UPDATE: CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)

LAST UPDATED JULY 2 AT 2:45 PM

Amidst concerns surrounding the coronavirus (COVID-19), we want to let you know how LH is responding. Our leadership team is carefully and continually monitoring this situation. As information evolves, this page is the primary, most up-to-date place for you to receive answers to commonly asked questions. We are committed to doing everything we can to provide a safe environment for our church family and the surrounding community. As a church family, we are also committed to actively serving and loving the people who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through our Prayer and Care response. For more information on our response, click the button below.

How is LH Responding to the Phase 2 Announcement?

In accordance with state and county guidelines, we will begin to host an in-person Watch Party at our Glen Burnie location beginning on Sunday, June 21st. Our Small Groups, Logic, and Celebrate Recovery will continue to meet online. We will also continue to stream LH Kids Online at 9 am and the LH Worship Experience at 10 am. As we begin to meet in-person, things will look and feel different than they did when we last met in March as we continue to abide by state and local guidelines. You can find the state guidelines here, Anne Arundel County’s guidelines here, and Baltimore County’s guidelines here.

LH GLEN BURNIE
We’ll be meeting with limited capacity. As Pastor Sammy has mentioned in previous weeks, while we’re now able to meet in person, we need to do so in a way that abides by the standards and regulations provided to us. Per social distancing requirements, our sanctuary capacity will be limited to 250 attendees, so we will be asking that you register to “save a seat”. We know this feels odd, but the only other alternative is to turn people away at the door, and that is something we don’t want to do.

For those who are ready, meeting in-person is going to look a little different. Starting June 21st at 10 am, we will host a watch party in our Glen Burnie campus’ sanctuary in which we will stream our service into our sanctuary for those that have gathered. This type of offering will be familiar to those that have attended LH services in the past at one of our non-broadcast locations. For the foreseeable future, our in-person offering will not include any live component as the current regulations do not allow us to provide a quality that can supersede our online offering. No one likes to be led in worship by a band wearing masks nor hear a sermon from a preacher in a face covering. We will also only be hosting one in-person watch party per weekend to allow for proper sanitization of our facility before and after the event.

Registration is required to attend the Watch Party at LH Glen Burnie. Registration will open each Sunday at 12 pm for the following Sunday’s Watch Party, and will be available on a first-come first-serve basis. Please remember to have your ticket available as we will be scanning each ticket as you enter the building. To register for the Watch Party, please click here.

Before the Watch Party
The building will open at 9:30 am, 30 minutes before the start of the watch party, and we will only be allowing people to enter through the front entrance of the building, as all other doors will be exit only. Everyone will need to wear masks and practice proper social distancing of six feet per family. As you enter the building, ushers will escort you and your family to the next available area for seating. At this time, you won’t be able to pick your seat, and only families and those living in the same household can sit together. Again, all of this is different and may feel weird. We get it and want to get back to “normal” as soon as we can, but prudence and current stipulations require the safety measures we will be putting in place.

During the Watch Party
At LH we love hugs, handshakes, and high-fives, but we’re asking everyone to refrain from any physical contact for a little while longer. While singing is currently not recommended per guidelines, singing will be allowed with the understanding that you must be wearing a mask at all times.

Right now we will not be hosting LH Kids, and the Welcome Center and Cafe will also be closed. Restrooms will be available on a limited basis. We will have hand sanitizing stations available throughout the building, but all water fountains will be closed.

After the Watch Party
Normally after a service, we linger, talk, and socialize with each other, but that is going to look different for the time being as well. Once the watch party is over, Ushers will dismiss row by row, starting with the back sections. Per requirements, we’re asking everyone to exit the building immediately after the service. Once the building is emptied of all congregants, the building will be appropriately sanitized per CDC requirements.

For a list of FAQs regarding the LH Glen Burnie Watch Party, please click here.

LH CATONSVILLE
LH Catonsville meets at St. Hilda’s Episcopal Church. At this time we are not hosting in-person gatherings at LH Catonsville on a regular basis. As things change, we will continue to post updates here and on the LH Catonsville Facebook Group. In the meantime, it is our hope and prayer that members of the LH Catonsville community begin to host their own watch parties in their homes as they feel comfortable to do so.

LH PASADENA AND LH CENTREVILLE
While the school facilities that we used to gather our LH Pasadena and LH Centreville communities are no longer available to us, it is our hope and prayer that members of those congregations begin to host their own watch parties in their homes as they feel comfortable to do so. Information for those campuses can always be found at their respective Facebook Group sites: LH Pasadena Facebook Group and LH Centreville Facebook Group.

We know how strange much of what was outlined here can seem. We simply ask for your patience, prayers, and grace as we all work through this together as a community. While this may not be what we are used to nor is it our ultimate goal as it pertains to beginning to gather again, it is finally a step in the right direction.

