM, 7PM, and 11PM.
We’ll feature guest musician Luke Cyrus, along with special pieces by Dave Collins, Stephanie Breznau, and the Mayfair worship band. Poems, advent recitations, an interactive kids reading from Stephanie Mattiuzzo and more will make this an event the whole family will enjoy!
Share this:
The First Thanksgiving?
Most Americans think of a brisk yet beautiful November day in 1621 when the Pilgrims celebrated their first Thanksgiving celebration to God. Their battle to survive in the New World was fierce, yet their Creator brought them through. Not without sorrow, they turned to Christ with praise for what He had granted. Turkey, corn, treats, and athletic games have been a trademark of the holiday ever since.
In 1789, shortly after the Revolutionary War, President George Washington issued a proclamation of thanksgiving to God for our entire nation:
“…to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be—That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks—for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country…” (1789 Proclamation)
Amid a nation ripped in two by the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln sealed Thanksgiving as a perpetual holiday for our nation:
“I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.” (1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation)
But these were not the first national thanksgiving proclamations given by government leaders. Far before the founding of the United States, a different leader by the name of King David proclaimed a national Psalm of Thanksgiving in front of the entire nation of Israel. Similar to all the battles and wars above, this moment in Israel’s history marked their defeat of the Philistines and the recovery of the ark of the covenant to Jerusalem. After years of difficulty and upheaval, God brought victory to His people.
So David sang:
“Oh give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples. Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; Speak of all His wonders. Glory in His holy name; Let the heart of those who seek the Lord be glad . . . Blessed by the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting even to everlasting.” (1 Chronicles 16:8-10)
What was the response of the nation? “Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the LORD.” (1 Chron. 16:36b)
Today, we survey a nation and world torn into tiny fragments by a ravaging virus, fear, protests, and political unrest. But we can look back at the past storms, battles, and wars of the past and seen God’s providence over His people. We, as the grafted-in and redeemed people of God through faith in Christ, can offer thankfulness to God for His great grace and goodness. We lift up thanks and praise to Him not only for the easy roads but also the difficult twist and turns of the journey, through which He forms in us a greater trust, a deeper rest, and a patience of soul.
His covenant with us is irrevocable and eternal.
From everlasting even to everlasting.
And all the people said, “Amen!”
Have a blessed day of giving thanks to God, the Almighty Lord and Creator of heaven and earth!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Michael
From Stephanie, Hudson, Everlynn, Carson, and I: We hope and pray you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day celebration!
Share this:
Who Knows?
What a day.
I write to you as our national election remains entirely up-in-the-air. Yet you and I must not despair. Although our nation’s fate seems to be hanging by a thread, our hope is in a King, who will deal with justice and truth in the end. As a poet once soulfully proclaimed:
“God is not dead, nor does he sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail…” (H.W. Longfellow)
Nations rise and fall. But the Gospel ensures a future in a kingdom which will not be destroyed. The risen Redeemer heralds the news of victory: “To Him was given a dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away.” (Daniel 7:14a)
Every conscientious citizen of the USA seems to sit on pins and needles as they await the final outcome of this year’s presidential bid. Each hour (or perhaps every ten minutes!) we are prompted to refresh the voting maps. With each tenth-of-a-percent fluctuation, we feel anxiety and uncertainty burn through our nervous system. News commentators and political analysts throw bits of data back and forth as we numbly watch our glowing screens. Our minds swirl with questions that lack satisfying answers:
“What will be the outcome?”“What if _________ wins?“What then?“Who knows what’s happening right now?!”
Yet there is One who knows precisely how this election will end. Beyond this momentary crisis, He knows and has even planned all things together by the counsel of His will to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1:11-12). A bit of theology 101 helps us: The Triune God stands outside the bounds of time. He is not governed by the clock but created time itself. He knows the end from the beginning and lives eternally as the Alpha and Omega over all created order.
So who knows? God alone.
Our Father knows the ebbs and flows of this great river we call America. Yet don’t rest your hopes and dreams in the land of the free (as beautiful as it may be). For “you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession…” (1 Pet. 2:9a). Remember who you are and whose you are. Even further, take the mission by grasping how He who called you now invites you to live: “…so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light . . .” (1 Pet. 2:9b).
Want to know the final results?
I’ve read the end of the book. In the end, God wins.
Let us place all our trust in Him.
In God’s Vineyard,
Michael
Take a moment to allow this song to strengthen your faith in the sovereign Ancient of Days:
Share this:
Disappearing Lines and Broken Dreams
By Stephanie A. Breznau | October 2020
Would two lines appear?
I sat and waited.
Years scrolled by. Trash cans filled with negatives.
