Worship Gatherings
OPTION 1: Livestream (for anyone unable to attend in-person) begins at 9:00am
OPTION 2: In-person indoor services at 9:00am or 11:00am (children's ministries available at 11:00 ONLY)
Cleaning & hygiene protocols
What makes our perspective on regathering radically different than the reopening of businesses is the wonderful reality that we are motivated and empowered by our loving Savior. Therefore, let us approach gathering at Open Arms Church with the following commitments:
The universal precautions and best practices embedded in the above plan are given as a result of the CDC’s mitigation strategies & recovery plans as established by the State of New York, Albany County, and the Town of Colonie. Additionally, the intent is to honor the biblical call to love your neighbor and serve one another.
OPTION 2: In-person indoor services at 9:00am or 11:00am (children's ministries available at 11:00 ONLY)
- Space is limited, and reservations will only be available on a first-come, first-serve basis each week. Reserve your place through the EventBrite link on the home page (which will be updated every Friday by noon).
- Click the orange “Select a Date” button to get started
- Select the date, enter your name & email, but feel free to uncheck the other boxes
- Sit only with members of your household UNLESS you pre-arranged to sit with others.
- Members of the Seating Team will be available to direct you to open seats in accordance with the number in your group.
- Once seated, masks are NOT required (but masks SHOULD be worn when navigating to/from your seats, including when arriving/departing, unless you cannot wear one due to health conditions).
Cleaning & hygiene protocols
- Chairs in the worship center and in our children's ministries classrooms are arranged in a way to provide appropriate social distancing.
- Please refrain from attending if you are showing any of the symptoms of COVID-19, such as a frequent cough, fever, difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, recent loss of smell or taste, or if you or someone you live with has been diagnosed with COVID-19
- To minimize the risk of any spread, nothing will be handed out (programs; offering baskets; etc.)
- In addition to our team’s rigorous cleaning & disinfection of high-use areas, antibacterial spray cleaner & paper towels will be provided in the bathrooms for you to sanitize surfaces you touched
What makes our perspective on regathering radically different than the reopening of businesses is the wonderful reality that we are motivated and empowered by our loving Savior. Therefore, let us approach gathering at Open Arms Church with the following commitments:
- Prayerfulness. Our access to God through our relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ, affords us the greatest advantages of any people on the planet. He knows our difficulties and trials and cares for us. Psalm 119:67 reminds us that He is good and does good. Any anxiety in our hearts has an ever-present invitation to be resolved in His throne room, resulting in supernatural peace (Hebrews 4:14-16). Please continue to pray for our church, our community, our government, and our own attitudes in this process.
- Servanthood. Our regathering process has the potential to unveil selfishness within our hearts. We may be tempted to think of the pandemic as more or less than it is and consequently be judgmental of anyone who does not share our viewpoint. Love and empathy ought to govern our attitudes toward others with whom we differ, always looking out for their interests above our own (Philippians 2:3–5). Setting aside our own opinions and preferences for the good of others is foundational to the gospel ministry.
- Humility. Due to the variety of factors we are facing and their widespread impact across the world, much about this situation is open to analysis and debate. While we should all be aware of the times in which we live, each of us can be tempted to render judgment above our knowledge. When considering what to share with others, whether privately or publicly, we do well to not think more highly of ourselves than we ought (e.g., Rom 12:3), and this extends to our opinions about what has been presented (e.g., social media outlets; Prov 11:12; 17:28; 18:13, 17). Let’s remember that we are accountable to God for submitting to authorities, while they are accountable for their decisions (Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:11-17).
- Patience. Please be ready to exercise patience, endurance, and fluidity as we engage in this process of regathering. As we move forward with a careful and community-sensitive plan, we can maintain our testimony as a church and protect those most vulnerable in our midst. The New Testament Greek word for endurance is hupomone. It means “to remain under.” God calls us to “remain under” our trials as long as He deems good for us. (Rom 5:3–5; James 1:2–12). So, let’s keep an eye fixed on Jesus as He works all things for our good (Rom 8:28).
- Love. One of the blessings of this season has been watching how you continue to love, serve and care for one another. Please stay creative and faithful in these endeavors. Love one another (1 John 4:7), bear one another’s burdens (Gal 6:2), pray for one another (Eph 6:18), keep serving one another (1 Pet 4:10). Jesus said the world will know we are His disciples as they see how we love one another (John 13:34-35). We are so grateful to God for a church family who is faithful to love Him and one another.
The universal precautions and best practices embedded in the above plan are given as a result of the CDC’s mitigation strategies & recovery plans as established by the State of New York, Albany County, and the Town of Colonie. Additionally, the intent is to honor the biblical call to love your neighbor and serve one another.