May 28, 2020
Sager Creek Community Church,
When God led the elders’ decision to stop meeting in person on March 16th, there were many unknowns. None of us could have imagined still not meeting in person 10 weeks later. Yet the incredible truth remains that nothing has surprised God. While we have dealt with so many unknowns and uncertainties, God has been constant and true.
The elders met again last night seeking God’s guidance and wisdom on when and how church should reopen. At this time the elders feel clear direction on opening up Wednesday Night Bible Study next Wednesday, June 3rd. The Bible study will meet at 6:30 and will still be live streamed for those who do not wish to attend in person.
The governor of Arkansas has provided churches with guidelines not directives. He also made it very clear that he has no authority to mandate that churches do anything. With deciding to start meeting in person again the elders did want to clarify what precautions will and will not be taken.
-Hand sanitizer will be readily available at all doors and throughout the auditorium.
-People in the auditorium are encouraged to sit as far apart or as close as they are comfortable with. The auditorium chairs will not be moved, and we are unsure of how large a crowd will come.
-For those who want to wear a face mask they are free to do so. For those who do not want to wear a face mask they are also free to not wear one.
-The live stream feed from the auditorium will also be available in the choir room if overflow is needed to keep proper distancing.
-No childcare or nursery will be provided, but families who want to bring their kids are encouraged to feel free to do so.
-The elders want to be clear that this is not considered a safe environment according to the governors guidelines.
If anyone comes Wednesday night and for any reason feels uncomfortable or unsafe please feel free to go home and watch the live stream. We want to have a tremendous amount of grace for each other during this time. Everyone has responded and processed what is going on differently and we understand that. Our hope is that we will not pass judgment on each other. As believers our goal should be to have a spirit that Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23:
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”
Paul was willing to go to great lengths to share the truth of the gospel. Our heart should be the same and not let how each of us responds to Covid-19 be an issue that keeps us from worshiping God together.
At this time the elders do not have clear direction on when to reopen Sunday morning worship. The live stream will be continuing. One of the hopes in starting Wednesday Night Bible study is to use it as a barometer for the comfort level of the body. We also want to encourage small groups that are comfortable to begin meeting again.
We are excited to be able to have in person fellowship again. We would ask for you to pray that God would continue to guide our church body in following His direction. If you have any questions or concerns about this decision please contact an elder.
-Sager Creek Elders and Staff
May 7, 2020
Sager Creek Community Church,
We cannot express how much we miss being able to fellowship in person with each other. Scripture is very clear that the body of Christ is not a physical building but a group of believers. It has been difficult not being able to be together as a local body of Christ. We are so thankful for the live stream and still being able to remotely worship and study the Word together.
On Monday, the Arkansas Department of Health released a new set of guidelines for churches to follow. These guidelines can be found here: https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/pdf/PlacesWorshipReopenGuidance-05-04-20.pdf
These guidelines are very detailed and include, no childcare or youth classes, recommending no one over 65 come to church, all church attendees wear face masks, extensive cleaning between services, and practicing at least 6 feet of social distancing at all times. The staff and elders have prayed through these guidelines very carefully. Some pose logistical questions such as how to keep people 6 feet apart in a 6-foot-wide hallway. Other guidelines pose practicality questions like deciding on who is turned away if we reach what the guidelines tell us is capacity.
After much prayer, we have decided not to reopen the Sunday Morning Service at this time. The main reason for the decision is that we believe the number of guidelines everyone will be asked to follow will cause more distractions to worship than watching the live stream at your home. We will continue to evaluate the situation prayerfully and look forward to being together when our minds can be focused on worshiping God.
We do want to encourage those who are comfortable to gather with others in the body to “attend” the live stream together. We also want to encourage all adult Sunday schools and small groups to pray about what meeting together might look for them. Some groups might not be comfortable getting together while others will want to. This is for each group to decide, prayerfully and with a grace for each other.