People tell me it’s easy to get pregnant.
“Relax,” they say.
But nothing seems to come from me relaxing.
Ironically, the first time was easy – a surprise honeymoon baby we weren’t planning on, but a boy, who has brought us such joy. Hudson, how we love you.
That was a time of naivety when life was uncomplicated.
Then came the first loss… and another.
Early yet shocking.
Not yet knowing how to grieve, I stuffed my feelings inside and tried to hide my tears.
Finally, another positive test and our daughter was on the way.
But I wasn’t naive anymore. I was scared.No more dreamland for me.
She was beautiful. An amazing gift.
The answer to prayers. Everlynn, oh how we love you.
Yet pregnancy was now a time of anxiety.
Then three more losses.
Five smashed dreams.
And then came the years when I didn’t get pregnant anymore.
So many negative tests.
Not pregnant.
Medicine entered the picture.
It didn’t work the first time, but we decided to try it just once more.
Thank you, Jesus, for Carson. Oh how we love you, son.
Since he was born, two more babies are with Jesus.
More disappearing lines and an empty womb.
People say, “be grateful for the ones you have.”
My children on earth do not somehow cancel out my babies in heaven.
It doesn’t lessen my gratitude to grieve over what will never be.
Yes, we want more children.
But maybe he is my last baby.
I have to learn to accept that and pray God takes the desire for more babies away.
My heart hurts for the loss of my babies.
My heart hurts because my children hurt.
My heart hurts because my husband hurts.
My heart hurts.
I think about the positives, the negatives, the hardship, the trauma, and I’d do it all over again for my three babies. But I wouldn’t wish loss on my worst enemy.
Loss isn’t fluid or easily explained.
Death isn’t something you get over, but something you get through.
With Jesus, I’m journeying through.
One day I’ll see my sweet little ones again.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
(Revelation 21:4)
But until that day, I’m weeping and walking with the One who weeps with me.
“A Jesus who never wept could never wipe away my tears.” – Charles Spurgeon
Kayin
Gracen
Kellen
Haven
Maryn
Lyric
Willow
“A mother is never defined by the number of children you can see, but by the love that she holds in her heart.” ~ Franchesca Cox
Walking in the Love,
Stephanie
Share this:
Fire At My Foundation
Fire.
Something about fire is both terrifying and mesmerizing. We can’t look away as wood rapidly disappears into leftover, charred carbon particles.
Fast.
What am I doing? What is my motive? What are the construction materials of my priorities?
One Day.
Vainglory will be vaporized. Pride will be scorched. Man-made religious systems will burn to the ground.
Self-centered ambition will be torched. Nations will collapse. Money will turn to ash.
Stocks and bonds, houses and boats, cars and lands will slip through our grasp.
Gone.
On what foundation am I building my life?
“Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-13)
In God’s Vineyard,
Share this:
What’s Your Temperature?
As COVID-19 presses on, work floods in, financial concerns mount, and the incoming school year looms, we all can see tension and anger flare up. The emotional temperature of households is on the rise.
Anger and harshness can be a sign of burn-out, fatigue, and over-commitment. In counseling men, I’ve noticed anger also tends to rise to the surface when they hide a repeating pattern of sexual lust. Wrath can well up when people don’t meet our expectations, e.g. the house isn’t cleaned or ordered the way we prefer, a project at work isn’t executed as planned, a customer is upset with one of our employees, a child gets in trouble or fails an exam at school, and on the list goes.
Here’s the truth: the COVID-19 crisis, political tension, and economic collapse of 2020 all mix together for a perfect recipe of maddening stress. The result? Anger heats up in all our relationships….at work, in the home, and even within the church, God’s family.
So how are you? Have you used a thermometer on your anger and stress level lately? What’s your temperature?
Let’s pause over this verse:
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1)
How might God change the choice and tone of your words today? How might you extinguish the flames of wrath through words seasoned with grace this coming week?
Feel free to get transparent about your temperature with your spouse, small group leader, or a close friend.
Authenticity is the good garden soil of God’s healing grace.
What’s your temperature?
.
.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Michael
Share this:
Is God on Vacation?
Tensions continue to rise across the western hemisphere as COVID-19 cases mount and protests result in terrifying riots. We may give thanks that COVID-19 hospitalizations and related deaths are in significant decline. We may breathe a sigh of relief that BLM marches are remarkably peaceful across our region.
Nevertheless, political commentators slam each other with verbal sledgehammers on a nightly basis. Republicans and Democrats have, perhaps, never been more polarized. Social media platforms are aflame with rhetoric that betrays our collective ignorance to the truth.
Yet where is God in all of this? Is Jesus out on vacation?
