Gallery
Gallery
Gallery

Pastor”s Talk 10/17/2020


In-door Services

Dear Clark’s Valley Zion EC Church (CVZ) family,

Thank you for your faithful support of CVZ during these unprecedented times. Your willingness to remain flexible while we navigate the unknown course we are on has been inspiring. CVZ has attempted to minister to our church family and to the community in various ways during this pandemic. Because of your faithful commitment to our ministry, we have forged forward always seeking to serve, as God’s hands & feet, in the midst of these difficult times. Your faithful financial support is an amazing example of your commitment to advancing God’s Kingdom through the ministry of CVZ. – THANK YOU!
 
Our Drive-in-Services have been our attempt to continue corporate worship in a safe and meaningful way. Thank you to those who have attended physically and to those who have uplifted the gatherings in prayer. To those who have accessed the messages on-line, thank you for your continued interest and support of our ministry at CVZ.

Beginning Sunday, October 25, we will again be gathering corporately inside the building at CVZ. Our service times will remain the same as always, 8:30 & 10:45am. In an attempt to keep everyone safe and to serve as an example to our community, we will be installing guidelines for our indoor services that we pray will reflect our commitment to honor God during these unprecedented times. We will make every effort to provide a safe and clean environment for our corporate worship services.

Guidelines for indoor corporate worship services at CVZ:

  • Everyone will enter the building through the West Narthex (the tan double doors). A gloved and masked attendant will open the doors and assist anyone who needs the use of the elevator. A gloved and masked attendant will also be assigned to the top floor of the elevator to assist those using the elevator. Masks are required for everyone entering and exiting the building (masks will be provided for those who do not have one). Masks will not be required during the service once social distancing has been established and everyone is seated in the pews.
  • Two masked attendants will assist with seating (alternating pews will be designated for those attending the 8:30 & 10:45 services). Social distancing will be encouraged. All hymn books, pew Bibles and connection cards have been removed from the pews; bulletins will not be used.
  • Offering plates will be stationed at the entrance and exit. Special offerings (Camp & Mercy Fund) will be collected using marked buckets. You are encouraged to support the ministry at CVZ as you enter or exit the building.
  • Worship in song will be accomplished through various creative means to accommodate this important part of corporate worship. If corporate singing is implemented in the service, masks will be required if you desire to participate vocally.
  • Unfortunately, Jr. Church & Mission Minded Kids will not be available during the services (hopefully this important part of the ministry of CVZ can be reinstated at a future date). Plastic activity bags will be available for families with small children. These bags will be taken home at the close of the service and updated weekly.
  • The nursery will be available (minus the toys) if the need arises. If the nursery is used, it will be the responsibility of the person using the nursery to use the sanitary wipes that will be provided so that all surfaces touched are cleaned.
  • Sunday School will not resume at its normal time until we have a chance to evaluate the process involved with having indoor services. Sunday School classes are encouraged to meet at other times while practicing social distancing.
  • The handicap restroom (upstairs) will be available for use during the corporate service. Sanitizing wipes will be available. Anyone using the rest room will be asked to sanitize all surfaces that they touch with the sanitizing wipes provided.
  • The attendants will dismiss the congregation at the close of the service. The north narthex doors (the doors closest to McKelvey Rd.) will be used for this purpose unless the elevator is needed.
  • Touchless sanitizing stations will be available at the entrance and exit.

           A fogger will be used to sanitize the sanctuary, during the week, to provide for

           a safe environment for the following weeks service.    

  • A new flower chart will be made available to anyone who desires to sponsor flowers. Contact Pastor Mike with the information. We ask that you clean the containers that are used to hold the flowers before you return the containers.
  • We ask that you contact Pastor Mike, call or text at (717) 439-8355 or email him at knapp1013@aol.com) if you have tested positive for the covid 19 virus. Your identity will be kept confidential. The congregation will then be notified that someone attending either the 8:30 or 10:45 service on a particular Sunday has tested positive for the coronavirus.

It is our desire to establish a safe and accommodating environment for indoor corporate worship at CVZ. If you are not comfortable gathering in person for our services, we pray that you will take advantage of our on-line resource (cvzec.org, or use the you-tube link provided) to access the messages. You can also call “A Voice of Hope” (717-921-8153) to hear a daily Scriptural devotional. We pray that you will take advantage of the various opportunities that have been provide through CVZ to continue your walk with Christ during these difficult times. 

Contact Pastor Mike, call or text at (717) 439-8355 or email him at knapp1013@aol.com) or contact the Official Board President, Ben Moyer, call or text at  (717) 329-6351 or email him at benrmoyer@yahoo.com

Stay connected to others and to God

God’s Peace

The Official Board at CVZ


Pastor’s Talk 09.19.20


Pastor’s Talk 9.12.20


Pastor’s Talk 09/06/2020


Pastor’s Talk 8.29.20


Pastor’s talk 8.23.20


OUTDOOR SERVICES 6/21/20

Dear Members/friends of Clark’s Valley Zion E.C. Church (CVZ)

     These are unique times to say the least and I’m sure that your life has been disrupted to some degree during the past several months. I pray that during this time you have taken advantage of the interruption in your “normal” schedules to become more closely connected to God. We, at CVZ, have provided several avenues for this to happen, although I know that some of you do not have the technological capabilities to participate in all the opportunities we have provided.

