In light of the recent recommendation by the LA County Department of Public Health regarding the delta variant, we are aiming to follow suit and requesting everyone to continue to wear their masks while indoors for Sunday services even if you are fully vaccinated. We know that this might be inconvenient, but to err on the side of caution and love for neighbor, hopefully everyone can understand. Thank you for your cooperation!
Also, for those who would like to maintain social distancing and avoid physical contact while attending in-person services, you can request our Welcoming Team at the welcoming table to put a little sticker on your nametag to let others know your preference.
RSVPs are no longer required, but if you are feeling sick, we encourage you to stay home to rest up and tune in through our livestream at 12:45 PM. But otherwise, we look forward to worshiping together on Sunday!
In Christ, Joshua Lim
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Update (6/20/2021)
Hello Family Chapel,
With California now “reopened”, we will aim to loosen our safety guidelines starting on July 4! As such, masks will be optional for those who are fully vaccinated and reservations will no longer be required. Social distancing will be encouraged, but it will not be required. Nevertheless, we will seek to maintain a safe environment by maximizing ventilation, having areas sanitized, and having hand sanitizers readily available.
For those who do not yet feel comfortable coming for in-person indoor services, we will continue to offer a livestream of our 12:45 PM service.
In Christ, Joshua Lim
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Update (5/23/2021)
Hello Family Chapel,
Our INDOOR services will be resuming on June 6. Our service times are set for 11:00 AM (4th Floor of the Education Building) and 12:45 PM (Main Sanctuary).
Please RSVP by going to: 2021fcworship.paperform.co or by clicking here. Seating is limited to 50 spots for our 11:00 AM service and 250 spots for our 12:45 PM service.
For those who do not yet feel comfortable coming for in-person indoor services, we will continue to offer a livestream of our 12:45 PM service.
Looking forward to gathering again!
In Christ, Joshua Lim
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Update (5/2/2021)
Hello Family Chapel,
We do see the light at the end of the tunnel! We are aiming to RE-OPEN our INDOOR services starting on June 6. With vaccines now widely available, we are hoping that this timeframe will give people enough time to be fully vaccinated if they so desire.
In the meantime, we are holding weekly outdoor services at 10:30 AM. You can RSVP by going to tinyurl.com/FCoutdoors or by clicking here. Seating is limited to 50 spots for each outdoor service. We are also continuing to livestream our services at 12:45 PM.
We hope to see everyone soon!
In Christ, Joshua Lim
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Update (3/7/2021)
Hello Family Chapel,
It has almost been a full year since we’ve had in-person worship services.
With cases and hospitalizations due to COVID-19 thankfully trending down, we are aiming to have in-person OUTDOOR services on Sundays from 10:30-11:30 AM. We will be having test runs on March 21, April 4, April 18, and May 2. If those test runs can be successfully conducted, we will be aiming to have OUTDOOR services every Sunday until we can safely move back in for indoor services. We will continue to livestream our 12:45 PM service during this time.
If you are planning to attend these outdoor services, please RSVP by going to: tinyurl.com/FCoutdoors or by clicking here. For now, seating will be limited to 50 spots for each Sunday service. Once you RSVP, you will be emailed further instructions. Even though these precautionary measures may initially seem distracting, as we gather to worship, may our hearts be focused on Christ rather than on COVID-19!
In Christ, Joshua Lim
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Update (7/19/2020)
Hello Family Chapel,
Thank you for being so flexible with the constant changes in this season of life.
With the new order from Governor Newsom, churches in California are no longer allowed to gather for in-person services. Our reopening plans are put on hold for now until further notice. We will continue to provide our Sunday services via livestream and hold many of our events and ministries virtually.
We are looking forward to the day when we can gather in-person again. In expectation of that day, we have prepared a simplified version of our church reopening plan, which you can access by clicking here: OMC: Family Chapel COVID-19 Church Reopening Plan and Policies.
Please continue to pray that God would pour out His common grace during this pandemic. May we not lose heart, but rather, may we continue to press forward for God’s glory and for the good of our neighbors!
In Christ, Joshua Lim
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Update (7/12/2020)
Hello Family Chapel,
I hope this update finds you well! I am so encouraged by your resilience and your desire to trust in the Lord during these difficult times.
While churches have been permitted to gather in-person under CA and LA County guidelines, we have refrained from reopening our campus. We are however anticipating reopening the church campus sometime in August 2020, given governmental approval and downward trends with cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in LA County. We are carefully monitoring the situation and continuing to pray for wisdom in making sound decisions.
With that said, our COVID-19 Task Force has been meeting together for the past few months to research, create, and implement a church reopening plan. You can access a simplified version of the plan by clicking here: OMC: Family Chapel COVID-19 Church Reopening Plan and Policies.
Please continue to pray for wisdom on behalf of the COVID-19 Task Force and FC Leadership. And please continue to pray that God would pour out His common grace during this pandemic.
In many ways, this can feel like a discouraging time with our church campus remaining closed. But let us take heart knowing that Jesus has never stopped building His Church. And as the Church, may we press on with full hope and full faithfulness!