Loved ones, God’s plan has not been foiled nor is He caught off-guard by the depravity of humanity. His beautiful blueprints are not wrinkled or torn. The God over the universe, who holds stars in space and paints the sky, is writing a story to display His glory. The timeline of history manifests His mercy.
But in the bewildering days, months, and years between a shuttered Garden and the renewed Creation, we all-too-easily lose sight of God’s ancient-present-future mercy. So…
We wring our hands, grit our teeth, complain to friends, and anxiously wait for some way to have a decent weekend.
Exhausted.
Worried.
Worn.
Words like these crash like a set of waves each day. So, songwriter, Andrew Peterson, asks us, “Do you feel the world is broken?”
We do.
“Do you feel the shadows deepen?”
We do.
But there is One worthy to rightfully rule. His loving faithfulness has not clocked out. Therefore, just like those who battled with faith long before, we need a recall moment – a summary of redemptive history. Here’s how God brings His ancient-present-future mercy back into focus through Isaiah the prophet:
Yes, this may take a moment. Stop the hurry. P-A-U-S-E the scroll. Rehearse the mercies of God with me:
“I shall make mention of the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, the praises of the LORD,
According to all that the LORD has granted us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has granted them according to His compassion and according to the abundance of His lovingkindnesses.
For He said, ‘Surely, they are My people, sons who will not deal falsely,’
So He became their Savior.
In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them;
In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, and He lifted them and carried them all the days of old.
But they rebelled and grieved the Holy Spirit;
Therefore He turned Himself to become their enemy, He fought against them.
Then His people remembered the days of old, of Moses.
Where is He who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock?
Where is He who put His Holy Spirit in the midst of them, who caused His glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for Himself an everlasting name, who led them through the depths?
Like the horse in the wilderness, they did not stumble;
As the cattle which go down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD gave them rest.
So You let Your people, to make Yourself a glorious name.”
(Isaiah 63:7-14)
As God led His people in the past, so He will lead us today.
Rest.
The Psalms and the Prophets are strategically seasoned with reverential reviews of God’s past demonstrations of His power and grace.
Why? Because, as one of my seminary professors continually reminded us, “What God has done in the past is a promise and a model for the future, but He is too creative to do it the same way twice.” (Dr. James Allman)
In His creativity, He is – right now – writing a sovereign story. Reading through redemptive history strengthens our present joy in God’s mercy.
So, let us bow our hearts to the LORD, the Ruler-King over everyone and everything.
I invite you to worship this King, the Worthy One:
In God’s Vineyard,
Michael
Share this:
As a White Woman
As a white woman, I cannot know exactly what my black brothers and sisters have gone through and are currently enduring. I never can honestly say, “I know what that feels like” or “I fully understand”.
Case in point:
I will never worry about my children being targeted because of the color of their skin. I will never worry about what may happen if my husband gets stopped by police or if my sons go jogging or play basketball at the park with their friends. I most likely won’t have to worry about an unannounced home invasion where I could be killed.
Our skin color and cultural differences may be evident, but our blood runs the same. We should acknowledge our beautiful differences while remembering that God created us equal. No color blindness here.
I remember as a little girl, having a boiling-mad feeling…
…when I discovered the history of slavery.
…when I realized racism in our country wasn’t a thing of the past.
…when I awoke to the bits of prejudiced ideas and notions going on in my tiny growing brain.
…when I first heard that racially-charged joke
…when someone made a comment like, “well, she’s pretty for a black girl.” 🤯
And I’ve tried since that day to kick out every ounce of it. Racism deserves no place in my life or heart.
Yet across our world, racism is alive and well; and you know the cause? Sin.
Racism is a SIN.
It breaks God’s heart,
it breaks my heart,
and it should break your heart.
I’m not always exactly sure what I can do, but here are a few things I can suggest…
- Listen: and before you open your mouth to give an opinion, listen more. As much as we try to understand, we will never fully know the horrors, the injustice, and the abuse our friends have endured.
- Learn: Don’t expect others to do your research work for you.
- Pray: Pray for our brothers and sisters dealing with daily attacks, pray for the hardened, wicked hearts of racist people, and pray for healing and unity.
- Stand: Find ways you can be an advocate in your community and church.
- Speak: Don’t allow racist remarks or jokes in your presence. Silence is complicity.
- Feel: Demonstrate empathy. Weep with them. Love them.
- Be Pro All-Life: if you advocate for the life of the unborn, but refuse to stand up for our black brothers and sisters, I would argue that you are only pro-preborn life. We must be consistent and stand up for all life including other ethnic groups, the elderly, the abused, etc.
