March 27 Update

Thank you so much for joining us last week for Home Church! We had to adjust things quickly, but we were so glad that you all were still able to join us from your homes. The virtual coffee connection on facebook afterward was so fun! 


This week we’re doing Home Church again, but it’s going to look a little different than last time. Instead of providing a guide for you to walk through with your families at home, we are going to incorporate some LIVE elements! And to make it super easy for you to follow, everything will be provided in one, single live streamed video. 


You can find the link to video stream on the home page of our website, or you can go directly there by typing in live.lemontcc.org. Once you’re there you’ll be able to enter in a nickname to join a chat feed, a digital Bible incorporated right into the site, and so much more. 


The live video feed will begin right at 10am, just like our usual Sunday gatherings, so be sure to get on those computers or smartphones a few minutes early to get set up in the chat. The video will feature Pastor Randal leading a few songs of acoustic worship, a special kids message from Pastor Heather, a great message from our guest speaker, a virtual coffee connection at the end, and more! 


Thank you for being flexible and patient with us during this time as the world outside us continues to change. We’re doing our best to keep up and adapt our Home Church methods right along with it. 

March 20 Update

The pastoral team here at Calvary Church has been working really hard this week to create a unique worship experience for you. Here’s an update on what church will look like this week. 


In Romans 13, Paul teaches us to respect our governing authorities, and following this teaching we want to be good citizens of the country we live in. With that in mind, earlier today Governor Pritzker announced a statewide stay at home order beginning Saturday, March 21st at 5pm and lifting Wednesday, April 8. 


This bring up that term we’ve all heard too much lately: social distancing. Humans are made for interaction and connection with others, and that makes distancing hard. But at this moment in time social distancing is how we can love each other well, and that’s one of the three things that we strive for here at Calvary Church. Because of this, we will not be having church as usual this week, but church is not cancelled, it will be held exclusively online in an unconventional way. 


So staying at home is what all the cool people are doing these days. Kids are being homeschooled, adults are working from home, and this week we’re having Home Church. 


Church is so much more than a service that we attend together. Church is a people that connect with each other as we worship God together. So this Sunday we’ve created a guide on our website for you to engage with God and each other in a special and personal way. We encourage you to gather with your families, maybe even Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom with another family or two, and walk through the Home Church guide together. 


If you begin at 10am, when we usually start our services, the Home Church guide should take you about 60 minutes. Then at 11am Pastor Chris will be going live on our Facebook Page to host a virtual coffee connection. Please join us to comment any questions from the message, reply to comments from each other, and use it as a way to virtually connect for a while just like we usually do during Coffee Connection at the end of our Sunday services together. You do not need a facebook account to view our page and watch the live video, but you do need an account to comment and interact with others. 


We haven’t forgotten about Calvary Kids & Calvary Youth! Pastor Heather and Pastor Chris have each prepared special resources that will be available on our website for you to facilitate with your kids and teens. 


All of these resources will go live on our website on Sunday morning. 


This is an unprecedented situation that we are currently living in, and all of us on the pastoral team are learning new techniques and adapting along the way. So as we move forward we are going to take this one week at a time, and the way we do Home Church together may continue to adapt and look different from week to week. Thank you for your patience with us as we work through this, and be sure to stay connected to us through our website, emails, and facebook to get all the updates. 


We’re really excited for this opportunity for each of you to use this time to connect with God and each other in an intimate, personal way, and we can’t wait to hear how you do Home Church this week! 

March 14 Update

Every day there new developments in the situation surrounding this virus. To see our previous statements about what we are doing to help slow the spread of the virus, please see below. 


We continue to follow and monitor every update from the governor’s office and local health officials and experts, and we are continuing to learn how we can work towards the health and safety of everyone that walks through our doors.

Service is still happening tomorrow morning at 10am. With that said, if you feel sick at all, are in one of the identified high risk categories, or don’t feel comfortable with it, please stay home. 

For those at home, a live stream of the service will be available on our Facebook page (click here) at 10am, including the music portion. You do not need to have a Facebook account to view our page and watch the live stream. ​The video will not be available for rewatch later in the day, but the audio of the message will go up on our website on Tuesday afternoon as usual. 

If you are staying at home but wish to continue your regular giving, we encourage you to use the online giving available on our website at lemontcc.org/give. If you need assistance, please contact the church office. 

While we gather tomorrow, please remember to continue practicing all the recommended things you have been hearing over and over again: wash your hands thoroughly, use hand sanitizer when you can’t wash (please bring your own, if possible), refrain from hand shakes and hugs, and maybe leave some extra seats in between families. 

Tomorrow morning we will not be service coffee or refreshments before or after service, so you may want to drive thru Starbucks or Dunkin on your way to church. 