In Christ, Joshua Lim
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Update (5/27/2020)
Hello Family Chapel,
I hope everyone is doing well. As you might have recently heard, our county supervisors and our LA mayor have moved forward in adopting the CA guidelines for re-opening churches (effective May 26, 2020).
With a desire to take precautionary measures and to ensure a safe environment, we will not be rushing to open our Sunday services to the general congregation. To make it abundantly clear, we will NOT be opening up the church campus starting on May 31, 2020 for our Sunday services. We will continue with livestreaming our services until further notice.
In the meantime, we will however be testing out various safety measures (i.e., temperature checks, seating arrangements, ushers, sanitizing procedures, etc. informed by the CDC and CA Department of Public Health guidelines) with our FC Leadership and key volunteers to make sure that we have a consistent and reliable system in place to help protect the health of those who come in-person for Sunday services. Once that system is adequately in place, we will then begin a rotation system for people to reserve a spot on campus for Sunday services. While we don’t have a set timeline in place, we expect that it will be at least 4-5 weeks (but likely longer) before we have a consistent and reliable system in place to open up the church campus to the general congregation. Please stay tuned for further updates, and please don’t hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions.
Thank you for your patience and understanding. The pastoral staff and FC Leadership continue to ask for your prayers for wisdom, and we eagerly look forward to the day when we will be able to see each other face to face again!
In Christ, Joshua Lim
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UPDATE (4/5/2020)
In light of COVID-19, we will continue to suspend all in-person gatherings at our church campus and we will continue to livestream our Sunday services at 12:45 PM. You can worship along with us by going to www.omcfamilychapel.com/livestream.
Additionally, we have the following events for Passion Week 2020:
We will also be livestreaming our Good Friday Service on April 10 at 8:00 PM.
Lastly, to support our church community and our neighbors, we have the following initiatives available:
Love Offering Campaign: We have collected $2,040.00 to support the work of the Dream Center in providing food and basic supplies for children, families in need, and the homeless.
Benevolence Fund: For those who are in financial need, please reach out to Pastor Josh (joshua@familychapel.com) to apply for and receive benevolence assistance during this time.
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UPDATE (3/15/2020)
For the month of March, we have suspended all in-person gatherings at our church campus. We will be livestreaming our Sunday services at 12:45 PM. You can worship along with us by going to www.omcfamilychapel.com/livestream. As the weeks progress, we will monitor the news and see whether we need to continue livestreaming in April or if we can gather together again in-person. Please stay tuned for more updates.
Additionally, we have started a Prayer Campaign for the month of March. Each day, we will be providing a prayer topic as well as a passage of reflection. One of the greatest acts of faith, rather than fear, during times like these is to turn to God in prayer. May we as a church community commune with God and with one another as we pray and intercede in this season. You can pray along with us by following us on Instagram (@omcfamilychapel).
Thank you!
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UPDATE (3/12/2020)
Hello Family Chapel,
I hope you are doing well. I’m sure you’ve been seeing the news reports regarding COVID-19 and the increased precautions our governmental authorities are taking. The pastoral staff and leadership of FC have been prayerfully monitoring and discussing about how best to move forward. Because of the fluid situation, it is hard to give a definite timeline, but here are some things to keep in mind as we move forward.
1. We will have regular Sunday services (both 11 AM and 12:45 PM) for THIS SUNDAY (March 15). We will be encouraging people to maintain social distancing (remaining 6 ft. apart) while at church. The CA Department of Public Health has advised that gatherings larger than 250 people be postponed or cancelled. Since our services are under that attendance number, we will be holding services for this Sunday. We will be livestreaming our 12:45 PM Service this Sunday for those who are unable to attend in person.
2. However, starting the following Sunday (March 22), MOST LIKELY we will be having ONLINE SERVICES for the foreseeable future. We will be livestreaming services at 12:45 PM (PST) through YouTube for you to participate in on Sundays from home. Once details have been confirmed, more information will be provided.
If you do have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of the other pastoral staff.
I know that in this time, there can be a lot of fear. But may we as followers of Christ, move forward in faith, wisdom, hope, and compassion. God is sovereign, even over this situation, and He is sovereignly working all things together for our good and for His glory. And so, with that in mind, I encourage us as a church community to:
(a) Be prayerful. Let’s seek God’s grace through prayer. Let’s pray for the health of the individuals affected. Let’s pray for wisdom on behalf of our governing authorities. Let’s pray for strength for the many healthcare workers who will be facing great stress and responsibilities. Let’s pray for God’s grace to be poured out. (b) Be kind. A word of encouragement goes a long way. An act of kindness, especially to the most vulnerable, can be life-giving. Check up on one another, friends, and family members. (c) Be mindful. Exercise common sense in interacting with others. Practice the recommended precautionary measures given by the CDC (i.e., wash hands frequently, social distancing, clean down surfaces, etc.)
May the marker of God’s people in this season, not be fear, but faith-filled courage and joy. Thank you everyone.
