I want to thank all of you for your patience as we continue to work diligently to determine the best terms and timing of reopening. We are leaving no stone unturned with respect to the possibilities we are exploring.

For those of you anxious for us to re-open, trust me when I tell you that I share your frustration. I’m proud of what our staff and volunteers have been able to create as a weekly online alternative, but I am also to eager to return to onsite services as there really is no substitute for physical human contact. I also know that many of you have seen other churches reopen and are wondering why Zoe has not followed suit.

What I can tell you is that we are not privy to the inner workings of other churches, their contexts, building dynamics, demographics, insurance company relationships and financial realities—all of which would be informing their decisions. We do not know the kind of liabilities they were willing to take on, nor are we in a position to evaluate the wisdom of their choices. Keep in mind that the broad liberties people have taken with respect to physical contact over the last several weeks leaves us all wondering whether or not we are to anticipate another phase of quarantine.

With that said, what you could do to help us along is to fill out the survey you were recently sent. It will help us finalize decisions about the reopening and then I will return to you later this month with another update. I know the quarantine is hard. But keep in mind that the early church and also churches around the world who experience persecution have not had the luxury of large buildings, large gatherings and robust sound systems. They thrived in conditions similar to this and with that hope we will continue to stay strong in the Lord.

One more thing to encourage you: While I shared many things last week about our response to the racial unrest, I omitted one important action item: This month, we are bringing back all night prayer. While we have monthly late night prayer, this church was actually founded with regular times of all night prayer. We did this for years. And if there were ever a time to bring it back, it’s now.

So on Friday, June 26th, we will be praying from 7:30pm to 4:30am. Join us online for a shift or grab a Starbucks and hang out with us virtually for the entire time. In the meantime, be encouraged, be wise and may the Lord enrich you with His grace and peace.