November 24, 2021 A Brief Statement by Pastor Jerry Gillis on Our Compliance With the Recent Erie County Mask Order
Another mask order has been delivered, and again we ask: How should the local church respond? In the wake of the shutdown that occurred in late 2020, I provided an article with guidance for when to comply with a restriction of liberty as ordered by the government and when to act in civil disobedience. It’s a year later and my thoughts on these issues haven't changed. The purpose of the following is to briefly explain, through a series of questions and answers, how to answer the question: How should we respond to the recent mask order? Again, for a longer explanation see my article from a year ago.
As Christians, what is our guiding principle?
Answer: As Christians, our guiding principle is submission to the authority of God Himself, and to His Word to us. Thus, as we work through what to do with a government order we should seek God’s will as revealed by Scripture.
What does Scripture say about God’s will regarding governmental authority?
Answer: While Scripture doesn’t talk about mask orders specifically, Scripture does talk about submission to governmental authority. If we examine 1 Peter 2 and Romans 13, we learn that the first impulse of a believer should be to honor God as our King as we honor the governmental authority that He established. We are not begrudging in our obedience, rather we act as a people who are free in Christ who are seeking to bring glory to God by honoring Him.
Are there ever times when we honor God by disobeying the government?
Answer: Yes. There are times when we should act in civil disobedience in an effort to effect change and to express disagreement with governing authorities. However, as Charles Colson noted, civil disobedience should demonstrate submission to God instead of simple rebellion against the governing authorities. What we find common to all righteous instances of civil disobedience is that either the governing authorities are trying to prohibit believers from doing what God commands or the governing authorities gave a command that the Bible prohibits; to comply in either case would be sinful. Thus, in either case, civil disobedience is proper and right, and a believer or a leader must be prepared for the consequences of such a decision.
What does all of this mean in the context of the November 2021 Erie County mask order?
To assess what we should do in light of the mask order, we ask the following questions:
- Is the government causing us to sin?
- Is the government prohibiting what God has commanded?
- Is the government commanding something that God has prohibited?
- Is the government singling out and discriminating against churches/believers?
To all of the above questions, we are answering, “No.” Wearing a mask is not a sin. Attending a worship service while wearing a mask is not a sin. We are not commanded by God to worship without wearing masks. God has not prohibited the wearing of masks while attending worship service. Finally, the mask order applies to all public spaces, and thus, the government is not discriminating against churches or followers of Jesus.
Does this mean that we agree with the order?
Answer: To comply with governing authority does not mean that we agree or disagree with that authority. Our agreement is irrelevant. All that is relevant is that we are seeking to submit to the authority of God Himself, and to His Word to us, by complying with the present governing authorities.
To read the article that this piece is summarizing for a new context click here.
May 27, 2021 Update on Children and Student Gatherings
On Thursday, May 27, Pastor Jerry shared an update regarding our Children and Student ministries. You can watch the video here:
Update Video
May 19, 2021 Update on Worship Gatherings
On Wednesday, May 19th we shared an update with our congregation by way of video related to how we’re structuring our Worship Gatherings at The Chapel. You can watch that update here. (and if you haven’t watched it, please do.)
Update Video
As a church, we want to make decisions that are sensitive, responsible, and forward-moving in hope. We also want to ensure that we work to protect the unity of the body of Christ at all times. We recognize that the new guidance provided to us differentiates between vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. We see vaccination as a Christian liberty issue, with neither choice being an issue of spiritual maturity or of sin. What we must realize though is that we have a responsibility to love one another well and to look out for one another. As Philippians 2:3 tells us, “in humility, value others above yourself, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of others.”
With all of that in mind, starting on Sunday, May 23rd:
- No changes at the present time to our protocols for children and students.
- We will create less-structured worship environments with no masks required and distancing encouraged but not facilitated through seating structure.
- Each worship environment will also have more structured sections where masks will still be required and distancing will be facilitated through seating structure.
- We encourage each person to make their own choice as to where they sit based upon their status of immunity.
CrossPoint Campus
Less-structured worship environments:
- Worship Center
- East Worship Center (left side)
More-structured worship environments:
- Two riser sections designated in the Worship Center
- East Worship Center (right side)
Lockport Campus
Less-structured worship environments:
- Worship Center
More-structured worship environments:
- Balcony of Worship Center
- Designated section of Worship Center floor level
Cheektowaga Campus
Less-structured worship environments:
- Worship Center
- Broadway Theater (left side)
More-structured worship environments:
- Broadway Theater (right side)
- Designated section in Worship Center
December 2, 2020 Update on Worship Gatherings
November 26, 2020 Update on Worship Gatherings
In Pastor Jerry’s video update from November 18th regarding worship gatherings for our Erie County campuses, he noted that we were closely following a legal challenge to the prohibition of church gatherings in orange or red zones at reduced capacity while maintaining public health and safety measures. This challenge has been upheld by the Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision, granting a temporary injunction such that churches in red or orange zones may gather at reduced capacity as before. While we understand this is continuing to unfold, we are grateful for the direction it is headed.