- Evangelize: Jesus condemns racism and teaches us to love others. But the gospel is NOT merely a social message, but a salvation message. The gospel is the announcement that Jesus Christ was sent by the Father to die for our sins, and that He rose from the dead on the third day by the Holy Spirit.
“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; see also: Romans 3:23-26, 8:11)
He died for ALL sins – even racism.
Repent today and go forward into a new life with Jesus. Even the worst racist, immoral, violent, profane person can be forgiven and transformed by the overflowing grace of God in Christ.
“Oh Jesus, friend of sinners,
Open our eyes to world at
the end of our pointing fingers.
Let our hearts be led by mercy,
Help us reach with open hearts
and open doors.
Oh Jesus, friend of sinners,
break our hearts for
what breaks Yours”
(from the song, “Jesus, Friend of Sinners” by Casting Crowns) Watch + Listen here:
Let us pray…
Lord, continue to break my heart, and the hearts of all people, for what breaks Yours. Please Jesus, heal the broken and divided lines in our country. Help us to accept one another in all our unique diversity, ethnic differences, and varied opinions. Help us to see past our own ideas, and see the people.
Amen.
Blessings,
Stephanie
Share this:
Our 3-PHASE Regathering Plan
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Each morning, I arise with thankfulness to the Lord for the opportunity to serve alongside you. The family God has united at Mayfair holds a rare combination of grace, generosity, and get-r-done enthusiasm.
I’ve felt the deep heartbeat and warm love of the Mayfair family over the past eight weeks in ways beyond comparison. I know I’m not the only one who has witnessed this outpouring of the church alive even when we’re apart. Dozens of households within our ecclesia have tasted and seen God’s goodness through one another. Just as one example, our Loving by Calling ministry continues to bless homes with renewed hope and joy each week.
Beyond our mutual mercy in the family, our entire community has experienced the comfort of Christ through deliveries, prayers, food bags, letters, gospel tracts, and more. No exaggeration: we’ve offered well over 1,500 prayers (yes, you heard that right) with perfect strangers over the now eight weeks of our Food Hub.
Our musicians and media team have worked diligently – even tirelessly – to present God’s good news in song, prayer, and word each and every week. God cleared the way for us to host 13 community leaders for an online National Day of Prayer event that reached over 3,000 people. I’m sure you and I could go on with dozens of vignettes and anecdotes about God’s faithfulness to us during this swirling season of global crisis.
I cannot wait to hear all those stories. Below you’ll see just how and when we’ll go about magnifying God’s grace together in the very near future. But even today, let’s follow the exhortation of David to bless the Lord by boasting in Him (instead of ourselves):
I will bless the LORD at all times [even in COVID-19 crisis times]
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the LORD;
The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O magnify the LORD with me,
And let us exalt His name together.
O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
(Psalm 34:1-3, 8)
Please take a moment to carefully review our 3-Phase Re-Gathering plan. My family and I deeply look forward to gathering to worship Christ with all of you again very soon. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him and lean on His Word.
Love in Christ,
Lead Pastor | mbreznau@mayfairbible.org
WATCH my video announcement:
Mayfair 3 PHASE RE-GATHERING PLAN
Time has whizzed by. We now stand at the two-month mark of our state-wide lockdown. It’s hard to believe eight Sundays have passed without God’s people filling our auditorium with songs of praise. We rapidly closed down in-person gatherings with the aim of caring for the safety and wellbeing of the church-flock and our community.
We’re grateful to God for the opportunity to listen, share, and encourage through our online ministry. But church is not an event to attend, but a community in which to engage. All along, we’ve reminded ourselves that online ministry is intended as a short-term compromise, not a long-term convenience. We all long to return to the assembly of the redeemed in Christ…to sing together, pray together, baptize together, celebrate communion together, serve together, learn together, and grow together.
After praying, conducting surveys, participating in a video-conference with 30 other local pastors, discussing plans with medical professionals and local community leaders, as well as our team of elders and deacons, we’ve developed a 3 Phase Plan for Re-Gathering. This coming Sunday, May 17th we’ll continue with our Mayfair @ Home with 10:45AM online worship, preaching, and THRIVE Kids ministry (10:00AM). On Wednesday, May 20th we’ll hold our AWANA kids closing program live-streamed online at 7PM (only leaders physically present).
All elderly, immunocompromised, or other high-risk individuals are strongly encouraged to continue worshiping at home during PHASE ONE. All Mayfair services and programs are voluntary. All plans are subject to change.
PHASE ONE: “Tip-Toe”
- May 24 Mayfair @ Home: Online Worship – 10:45AM
- + Family Picnic at our Pavilion at 12:30PM (Memorial Day Weekend). Bring your own lunch; enjoy in-person testimony time and hymn sing!