We also want to announce that Vacation Bible School will be delayed until the week of July 27th. We understand this new date does not work for everyone. Our hope is that by delaying VBS it will give us time to have it normally with limited restrictions. As we get closer, we will restart volunteer signups.
The youth will continue to have Drive in Church for the next few weeks. The Children’s Ministry will continue to stream the Children’s Church Service on Sunday mornings at 10:00.
Overall, our goal is to put our trust and confidence in God and not in man. We look forward to meeting back together but want to do so when we can be focused on God and not on guidelines. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to an elder or staff person.
-Sager Creek Elders and Staff
Mother's Day Scavenger Hunt
We're excited to tell you about another fun church-wide competition in celebration of Mother's Day.
Click this link to get all the details: Sager Creek Mother's Day Scavenger Hunt
April 16, 2020
We trust each of you had a good Easter, celebrating the resurrection of our Lord. We are so thankful that we could still worship together albeit virtually. Please pray for our country, our state and leaders as they make decisions for the future and how to re-open.
Here are a few things we wanted to share with you.
Sager Creek Quarantine Easter Egg Hunt Results
Thank you so much to everyone who participated. It was so fun to see everyone’s photos and see each other, from a distance, as we all tried to find eggs.
The winners were:
🏆1st Place: Cleveland Family (170 total points)
🥈2nd Place: Bergthold Family (168 total points)
🥉3rd Place: Clayton Family (151 total points)
Face Masks
There were a number of face masks donated to the church, so if your family is in need of some, we have them available for you at the church office.
Vacation Bible School
As of right now we are moving forward with the planning stages of VBS. As with everything, we will continue to monitor the current situation and adjust as needed. Therefore, it is time for volunteer sign-ups for VBS. Please call the Church office at 479-524-3577 to let us know what you would like to sign up for. The deadline to sign up is May 3rd.
Volunteer Needs:
*Kindergarten Leader (Adult Only) – 1
*Kindergarten Helpers – 5
*1st Grade Leader (Adult Only) – 1
*1st Grade Helpers – 5
*2nd Grade Leader (Adult Only) – 1
*2nd Grade Helpers – 5
*3rd & 4th Grade Helpers – 5
*Preschool Helpers – 4
*Game Time Helpers – 4
*Memory Verse/Video Time Helpers – 2
*Registration Helpers (Adults Only) – 3
*Floaters (Adults Only) – 4
*Decorating Helpers – Unlimited; as many as possible
VBS General Information
-VBS is the week of June 8-12 from 9am-noon.
-VBS is open to kids who have completed Kindergarten-4th grade
-Student Helpers must have completed 7th grade
-Childcare is provided for workers’ kids only (nursery-preschool)
-Sager Creek Elders and Staff
April 9, 2020
We hope everyone is doing well, and though we are thankful for virtual church, we miss fellowshipping face to face. We pray that God would continue to sustain us through this season. Here are some announcements that we wanted to share with you.
Sager Creek Announcements for Easter Weekend
Good Friday Live Stream
Friday, April 10 at 7:00pm
Since we will not be able to gather together for a special Good Friday service this year, we will be streaming last year's service, "The Lamb Who Was Slain." We hope this service will help us reflect on the cross as we prepare for Resurrection Sunday.
Children’s Church Live Stream
Sunday, April 12 at 10:00am
This will be a special Easter service just for the kids. It will involve singing and a lesson from Ms. Cory.
Sager Quarantine Egg Hunt
Be on the lookout throughout town for the Sager Eggs. Please post your final count of how many eggs you find to either the Sager Creek Facebook page or Sager Kids Facebook page. The egg hunt ends on the evening of Easter Sunday, April 12. Don’t forget to include the hashtag #SagerEggHunt.
Live Stream Tech Support
If you are having any problems finding or watching the live stream, please contact the church office at 479-524-3577. Kyle Weir or Kyle Spencer will be happy to help you.
-Sager Creek Elders and Staff
April 2, 2020
Sager Creek Church Body,
For the first time in a few weeks there is not a huge change in the current situation. We will still be live streaming church on both Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. We are aware that live streaming church is very different from being able to meet together as the body. We did want to pass along some observations that various people have shared.