With this development, we are in the process of reevaluating our plans. We will remain online only for this Sunday November 29 at our CrossPoint and Cheektowaga locations, but will update you early next week about the following weeks. We would humbly ask you to continue to pray for all of our governing leaders in the spirit of 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
Update for Sunday, November 22
On November 18 at 2:30pm it was announced that most of Erie County has entered into “orange zone” status. Since we have campuses in both Erie and Niagara Counties, we wanted to update you on what this means and how it impacts our in-person gatherings.
As our Cheektowaga and CrossPoint campuses are located within Erie County, we will be suspending our in-person worship gatherings at those campuses, effective immediately, this Sunday, November 22. Again, there will not be any in-person worship gatherings this Sunday at our Cheektowaga or CrossPoint Campuses. At this present time, our Lockport Campus will remain open, continuing with the same safety protocol and guidelines that we have been following for the last several weeks. There is no cluster zone concern in Lockport as of this writing, but if that changes, we will update you accordingly through these same channels.
If you attend our Cheektowaga or CrossPoint Campuses, please worship from home beginning this Sunday by watching our services live online; please do not register for in-person worship at our Lockport Campus, so as to allow our congregation there to have that opportunity.
As we have often reminded each other during this season, Philippians 2:3-5 informs our mindset and attitude:
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interest of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.
Of course, we are disappointed to suspend our in-person gatherings at any location. But these words from Philippians 2 serve as an anchor for our thoughts, words, and attitude. As we have said before, we want to make decisions for the maximum good of the most people – both now, and in the future. We do all of this so that the Gospel can continue to go forward unhindered, and we stand firm and unrelenting in our commitment to giving repeated opportunities for people to hear and see the Gospel of Jesus – regardless of the circumstances.
Please stay connected and check back here for more updates as they become available.
What do our gatherings look like?
While we are now gathering in-person, on a limited basis at our Lockport Campus, there are some very important guidelines to follow. We're also encouraging those that are most vulnerable to continue engaging with our services, at home, online.
What should I expect if I want to attend in person?
-
Non-family groups will be seated 6' apart from one-another
-
Hand sanitizing stations have been installed throughout each of our buildings for your convenience.
-
While you are required to wear a face mask covering your nose and mouth when in and around the building and within 6' of others, you are welcome to remove it while you are seated and listening to the message.
-
Bathroom use is available, and sanitized every half hour.
-
Current capacity restriction is 50% at our Lockport Campus. In order to comply with this restriction, we are asking everyone at all of our campuses to register before attending. You can do that right here thechapel.com/reopening.
-
Giving stations have been set up to ensure a no-contact giving opportunity.
-
Weekly bulletins will no longer be distributed, however the weekly bulletin content is available at thechapel.com/notes.
What about our Niagara Falls campus?
Since we are still meeting in the Regal Cinemas, our gatherings our subject to the theater reopening. We are prepared for when we will be able to gather there again and will continue to update you as more information is available.
What if I don't want to gather in-person?
Maybe you're not yet ready to attend an in-person gathering, that's okay! If your Community Group is comfortable gathering in person, "Watch Parties" are a great way to connect and worship together in a smaller "in-home" setting. This is a great place to watch the message online together, and take time to discuss it right after the service. If you're not in a Community Group, The Chapel live experience is a great way for you and your family to stay connected, but it's also a perfect invite opportunity for your friends, neighbors and family members. To join us, at 9am or 11am each Sunday, just connect on any of the follwing platforms:
Facebook Youtube Website
What about Children and Student gatherings?
Beginning on January 10, King's World will be fully open for birth - 4th grade at our CrossPoint, Lockport and Cheektowaga Campus for the 11am service only. SHiNE will open at our CrossPoint Campus for both the 9am and 11am service and at our Lockport and Cheektowaga Campus for the 11am service only. Movi is on Wednesdays from 7-9pm at our CrossPoint, Lockport and Cheektowaga Campuses.
Service Opportunities
As we continue to gather in person, on a limited basis, there are a few seasonal service opportunities that you can get involved in. Just click below to see what's available: