In preparation for worship at home,
we encourage you to read the Scripture passage
and reflect on what God’s word might be to you.
Scripture: Genesis 21:8-21
Message:
"The Impossible Journey: Catch-22"
JOIN us for WORSHIP from your HOME.
on Sunday at 10:00 a.m.
to enhance your worship experience
and activities to nurture faith
(Note on above image: The Santiago de Compostela. Photo by Elliott Jones Boyle.)
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Ministry News and Upcoming Events
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Affirming the foundation of faith, Jesus taught, “‘Love the Lord your God’ … ‘Love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matt. 22:37-39). Through the extraordinary days of this pandemic, our ministry of Oxford Presbyterian Church has repeatedly affirmed that one way we express love for our neighbor is by taking precautions to protect them from illness.
In the same way, one of the ways that we express love for God is by caring for our bodies “as temples of the Holy Spirit” (1 Cor. 6:19-20) and taking precautions to protect ourselves.
Since March, the staff and elected leaders of OPC have used both faithful wisdom and the best science to guide a phased reopening of our ministry in the midst of COVID-19.
At the June meeting on Tuesday, Session members approved the following time frame for Phases One and Two in consideration of current medical conditions.
Phase One
will begin on
Monday
,
June 22
. In Phase One, the office will be staffed. All staff, members, and visitors will enter through the memorial garden and portico door.
Phase Two
will take place in two parts with the step-by-step resumption of in-person worship. A soft opening of worship with capacity limited to 35 people will begin on
Sunday
,
July 12
. A full opening of worship with capacity limited to 65 people will begin by
Sunday
,
August 2
. Please stay tuned for further details about worship as these dates approach.
We are and will continue to be the people of God in worship and ministry. As the body of Christ – we are the church – not our facilities.
Worship will continue via the livestream throughout each of these phases
.
In
Phases One
and
Two
, upon arriving at church, all staff, members and visitors will take a health assessment.
- Everyone will be asked - Do you have a cough or flu-like symptoms?
- With infrared thermometers, everyone’s temperature will be taken.
- Everyone will sanitize their hands.
- Social distancing will be maintained.
- Masks will be worn. The church will provide a mask if needed.
Additional
Phase Two
health precautions for worship include:
- Greeting through any touch before, during or after worship will be expressly discouraged.
- Ushers will guide worshipers to and from the pews.
- Masks will be worn by everyone including worship leaders except when a worship leader is called upon to lead a primary function of the service.
- If communion is celebrated, All-in-One Communion Cups will be used.
- Offering plates will be available at collection stations before and after worship.
- The Sanctuary Choir will not sing.
- There will be no Fellowship Hour following worship.
Whether you choose to worship from home or in-person, you are part of the Beloved Community. We will strive to remain connected and caring in every possible way.
Thank you to the Ruling Elders and Worship & Music Committee, Trustees and ministry staff, Butler County General Health District and many others. Our collaboration through this pandemic has made all the difference in our congregational response.
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Special Music - Kent Peterson's Family
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My Dad always took such pride and joy in having our family sing together in church. It became a decades-long tradition that every year on the Sunday of our annual family reunions, we would supply special music for our family church.
This
informal recording is us singing together for the last time at our family reunion in Menomonie, WI in August, 2017. It is especially meaningful to me as it features four generations of Petersons singing together in full four-part harmony after only a brief rehearsal to prepare. More than that, it marks the last time my Father would ever participate in such a family venture and he loved it when we sang together!
For all of the fathers out there and in memoriam to my Dad, this is us singing
“Coming Home”
by William J. Kirkpatrick and Mary McDonald.
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Virtual Vacation Bible School - June 26th
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Register by Monday, June 22 for:
Online video links and supply box delivery
Friday, June 26th
is our goal to send out an online link for each of the three days of VBS. Each of the three links will be about a 30 min. long video designed to lead families through interactive songs, dramatic stories, lively games, yummy snacks, and creative crafts all led by congregation members from Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Oxford United Methodist Church, Oxford Presbyterian Church, and Faith Lutheran Church. In addition, each registered family will receive a supply box of resources to complete the crafts and games presented in our
Journey With God VBS
.
So... as you can see, we need your help to make this happen.
We need:
- Volunteers to film a craft or game or snack tutorial (from 1 to 3 min long). Thank you to the people who have already expressed interest in this area. We will be reaching out to you soon. But we need more! We will guide you through the process and parameters, but want your input on ideas for what crafts and games you would suggest. Videos will need to be completed and sent to us by Sunday, June 14th.
- help with iMovie editing between the dates of Monday, June 15th to Wednesday, June 24th. If you have iMovie experience, we need your help.
- shopping, packing, and delivering supply boxes. These boxes need to be delivered by June 26th so families can participate anytime after they receive their VBS video link.
If you or anyone in your family can help with any of these tasks, please contact anyone of our committee members.
Sincerely,
Your VBS Committee
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"Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You: A Remix of the National Book Award-winning Stamped from the Beginning"
The #1 New York Times bestseller is a timely, crucial, and empowering exploration of racism--and antiracism--in America. Join us for a special 3-week discussion for MS/HS youth, parents, and community members through both large and small groups. Wednesday nights at 7:30 P.M. July 8, 15, and 22, 2020 via Zoom.
Update: The book is currently out of stock and back ordered, but there are still digital copies and audio versions of the book available.
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"I’ll Push You"
This story invites the reader on the extraordinary journey of two ordinary friends along the 500 mile Camino de Santiago. Many declared the journey ‘impossible’ since a neuromuscular disease confines Justin to a wheelchair. Yet when he shared his dream of traveling the Camino with Patrick, his great friend immediately said, “I’ll push you.” Join us for a fellowship oriented discussion of this story Sundays at 11:30 A.M. on July 12 and August 9 via Zoom. If you are interested in participating (or need a copy of the book for yourself) please RSVP with Pastor Lawrence at
pastorlawrence@oxfordpresbychurch.org
by June 30.
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Learning Together in This Season
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Online Sunday School Through the Summer
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Sunday School is taking a break for the summer months, but there are still plenty of online church school resources available for children and families. Check the church website for continued updates and lessons for preschoolers from Rhonda Krehbiel, and feel free to browse our archived lessons from throughout the Spring.
Bookmark our church school page
here
.
We'll see you all back in the fall!
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Handicapped Accessible Bathroom
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The handicapped accessible bathroom is finished! Special thanks to the Trustees, the Facilities Planning Committee and most importantly, the donors whose generous donations made the bathroom a reality.
The Memorial building now has a bathroom that is centrally located and accessible to all - what a wonderful addition to our church - Thank You to all who helped make this possible!
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With the evolution of our ministry, your stewardship remains as vital to ever as we increase mission support of our community partners, gather for worship via livestream, offer creative and original Christian education content, and faithfully care for our church staff. Your gifts matter and make an impact as we respond together to the impact of COVID-19.
In lieu of a contribution to the physical offering plate, we would encourage you to mail your pledge/tithe to the church office or give through one of these digital avenues. To give online both conveniently and securely, you may access our online giving opportunity from your computer at
https://onrealm.org/oxfordpresbychurch/Give
.
To give via QR code, scan the code in the image below with your phone and follow the brief prompts. View a video tutorial
here
on giving through QR code.
To give via text message, text opc1825 and your designated amount to 73256. For example, text "opc1825 25" to 73256 for an offering of $25 and follow the prompt. View a video tutorial
here
on giving via text message.
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Living Into Hope
Faith is taking the first step
even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
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Oxford Presbyterian Church | 101 N. Main Street, Oxford OH 45056
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