     Please know that even though we have been physically separated, we are still the body of Christ, His church, and that during this time each of us have served as representatives of God’s Kingdom in our every word and action. Although a physical building has never been and never will represent the “church,” down through history the corporate gathering of Christ’s body in a physical building has been part of the tradition of Christ’s followers. For some of you this break in tradition has caused you to struggle without having the normalcy of Sunday morning corporate gatherings for services. I know that others have flourished during this time and have continued to be nourished without the traditional worship setting.

     In an attempt to minister to our fullest extent at CVZ, while staying aware of various attitudes and concerns in regard to safety and the desire to gather together corporately, the Official Board has decided to reopen in a gradual manner. The first step in opening is through having “drive in” outdoor services beginning June 21. The guidelines for these services are included in a separate document. Please take a moment to look over the document so you are aware of how these services will take place. I know some of you are anxious to return for corporate services and some of you are reluctant. Please know that your safety and the comfort level of everyone is extremely important to the leadership at CVZ. If you are hesitant to attend a “drive in” service we understand and we will continue to provide other avenues so that you may be fed spiritually. 

     Thank you for your faithful support of CVZ during this difficult time. Through your amazing faithfulness CVZ has served as a beacon of hope in some very tangible ways during this pandemic. I cannot put into words the privilege it has been to be your pastor, as you, the body of Christ at CVZ has overcome and represented God’s Kingdom so powerfully during these difficult times.

God’s Peace

Pastor Mike   

Reopening Guidelines for CVZ (Starting June 21, 2020 –

(weather permitting)

We will still have two services at our regular times: 8:30 & 10:45

The services will be weather dependent. 

  1. Outdoor seating will be available in designated spots outlined on the grass. If you want to sit in a designated area, you will be responsible to bring your own lawn chairs.
  2. You can stay in your car if you desire. A FM frequency will allow you to listen to the service with your air-conditioning or heat running depending on the weather.
  3. Music sheets will be available online so you can print them and bring them to the service. If you do not have the capability to print the music sheet, a gloved attendant will provide you with the music.
  4. A designated offering container will be available or you can continue to financially support CVZ online or via the U.S. Postal Service.
  5. One rest room will be available entering through the West narthex. It is handicap accessible with the availability of an elevator for access.
  6. A parking lot attendant will direct you to a parking spot determined by your preference to remain in your car or sit in a lawn chair.
  7. I know there are strong opinions in regard to wearing masks. Jesus taught that as His followers we need to be considerate of others. In order to be obedient to Jesus’ teachings, this is the policy that we will follow as the body of Christ. Please bring a mask. If you want to interact with someone and they are wearing a mask that means you need to wear your mask. This is a simple gesture of extending grace to others. This is not an issue of “right or wrong” it is an issue of courtesy and respect.
  8. In case of inclement weather that would cause the service to be cancelled, notification will take place via email. If you do not have the capability to receive emails, call Pastor Mike at (717) 439-8355. Each service will be considered for cancellation individually. If the first service is cancelled you are free to attend the second service.  

If you have any questions in regard to these guidelines please contact Pastor Mike at (717) 439-8355      


PRAYER

Blessings to you all. I shared this message on the church’s answering machine this morning on “A Voice of Hope.” I have a request of all of you, I am asking that next week, “Holy Week” on Thursday, in commemoration of Jesus’ prayer to His Father at the garden of Gethsemane we will join together and “Bend a Knee” in prayer at 12:00 noon. Beginning next Thursday, April 9, and every Thursday following, until this corona virus is defeated I am asking that we “Bend a Knee” in prayer. If you are not able to physically do so, just pause at noon on Thursdays and pray. As I shared with you in an earlier email, pray for the brave men & women who are serving so valiantly on the front lines against the covid 19 virus. Prayer is powerful and God is able, so pray for our world and those who have been affected in any way by the corona-virus. Many people are scared and hurting in various ways. May we as God’s children rise up and storm God’s throne room of grace on their behalf. God often waits for His children to ask in earnestness & like any loving father He loves to respond to the requests of His children. 

I will be ringing the church bell at CVZ at noon next Thursday and every Thursday at noon thereafter until this virus is defeated. I will be reaching out to other churches to see if they are willing to participate along with us. If you are willing to participate, I am asking that no matter where you are, whether at work, at home, at the store or anywhere you are on Thursdays at noon, you will “Bend A Knee” in prayer. 

Hebrews 4:16 tells us to “…approach God’s throne of grace with confidence (“boldly” according to the NLT) so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” I am asking you to help pass the word that many others will join with us to seek God’s provision during this time of calamity.
 
God’s Peace 
Pastor Mike

“A Voice of Hope”

A message from our Pastor:

Because we are being encouraged to limit our traveling which means we cannot gather together as a corporate body for worship services or really in any other larger group capacity, I still want to share a message of hope that is only found in Christ Jesus. In order to accomplish this during this time of travel and gathering restrictions, starting tomorrow Friday, March 20, I will be placing on our church phone line a daily message which I am calling “A Voice of Hope.” These short messages will include a scripture text that hopefully will encourage you during these difficult times. I will be placing a new message on our church answering machine every day at 7:00 AM. You can call the church phone at (717) 921-8153 to receive the daily message. Please feel free to share this phone number with others so that they too may be encouraged. 
 

Altar Flowers 2020

Click to Sign UP
 
The new Altar Flower Chart for 2020 has been posted in the Narthex. If you would like to sponsor the Altar Flowers-the cost is $35.00. Please sign up by clicking on the “sign ups” tab to find the link to the online sign up sheet. A payment envelope will be placed in your mailbox on your chosen Sunday. The flowers are then yours to take after the Worship Service.