During the past six weeks, the leadership at All Saints—your staff, session, and diaconate—have been hard at work figuring out how best to continue the ministry of the church in this season of pandemic and quarantine. We’ve even managed, by God’s grace, to increase our ministry in some areas. As this strange season continues, I want to take a moment to reassure you that the leadership is also hard at work anticipating our return to in-person corporate worship on Sunday mornings.

First, we are very eager to return to in-person worship. We believe that worshiping in person is the proper way to worship. We’ve been so thankful for the ability to worship via live stream these past four weeks, but it has been a thin comfort compared to worshiping in person. Our corporate worship really does require us to be together! We are a body not only in Spirit but in our flesh as well. God is saving us body and soul, and we worship him body and soul. And because the Church is one body, we give expression to that truth by gathering together in person. So, please know that we intend to gather for worship in person as soon as we reasonably can.

Second, there are a lot of unknowns related to our next corporate worship service. When will it be? What will we need to do differently in order to maintain the social distancing required at that time? Literally, as I write this, Governor Lee has announced that he will not renew the “stay at home” order at the end of the month. That means some businesses will be allowed to open again under limiting guidelines. Those guidelines have not been issued. Will churches be included at this time? Can we gather for worship in a way that satisfies whatever restrictions are still in place? We don’t yet know, but I want you to know that the church leadership is paying very close attention to these things as they develop, and we are working hard to be ready to worship as a body again as soon as we are able.

Finally, unlike most churches, we do not have our own facilities in which to meet. In order to meet in our usual place, we will need permission from Williamson County Schools. We have good relationships with WCS and Lipscomb Elementary, and we are working right now to start conversations with them to get that permission. At the same time, we are also looking into alternative locations with space adequate for our needs. We don’t have any answers yet, but we are working on it.

Like you, we are eager to gather for worship. Let’s pray together that God will provide for us to that end. In the meantime, pray that your elders, deacons, and church staff would proceed with wisdom, not out of fear, and all to the glory of God.

Your fellow servant of Christ,
Pastor Matt