StoneBridge Reopening – Phase 1

StoneBridge Guidelines for Off-Campus Meetings

StoneBridge Community Church desires to strike a balance between bolstering the congregation’s sense of community while encouraging its health and safety. The following guidelines are intended to equip Growth Groups, In Home Worship gatherings, StoneBridge Christian Recovery, ALPHA, and all other related ministry meetings. These guidelines have been developed as closely as possible to State Stay at Home Orders, CDC recommendations and the Ventura County Health Officer’s most updated mandates as of Tuesday, June 16, 2020.

Attendees / Participants

• Before any gathering, perform a personal health check at home. Please do not attend a StoneBridge off-campus meeting if you have symptoms, such as a frequent cough, fever, difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, recent loss of taste or smell, or if you or someone you live with have been diagnosed with Covid-19.
• Frequently wash hands or use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanol.
• Meet with the same group and minimize contact with different individuals.
• Children are to remain in the care of their parents.
• Limit or avoid touching, i.e. hand holding, shaking hands.

Off-Campus Hosts

• Your off-campus, in-person group cannot be larger than 10 people, total.
• When meeting, please physical distance from other persons outside your household by at least 6 feet.
• Hold your in-person meeting outside whenever possible. If held inside, the interior space should be well ventilated and face coverings used by all members.
• Face coverings are strongly recommended inside and outside. Face coverings do not replace the need for physical distancing. When you wear a face mask it must: cover the nose and mouth; wash or sanitize hands before and after adjusting face coverings; and avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
• Limit time of meetings as much as possible. One hour or less is recommended.
• Meet with the same group and minimize contact with different individuals.
• Avoid touching, i.e. hand holding, shaking hands.
• Avoid serving food.
• Allocate one bathroom for attendees. It is recommended that sanitizing wipes or spray be available to wipe down surfaces after each use and offer paper towels for drying hands.
• Meeting attendance must be taken and reported to church leadership after each meeting.

In order for groups to officially meet off campus, group leader(s) will need to acknowledge that they have received the document and will share these guidelines with group participants. 

Participants will acknowledge compliance with all guidelines and leaders will sign, date and return a copy to the church office.

To download a copy of this document, please click here.  

Dear StoneBridge,

I’ve always valued StoneBridge’s mission statement to reach the lost, make disciples and send them out. It’s the last part of our mission statement, send them out, that has changed my life. After careful consideration and prayer, I have taken a position to serve as the chaplain at Saint Andrews University in North Carolina. I go knowing StoneBridge is dedicated to raising disciples who are sent out to follow wherever the Holy Spirit leads them. I go, not only as a follower of Christ, but as a representative of StoneBridge.

My connection to and deep love for the Body of Christ were first nurtured within StoneBridge. In fact, if I were to describe StoneBridge in one word, my word would be ‘family.’ StoneBridge is made up of my birth family and my Christian family. I grew up under many of the same youth leaders who still guide and nurture the congregation today. As an associate pastor, I have had the opportunity to teach and guide the children of leaders who once walked alongside me. The last eight years on staff have been a wonderful experience of giving back and serving the church that raised me. 

At ordination, elders, deacons and ministers are asked if they will pray for, and seek to serve the people with energy, intelligence, imagination and love. Over the years, I have sought to do just that. Whether it’s the energy to stay up late at winter camp, or the intelligence needed to understand middle schoolers, or the imagination to build an empty tomb for Easter, or sharing the love of Christ, I have served StoneBridge with all that I am. I am grateful for the moments that have taught me and I cherish the moments where we laughed and cried together.

I have loved being part of this congregation and feel honored that you let me serve with your students and their families. My time at StoneBridge has been a great joy and blessing in my life. I am forever grateful to have had the honor of being one of your pastors.

Our students will continue to have Zoom youth group meetings. StoneBridge's dedication to our students is still strong. Encourage your son or daughter to keep showing up for youth group and joining us for special events. I hope to see all their shining faces on my screen for the next seven weeks.

Due to COVID-19, saying goodbye will be unusually difficult. However, in the coming weeks, using all that technology has to offer, I look forward to many virtual goodbyes. Of course, I will continue to pray for StoneBridge’s bright future and God’s guidance.

In Christ’s Love,

Pastor Cynthia Purvis

Dear StoneBridge family,

All of us wonder when StoneBridge will be worshipping together, in person, again. Almost two weeks ago, a reopening team was organized to specifically look into how to do so in the safest manner. To reopen, the StoneBridge elders and pastors have unanimously agreed on these three guiding principles.

Safety First

Christians are identified by mercy, compassion, love, kindness, humility and sacrifice. Therefore, we take into utmost consideration public safety and guidelines established to protect everyone. For more about the challenges of church groups meeting, please see this article from the LA Times.

Comply with Ordinances

Christians seek to glorify God and lift up the cause of Christ. Therefore, StoneBridge Community Church does not want to be the cause of anyone’s sadness, sorrow, sickness, nor certainly anyone’s death. So, we will gladly comply with Federal, State and County ordinances. This is consistent with Romans 13:1-2 where Paul writes,

Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 

Don’t Rush!

This is not the time to be first. As the article above indicates, those communities of faith who wanted to be first to reopen have paid a high price. As soon as the team began thinking about the practical realities of reopening, it realized the task is very complicated. New safety barriers will need to be put in place, new signage put up, and sanctuary chairs removed and reorganized to meet social distancing standards. Classroom and restroom sanitizing protocols as well as greeting and socializing norms must also be established.

The team has established three stages for reopening…
First, the StoneBridge office will open and staff will return on campus with flexible work schedules. Second, StoneBridge will cultivate community in appropriate ways. Some ideas being considered include growth group worship watch parties, drive through church connection events, and parking lot/outdoor worship services.
Third, live worship inside the sanctuary will return when safety guidelines can be met and, when doing so, reflects StoneBridge positively to our community.

Based on these three principles and the ever-evolving complexity of navigating an extraordinary pandemic, the elder board and pastors will continue to evaluate and determine the safest reopening of StoneBridge on a monthly basis. As always, leadership is committed to communicating as clearly and as regularly as possible all that is going on in the life of the church.

God bless,

Pastor Neal