Dear Crossroads Family,

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”  This is how Paul often opened his letters to the church, and since we cannot greet you this way on Sundays, we thought we would extend this greeting by email.

As things begin to slowly reopen in New Mexico, we wanted give you some important updates on how these changes affect our church.  Please watch the latest episode of “Crossroads Connection” where Mark and Kirk lay out some of these updates.

Corporate Worship to Resume on May 31!

The Elders have decided to restart our corporate worship service in the auditorium beginning Sunday, May 31, 2020.  This decision follows Governor Lujan-Grisham’s updated health order that allows for churches to operate at 25% of the maximum occupancy of their enclosed building.  We feel this is a significant enough threshold to allow us to begin meeting in a limited capacity for Sunday morning corporate worship.

While we are encouraged with this first step toward regathering as the church, we understand that it is still very limited and not ideal (we are not simply resuming our “normal” service).  We are required to implement the so called COVID-Safe Practices outlined for houses of worship by our state government.  Some of these practices will include:

  • 115 people maximum in the auditorium (25% capacity)
  • Maintaining social distancing of six feet (except for immediate family members)
  • Everyone, including children age two and up, must wear a face covering
  • No congregational singing
  • No children’s ministry available (no Nursery or CrossTraining)


Email Polling and Required Reservations

You should have received an email asking you to respond to a one-question poll.  The purpose of this poll is to help us gauge the church’s readiness to return to a public worship service of the nature described above, and to help us plan adequately for these worship services.  If you have not already done so, please take a moment and respond to this poll.  It will help us to better prepare.

Because we are limited to 115 people, you will be asked to RSVP in advance if you are planning on attending the worship service.  Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis for the first Sunday.  If the service is already full when you attempt to register, you will be placed on a waiting list and given first priority for the following Sunday.  If there is a significant demand to attend the service, we will consider offering more than one service in the weeks to come.  Also, we are planning to livestream or video record at least a portion of the service to watch at home for those who are not able to attend.

The reservation method will be by email or phone to the church office.  Next Monday, May 25, you will receive an email with instructions on how and when to “register” for the service on May 31.  Toward the end of next week you will receive an email with more detailed information about the nature of the service and instructions for those who will be attending.

Church Facility Use and Meetings

During these first weeks of our slow “reopening” of the church facility we will not be scheduling any additional events, activities or meetings in the facility; this includes outside events and ministry-related activities.  If you need to use the church facility for a specific reason, please first contact the church office for approval and scheduling.

The pastoral and office staff is available on a limited basis for in-person meetings at the church facility.  Face coverings and social distancing are required.  Please call first to schedule any appointments with any one of the pastors or the office staff (Shawna, Kirk, or Robin).  For any other visits to the church we ask that you call ahead to help us with scheduling and cleaning requirements.

Obviously, none of this is ideal, but it is a small beginning to being able to gather again as a church.  Thank you for your patience and understanding as we seek to take these first steps.  No doubt, there will be plenty of “bumps” along the way and opportunities to take offense.   May the Lord give us grace to live out Colossians 3:12-14:

“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. “

In Christ,

Mark, on behalf of the Elders