- May 31 Mayfair @ Mayfair: Re-gathered Worship! – 10:45AM | Pentecost Sunday
- + Outdoor Baptisms at our Main Entrance at conclusion of service!
- June 7 Mayfair @ Mayfair: Re-gathered Worship! – 10:45AM
- June 14 Mayfair @ Mayfair: Re-gathered Worship! – 10:45AM
PHASE ONE Safety Measures:
- Only one entrance: Main Doors
- No THRIVE Kids or nursery staffing will be offered (but nursery open to mothers with infants)
- Church facilities will be sanitized before and after services
- Touchless hand-sanitizer dispensers will be located in foyer
- Family units will sit 6 ft. apart and in every other pew. Seating will begin in the front of the auditorium and fill up to the back. (Ushers will direct each family and/or individual)
- All must cooperate with the ushers’ directives and not simply go to their typical pew arrangement
- Physical distancing will be practiced in and on church property
- Face-coverings/masks should be worn in the church building (we have a stock for those in need)
- Auditorium may not exceed 50% capacity while still maintaining distancing (may require two Sunday services if Phase 1 continues for several weeks). Full Capacity: 810 people.
- An offering box will be located by the main double doors of the auditorium (no plates passed)
- A Simulcast will be provided in the Library for those who feel unsafe in the auditorium.
- Funerals, weddings, and baptisms may resume under the same conditions
- The coffee bar will not be open. The water fountains will also not be in service.
- NOTICE: If you’ve had flu-like symptoms, a persistent cough, a fever, chills, or other symptoms in the past two weeks, then please stay at home. Please check your temperature before you arrive.
PHASE TWO: “Steady Walk”
- June 21 Mayfair @ Mayfair: Worship – 10:45AM | Father’s Day!
- + THRIVE Kids resumes! – check-in at 10:30AM
- June 28 Mayfair @ Mayfair: Worship – 10:45AM | New Member Sunday!
- + Semi-Annual Business Meeting: 9:15-10:15AM
- + THRIVE Kids – 9:15AM and 10:45AM
- July 5 Mayfair @ Mayfair: Worship – 10:45AM
- + THRIVE Kids – check-in at 10:30AM
- July 12 Mayfair @ Mayfair: Worship – 10:45AM
- + THRIVE Kids – check-in at 10:30AM
PHASE TWO Safety Measures:
- Church facilities will be sanitized before and after services
- Touchless hand-sanitizer dispensers will be located in foyer
- Family units will sit 6 ft. apart and in every other pew. Seating will begin in the front of the auditorium and fill up to the back. (Ushers will direct each family and/or individual)
- Auditorium may not exceed 50% capacity while still maintaining distancing (may require two Sunday services if Phase 1 continues for several weeks).
- An offering box will be located by the main double doors of the auditorium (no plates passed)
- A Simulcast will be provided in the Library for those who feel unsafe in the auditorium.
- The coffee bar will not be open. The water fountains will also not be in service.
- NOTICE: If you’ve had flu-like symptoms, a persistent cough, a fever, chills, or other symptoms in the past two weeks, then please stay at home. Please check your temperature before you arrive.
PHASE THREE: “Run Free”
- July 19th and forward, Lord willing, all weekend and weekday ministries may resume under normal safety protocols.
FAQ
Q: How long can the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 survive on surfaces?
“A recent study found that the COVID-19 coronavirus can survive up to four hours on copper, up to 24 hours on cardboard, and up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. The researchers also found that this virus can hang out as droplets in the air for up to three hours before they fall. But most often they will fall more quickly. There’s a lot we still don’t know, such as how different conditions, such as exposure to sunlight, heat, or cold, can affect these survival times.” – https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/covid-19-basics
Q: Where does the Bible talk about gathering together for worship?
Acts 1:6; 2:37-47; 4:31; 12:12; 20:8; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Col. 3:11-17; 1 Tim. 4:13; Heb. 10:23-25.
See also Pastor Michael’s article and video on this subject here: https://www.graceexposed.org/2017/06/22/why-gather/
Q: Is it illegal to gather for worship under Governor Whitmer’s Executive Order?
No. Our Governor’s Executive Order 2020-77 (COVID-19) – Section 16 makes this clear: “Consistent with prior guidance, neither a place of religious worship nor its owner is subject to penalty under section 20 of this order for allowing religious worship at such place. No individual is subject to penalty under section 20 of this order for engaging in or traveling to engage in religious worship at a place of religious worship, or for violating section 15(a) of this order. – https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/0,9309,7-387-90499_90705-528460–,00.html
