Mortgage Update
Watch the short video below for some amazing news of God’s provision and how it affects the mortgage on the RBC property.
Special Announcement for RBC Attendees
As I mentioned last Sunday, I wanted to give you a special mid-week announcement.
Please watch the video below, and remember, there are at least two things included that you don’t know!
Aiding Ukraine Together
A long-time RBC attender, Sandy Varney, was born in a barn while her parents fled from Ukraine during World War II. She would become a refugee in Germany then eventually immigrate to America. Eventually she would marry, practice dentistry and raise a family in Reston. In May of this year, Sandy went to Germany as a translator in a Ukrainian refugee camp. That became a springboard for a later trip into Ukraine where she met relatives, assessed urgent needs and found reliable on-the-ground organizations where the gospel of Jesus Christ would be spread in conjunction with delivering material needs.
As with all war, devastation and destruction leave people without adequate shelter and basic things for life. This is coupled with the mental and emotional trauma many experience. As a congregation, we have not forgotten about the needy and poor of Ukraine. Together, RBC recently supported a large purchase of sleeping bags that protect to -20 degrees. These bags will keep people in some targeted villages from freezing in their bombed-out homes. Generators were also purchased for churches so people can be fed and kept warm.
The generosity of the RBC congregation allows us to extend the love of Jesus to Ukrainians in need. Please continue to pray for an end to hostilities and for many to turn to Jesus Christ. Thank you for being a generous church. Below are some pictures of the villages where this aid was sent.
Mike Minter’s January 2 Final Message – POSTPONED
A variety of factors converged last evening for Mike and his family where a decision was made by all of us to postpone his farewell message until the March/April timeframe. The new date will be decided next week and then communicated out. Mike and Kay are in good health and have already arrived from Nashville to NOVA. This news will be especially disappointing to those planning to attend from out of town. Even though this update is being sent to several thousand email addresses, please pass the word around and notify anyone you might know who was traveling from out of town. This notice will be posted on our website and Facebook page later this morning.
Weeks ago, the leadership asked Jim Supp to tell part of his story knowing many of you don’t know Jim that well. Jim will go ahead and do that this Sunday, January 2. On January 9, the Elder Council will officially install Jim as the new Senior Teaching Pastor, as was already planned. Jim will then begin a series of teachings through January and February.
On behalf of Mike and all of us, thank you for your patient understanding of this late, significant change. We look forward to all the LORD Jesus Christ will accomplish for His church and glory as together we serve Him in the New Year.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).
COVID Protocols Update – May 23
Pastors Bruce Campbell and Aaron Osborne take some time to thank RBC for their ongoing generosity, give an update on COVID protocol changes at the 10:45am service, and encourage families who have not done so to make a plan to return to in-person worship. Starting May 30, the 10:45am service will be fully open, with no mask or social distancing requirements in services. All COVID protocols at the 9:00am service will remain in place as they are for now, and the elders will reevaluate this by the end of June.
FAQ: Upcoming Service Changes
Beginning on Sunday, March 7, we are moving to a dual service format.
The 9:00 a.m. service will have full COVID precautions as they are currently (registration, masks and social distancing required), and the 10:45 a.m. service will move to a “restaurant style” in regard to masks, which should be worn when entering, exiting or moving around inside the building, but may be removed while seated and standing during the worship service.
Please watch the announcement for more details, or see the section below for answers to questions you might have.
Will the 9:00 a.m. service have full COVID precautions of registration, masks, social distancing?
Yes.
How will the 10:45 service be different?
We will use the “restaurant style” approach. You may remove your mask once seated or standing in the sanctuary.
At the 10:45 service, when can I remove my mask?
Please wait until you are seated in the sanctuary to remove your mask. Please have your mask on when entering/exiting and when moving around inside the building.
Why do we still have to register to attend services?
Due to limited space. Also so that we can inform those who may have been exposed should someone in the service let us know they later test positive for COVID.
Is the same “restaurant style” mask policy in place at Quest, youth and other ministry gatherings that take place during the 10:45 a.m. service?
The same policy is in place in the Quest classrooms during the 10:45 service. Contact Tony Cho, Children’s Ministry Director, for more information. For other ministry gatherings taking place at 10:45, please check with the pastor overseeing that ministry.
Why will there be two rows empty between occupied rows at 10:45?
In this phase of reopening, it will lessen the risk of a possible spread to larger numbers due to singing.
When will the “two empty row” approach end and the 10:45 go back to full normal?
As all the local metrics and conditions, such as increased availability of vaccines, continue to improve. It is our desire to move to a fully open phase but it is too early to predict the week or month just yet.
Youth-Related Questions
How will these changes affect the Jr. and Sr. High Youth Ministry on Sundays?
The youth Engage elective classes which meet on Sunday mornings will follow the protocols of the main services. Specifically, classes during the 9am service will require face masks. Masks will be optional for classes during the 10:45am service. Please note that singing is not part of the Engage electives and that students will continue to sit spread out, four per table. Finally, we are currently planning to return to our combined Jr. and Sr. High outdoor youth service on April 11 (the Sunday after Easter).
Will masks still be required at other Youth events?