How to Help Virtual Church Be the Most Fruitful:
Get dressed
While some have really enjoyed getting to go to virtual church in their pajamas, others have found it helpful to get dressed in the morning before the stream. Our minds need to be active to engage worship and teaching and being up and dressed can help this.
Have a Bible or the sermon notes out
The sermon notes are available as a link on the live stream webpage and can also be found on the notes page of the app. Some who usually don’t get the sermon notes have found it helps them be more engaged to the teaching.
Stream to your largest screen possible
Everyone has been watching the live stream in different ways. Some have mentioned that putting the stream on their largest screen has helped them be able to pay attention.
Limit distractions
Some have mentioned that deciding to intentionally watch the stream and limit distractions from their phone or household chores have helped them get the most out of it.
Watch with your family
Since we can’t be gathered together as a body, some families have found it helpful to gather and watch the stream together. Other families with small children have mentioned they watch the recording at a time when the kids are not awake so they can focus better.
Sing out loud with the music
With virtual church you know longer have to feel self-conscious about what those around you think of your singing voice. So, turn your speakers up and make a joyful “noise” to the Lord.
We also wanted to update everyone that the church office will start having shortened hours next week until we can be back functioning in a normal capacity. The office will be open Monday – Thursday 10AM to 1PM. The staff will still be available through calls and texts.
Lastly, be watching your mail for instructions about our church wide quarantine Easter egg hunt. We trust that God is going ahead of us and giving all a special grace for this unique period.
-Sager Creek Elders and Staff
Office Address: 1010 S Maxwell, Siloam Springs AR
Phone: 479-524-3577
Email: office@sagercreek.com
March 25, 2020
Sager Creek Church Body,
The COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak is a constantly changing situation. Our goal is to keep the body updated on how we are responding as a church. This past Sunday was our first week of having a live streamed service. Overall, the feedback was very positive and most were able to access the stream without a problem. If you were not able to watch the service, please reach out to the church office and we will see how we can help. The live stream is going to serve as the primary way to stay connected through this season. As of right now, all in person services and activities are going to remain cancelled indefinitely until further notice. The elders are going to regularly be in contact during this time and continue to update the church body as things change.
We also wanted to pass along a few answers to some frequently asked questions that the elders and staff have received:
Is the church office open?
As of right now, the office is still open. For everyone’s safety, the best way to communicate with the staff is through email and calls: 479-524-3577.
Are the sermon notes available?
The sermons notes are available on Sunday morning from within the app ("Notes" tab), or on the live stream webpage below the video.
Will the Wednesday Night Bible Study be streamed?
Yes, the Wednesday Night Bible Study will be live streamed at 7:00pm beginning tonight. You can access the live stream in all the same places as Sunday. Click here to watch live or find more streaming options.
How can I give?
For those who are interested, we do have online giving. A link has been added to the “Resources” section on the front page of the website. You can also give from the Sager Creek app on the “More Info” tab. Checks can also be mailed to the church office: 1010 S Maxwell St. Siloam Springs.
What about the kid’s ministry?
Cory Newton, our Children’s Director, has put together a Children's 7 Day Activity Pack and started a new Sager Kids Facebook page. If you would like more information about either, please contact her.
What about youth ministry?
Nathan Nall, our Youth Pastor, will be sending out an email to students and parents to describe how he is hoping to stay connected to the students during this time.
Will any donuts be delivered to my house next week during the Live Stream?
Unfortunately, the two Kyles were not able to figure out digital delivery of donuts. We apologize for this inconvenience.
We are praying for God to continue to give the body the grace needed to stay connected during this unique time. If you are in need of help during this time especially getting out to get groceries etc. please let the church office know and we can help get that taken care of. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the church office.
-Sager Creek Elders and Staff
Office Address: 1010 S Maxwell, Siloam Springs AR
Phone: 479-524-3577
Email: office@sagercreek.com