Thank you for being patient with us this week as we have continued to learn more about this virus, it’s effects, and how we can be good stewards during this time. Please continue to pray for everyone affected by COVID-19, including those infected, the healthcare providers on the front lines, and the leaders who are working to keep us all safe and healthy. 

March 13 Update

The situation surrounding this virus is rapidly changing, and we want to assure you that we are doing our part to keep up with the details. To see our original statement about what we are doing to prevent the virus, please scroll down. 

As of right now we are still planning on meeting together Sunday morning, but we wanted to update you on some additional steps we are taking in an effort to help reduce the spread of this novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Temporary Changes:

Beginning this Sunday.

If you are in a high risk category and feel you need to stay home for your health and safety, please remain home. Also, if you or a family member are feeling sick at all, please remain home. 

For those at home, beginning this Sunday we will temporarily be providing a live stream of a portion of our service on our Facebook page. You do not need to have a Facebook to see our page and watch the video. Due to copyright restrictions we cannot stream the worship music, so the stream will begin when the music is completed, around 10:20-10:30am on Sunday morning. You can watch at facebook.com/lemontcc. The video will not be available for rewatch, but the audio of the message will go up on our website Tuesday afternoons as usual. 

If you are staying at home but wish to continue your regular giving, we encourage you to use the online giving available on our website at lemontcc.org/give. If you need assistance, please contact the church office. 

We will discontinue coffee connection for a few weeks. You are all welcome to talk and fellowship with one another, but there will not be any coffee or refreshments served. You may want to drive thru Starbucks or Dunkin on your way to church. 

Communion will not be available this Sunday. Beginning next week it will be served again, but in pre-packaged, individually wrapped containers. 

All kids and volunteers in Calvary Kids are being asked to wash their hands prior to entering any classroom. 

As you are hearing everywhere else, please continue to wash and/or sanitize your hands often and refrain from shaking hands and hugs. Please bring your own hand sanitizer, if possible. 

If you or someone you know tests positive for COVID-19, please let us know so we can pray for and show care to those who are sick. 

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Remember, we should not be afraid. If you are having difficulty processing these events and would like to talk with someone, please contact us. We would love to talk and pray with you. 

Again, thank you for partnering with us in this effort to keep our community safe and healthy. Please continue to pray with us as this situation grows, and we will continue to update you with any additional information as things progress.

Coronavirus Update

March 12, 2020

Know Jesus. Love Each Other. Wash Your Hands. Serve the World.

You have probably been staying up to date with the rapidly developing situation surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Local and national leaders are responding to the changing situation in the best way that they know possible, and we want to assure you that we are doing our part to keep everyone healthy when we come together for worship. 

Most importantly, we must remember that we can trust God through all things. Fear and worry can spread so much faster than any virus. While the coronavirus should not cause us great fear, we should also not ignore it. Now is the time to listen to scientific and medical experts, and follow the best practices they recommend to keep yourself and others healthy. We should also continue to pray for the health and safety of all, and for the spread of the virus to be quickly slowed. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)


As we continue to do our best to love each other and serve the world well, we want to list out a few ways that we can each take part in lowering the risk of transmitting any virus, including COVID-19 should it come to our community. 


Remember that while there is some hype surrounding this virus, it is important to take steps as a community to prevent the spread of the illness. Some may only experience a bad cold or flu if they get infected, but others in our community would not be so lucky and may experience much higher and detrimental side effects. Think of these preventative measures as not only protecting ourselves, but protecting those around us as we seek to love others.

Steps you can take:

  • If you or a family member are feeling sick at all, please stay home, rest, and work on getting well. 
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the restroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. 
  • Sneeze or cough into your elbow, sleeve, or a disposable tissue. 
  • Please bring your own hand sanitizer, if possible. We will have some hand sanitizer available at the church, but it is in high demand right now. 
  • Avoid touching your face. (I know we all love to do it.)
  • To keep germs at bay, let’s temporarily pause handshakes and hugs, and stick with huge smiles and warm words - maybe the occasional elbow bump or air high five, too! 
  • If you or someone you know tests positive for COVID-19, please let us know so we can pray for and show care to those who are sick. 

Steps we are taking:

  • We are continuing to thoroughly clean and disinfect the church building, including all children’s areas and toys. 
  • Our staff and volunteer teams will wash their hands frequently, and signs have been placed in the restrooms to remind everyone to wash their hands. 
  • We will have some hand sanitizer available at the church, but please bring your own to use, if possible. 
  • Communion will be served in pre-packaged, individually wrapped containers. 
  • Snacks at coffee connection may look a little different, being served in individual portions. Please only touch the food that you intend to take. 
Thank you for partnering with us in this effort to keep our community safe and healthy. We invite you to continue praying with us as this situation grows, and we will update you with any additional information as things progress.