Masks will be required while indoors at Wednesday night Jr. High Small Groups and Sr. High Shepherd Groups. We feel this is best at this time because: 1) it is what all our volunteers and parents committed to at the beginning of the year; 2) we do not want to exclude any students; 3) creating mask and no-mask groups would split friend groups; and 4) with Spring coming, we will be able to move back outside shortly. If you have additional questions regarding safety precautions at youth events, please contact aaronosborne@restonbible.org (Jr. High) or leebanton@restonbible.org (Sr. High).
Quest-Related Questions
Will masks be required for Quest at 10:45?
No. After they enter their class or the Clubhouse room, masks will be optional.
Will there be social distancing in Quest at 10:45?
Not in classes or the clubhouse. Depending on the numbers, distancing may be considered.
Is class size impacted at the 10:45 service?
It depends on the situation. Although we may be able to increase numbers in some classes, we may still be limited based on the number of volunteers in classes. We will maintain the child/leader ratio we have in place to keep kids safe in Quest. We hope to increase all class sizes as more volunteers return to serve in Quest.
If you have other questions, please feel free to reach out to the appropriate pastor or Bruce Campbell the Executive Pastor at brucecampbell@restonbible.org.
Staff Update: Youth Ministry
On Sunday, we gave an announcement regarding Bob Shull’s new role as Pastor of Discipleship and Evangelism.
You can watch the video below to find out the details of Bob’s continued ministry at RBC, as well as how that will affect the Youth Ministry.
Staff Update: Women’s Ministry
On Sunday, we announced that Julie Johnston will be joining the RBC staff as our new Director of Women’s Ministry!
Please join us in thanking the Lord for His kind provision. You can watch the video of the announcement below.
Elder Update on COVID – December 2020
Your Elders and the leadership of RBC have received much feedback from many of you representing various views on the issue of COVID-19 protocols at RBC. The majority of feedback surrounds the requirements currently in place to attend Sunday worship services. We are grateful for your guidance, trust and willingness to reach out with your thoughts, concerns, encouragement and prayers. In addition to much time spent in prayer and discussion, we have read many articles and listened to many talks and messages sent to us. As we and the pastors consider how best to care for you and fulfill our scriptural duties, we also prayerfully consider how our conduct when we gather may impact our local community, whom we are called to love and care for as an extension of Jesus’ love and care for us. In the case of COVID, it is not easy to know how best to do both. There are rational, but opposing, viewpoints that impact our decisions. There are scriptures we could quote that support various viewpoints. We have soberly considered these and the range of opinions within the larger medical community as well as from government agencies, non-government researchers and healthcare providers. We also heard from many of you, not only through our recent survey, but through many conversations and emails. Thank you for your patience with us. We are very grateful for your comments as well as the respectful and mature manner in which you have addressed us.
Sincerely, each time we remember you, we do so with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. You have endured, with continued generosity and hopefulness, a year of historic challenges to normal fellowship, discipleship activities and collective worship of the LORD Jesus Christ on Sundays. To paraphrase Paul, we give thanks to God for you since your faith in Christ still grows and the love of each of you for one another remains (2 Thessalonians 1:3-4).
After multiple meetings, much prayer, and careful dialogue about all pertinent issues, the Elders are in unanimous agreement that we intend to move to a “dual service” option: one requiring facemasks and social distancing, just as we have in place now at 9:00am, and one more relaxed protocols which alters the facemask and social distancing protocols at 10:45am. This “dual service” option would allow those within our body who hold differing convictions and preferences the option of attending a worship service in which they can better engage without concern or distraction.
While the elders are in agreement that we would like to move to a “dual service,” the question remains of when should this begin. It is not an issue of willingness, but of timing. We have concluded it will not be before 2021.
The natural questions that arise then are When in 2021? and What does it depend upon? While many considerations are factored into the decision, such as biblical principles of shepherding, the number of confirmed positive cases in our area, the ongoing impact on all of you, vaccine availability, etc., at this time there is a particular important factor that rises to the surface: What are the conditions of the two hospitals that serve most of our community and congregants (Reston Hospital Center and INOVA Loudoun Hospital)?
As of last week, the ICUs at both hospitals were at 92% capacity. This is much higher than during previous years at the same time. Reston Hospital’s COVID floor is 100% full with another ward now being used for overflow. All hospitals in the greater Northern VA area are experiencing staffing shortages and struggling to meet demand. Added to this are the negative trends of COVID-19 infections and the traditional increase of seasonal flu affecting the elderly and vulnerable.
Consequently, when we begin the dual service option in 2021, it will be strongly tied to better stability at our local hospitals. We will continue to monitor all factors and metrics at the beginning of every month starting in January, hoping for improved conditions so that we can move forward. We will keep you informed.
Thank you again for the good attitudes you have consistently demonstrated through these remarkably difficult months. You continue to fulfill what the Holy Spirit moved Peter to write in his first letter. “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind” (1 Peter 3:8).
As followers of our Savior LORD Jesus Christ, it is not unity on how to respond to COVID that we have been given. We have a better and deeper unity–the unity of “one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). Thank you for your “eagerness to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3). Thank you for months of sincere praying since the pandemic began in our region last March. We ask that you continue to pray for our LORD to bring many to salvation because of the present difficulties and to stabilize the circumstances at the hospitals. And also pray for us as we navigate many issues and together continue to know Christ and make him known here in Northern Virginia and around the world.