updated April 8, 2022

IN-PERSON SERVICES

We are holding in-person worship at in the main sanctuary and the west Patio. 



ADULT WORSHIP



Starting March 13, our adult worship will be indoor in the sanctuary. We will have regular seating and masks will be optional. The patio will still be open for those wanting to worship outdoor through video streaming.


KIDS & YOUTH WORSHIP



Starting March 13, our Living Hope Kids' (K-5th) worship will take place in Chapel 1 at 9:30 and the Youth (6th-12th) worship will take place in Chapel 1 at 11:30. The seats have been distanced a bit and masks will be optional. The small group time for the kids will take place after their service.

LITTLE KIDS WORSHIP

 

Starting July 4, the Little Kids (2-5) worship will take place in Chapel 2 at 9:30. The cry room will be open for 0-1 year olds at 9:30. For more information about the cry room, please click here.

Masks will be optional for parents and children in the cry room. Staff and volunteers will continue wear masks when ministering to children and youth.

ONLINE SERVICES

We the following services online:

Adult services at 9:30 & 11:30

Kids (K-5th grade) at 9:30

Take a look at our Living Hope ONLINE page for the links. 

View previous services on our Living Hope Community Church YouTube Page. 

As the pandemic wanes and more of our people vaccinated, the church will take steps to move forward in steps. We will continue to offer worship in-person and some online for the foreseeable future. But at this time, we are transitioning to a more open campus. 

OUR FINDINGS

CHURCH IS NOT BOUND

Over the course of this past year, Living Hope has looked carefully at the CDC and CDPH mandates & recommendations. By and large, we have followed and at times even exceeded their recommendations. We believe the church is no longer bound by any legal restrictions, but needs to be guided by our convictions on how we can best safely move our church forward spiritually.

CONTEXT HAS CHANGED

Though Covid is present, the prevalence of the virus in our community has changed dramatically. Case in point, both Orange and Los Angeles Counties are in the yellow tier and local hospitals are seeing very few Covid patients. In terms of vaccination, our survey has indicated that 91.2% of Living Hope’s adults have been fully vaccinated (or will be shortly) which is far greater than the community. Many of our youth have begun receiving their vaccinations as well. This shows that our church family has essentially achieved “herd immunity”. This means that interactions among adults within the Living Hope campus are as safe as they can be, both for the vaccinated and even the unvaccinated. We have created enough “dead ends” for the virus, for it not to spread from adult to adult within our campus.

CONVICTIONS & COMFORT LEVELS VARY

However, there are varying degrees of conviction and comfort levels within our church. Though many are convinced we should fully open, more are cautious and would like to see us keep protocols as is. 85.3% would be okay with making masks optional if done well. The biggest concern from the most cautious is with unvaccinated children interfacing with unmasked and/or unvaccinated adults.

OUR PATH FORWARD

CELL GROUPS

We will encourage all cell groups to meet in-person at least once during the month. We believe this is where we can leverage the greatest connections. Mask practices will be decided within each cell group.

PROTOCOL CHANGES

We will no longer require registration (e.g. Eventbrite) or sign-in to worship on Sundays or mid-week. The kids' ministry will bring back the Breeze Check-In Program.

• We will no longer require a temperature check upon entrance. We will simply ask those who have a fever or other Covid-related symptoms to stay home.
• We will allow singing indoors (masked).
• We will allow hot beverages and food on campus.

MASKS OPTIONAL

Masks will be optional for fully vaccinated adults

• in the West Patio (current main outdoor worship space) and all outdoor parking areas.
• in defined spaces (e.g. teaching room, living room, etc.) with vaccinated adults and no kids.

MASKS REQUIRED 

Due to the fact that we share much of our indoor space with unvaccinated children, we will continue to make masks mandatory for now in our indoor classrooms for younger children. All staff and volunteers will be encouraged to wear masks.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When will the church open?

It is a misnomer to think that Living Hope is not open. Living Hope has been worshipping in person without stop since September of 2020. This has been the case for adults, youth, and kids alike. Little kids (0-5) are welcome to attend though we have not offered formal programs.

Can vaccinated people still wear masks?

Yes. We understand that some vaccinated people would still prefer to wear masks.

What is the vaccination rate at Living Hope?

A survey taken at Living Hope on May 14-21 of 299 members & attendees revealed that 91.2% of adult respondents are fully vaccinated or will be within weeks. This is far higher than the county or state as a whole.

Can we mandate staff and volunteers to be vaccinated?

Our legal counsel and insurance representative have advised that mandating vaccines for staff and volunteers can become problematic. We have been advised that we should strongly encourage it but understand that certain staff and volunteers may have medical or conscience reasons why they may choose to delay or forgo vaccination.

Can we ask for proof of vaccination for attendees?

We do not believe this is prudent or practical for various reasons. Restaurants, retail stores, concerts, and other places that welcome the public do not require proof of vaccine.

Should I be worried about unvaccinated children being around people who are unmasked?

Research has shown that the chances of children catching the virus and becoming sick from it is extremely low. This is especially true in a setting like Living Hope where the vast majority of adults are vaccinated. Nevertheless, we will continue to encourage masks in our indoor spaces where most of our youth and children ministries take place.

Isn’t there a chance that there will be a few people who are not vaccinated but still choose not to wear a mask?

We are a church and we are going to ask that the church family act in integrity regardless of their personal preferences.

Would fully vaccinated youths be required to wear masks?

At this time, most of our youth students are not fully vaccinated, and thus, we will ask all youth students to be masked. This will change in the future as more students are vaccinated pending FDA approval of vaccines for children.

Will things change in the future?

Yes. With the guidance of the CDC and California Department of Public Health, the elders may decide to loosen further. If there is a spike, we may re-institute safety measures (e.g. masks, in-person meetings, etc.) if we feel as if that was warranted at that time.