Whether you attend the in-person Watch Party at LH Glen Burnie or continue to watch online, we encourage you to engage with the LH Community, share the worship services on your social media accounts, and for those that are comfortable, consider hosting Watch Parties with friends and neighbors following 10 person limit per the state and county guidelines.

HOW CAN I ACCESS THE LH ONLINE WORSHIP EXPERIENCES?

In accordance with Governor Hogan’s guidelines, we will not be hosting any of our in-person worship experiences for the time being. That said, closed buildings can’t stop us from having church! We will be worshipping together online Sundays at 10 am. Prior to this, we also will be streaming a special LH Kids service at 9 am for our little ones! You can stream both services at online.lighthouse.church. We’ll miss seeing your faces at church, but we’re so grateful we can still worship Jesus together!

LH Online Service Times

LH Kids Worship Experience at 9 am
LH Worship Experience at 10 am

ARE SMALL GROUPS STILL MEETING?

Even though our Small Groups are not able to meet in person right now, we are able to meet online. Many of our Small Group leaders have begun to move their group meetings into an online video call format. This format has proven to be an excellent alternative to in-person meetings that still provides community, connection, and support to those who attend.

IS CELEBRATE RECOVERY STILL MEETING?

Yes, Celebrate Recovery is continuing to host meetings online. As a response to this crisis, the Celebrate Recovery National Team has created a way for us to connect through the Celebrate Recovery Crisis Response Program, following National CR Crisis Response Guidelines. At LH, our Recovery Pastor, Kevin Spence, will continue holding the regular CR meetings through the Zoom Platform on Wednesday and Friday nights. For more information about joining CR meetings, contact Pastor Kevin Spence.

IS LOGIC STILL MEETING?

Yes, we believe that even in a season of social distancing, Logic is a place for students to belong, love God, and build community. We are doing this by leveraging social media platforms including Instagram, YouTube, and Zoom. Our student service will take place every Thursday at 7 pm via livestream on Facebook and YouTube. We are also hosting small groups every Sunday via Zoom, along with Zoom hangouts throughout the week. You can find information about Logic’s upcoming events here.

Connect with Logic on social media!
Instagram, YouTube, TikTok | @lhlogic
Facebook | @lhlogic1

IS LH GLEN BURNIE OFFICE OPEN ON WEEKDAYS?

The LH Office is not open to visitors at this time. In accordance with federal and state guidelines, we have restricted many of our daily operations. Despite our restricted operations, you can still reach us both by phone and on our social media platforms.

WHAT ABOUT LH MISSION TRIPS?

Our leadership team is continually consulting various sources of information, including our ministry partners in other countries, the State Department, and organizations like the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization. As we have prayed through the circumstances and what is to come, we believe this is the summer to give, not go. With the health and safety of our mission teams and ministry partners in mind, we have decided to cancel our summer mission trips. Although we can’t deploy our teams globally, we are expectant for the ways we can live on mission right where we are during this season!

WHAT IS LH DOING TO HELP IN THE COMMUNITY?

LH is committed to serving our local community during this crisis. If you require prayer or care during this time, or if you would like to learn more about how to partner in our efforts, you can access that information here.

HOW CAN I BETTER UNDERSTAND THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)?

Coronavirus is a type of virus that causes respiratory illness — an infection of the airways and lungs. COVID-19 is a new strain of coronavirus. It is part of the same family of coronaviruses that includes the common cold. The coronavirus outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Since then, the virus has spread to other countries. The most common early symptoms appear between 2 and 14 days after infection. Symptoms can be mild to severe. They include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention. Most people recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Like many other viruses, the coronavirus (COVID-19) seems to spread from person-to-person through a cough, sneeze, or kiss. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is continually updating the risk status in the United States on their website at cdc.gov/coronavirus. You can also find more information from the World Health Organization.

HOW SHOULD I RESPOND SPIRITUALLY TO THE CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19)?

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is yet one more reminder that we live in a fallen world of sickness, sin, suffering, and death. Ultimately, none of us are immune to any of these things. But that’s why the gospel is such good news. God has not left us alone in this world of sickness, sin, suffering, and death. He sent His Son, Jesus, to come for us. The greatest news in all the world is that Jesus lived a life with no sin, died on a cross to pay the price for our sin, and rose from the grave in victory over sin and death. Now anyone anywhere who turns from their sin and trusts in Jesus will be forgiven of all their sin and restored to relationship with God forever. That means that through Jesus, we never have to fear sickness or death because we know we have eternal life with God.

If you do not know that you have eternal life with God, we urge you to put your faith in Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus, we encourage you to share your faith in Jesus with others. Times like these remind us all of the fragility of life and the inevitability of death. So let’s spread the greatest news that death has been defeated and eternal life is available to all who trust in Jesus.

In addition to trusting in Jesus and sharing about Jesus with others, here are some other ways you can respond to the coronavirus (COVID-19):

Trust in God as the good and sovereign Creator and Sustainer of life upon whom we all depend.
Pray for mercy for the sick, strength for doctors, insight for researchers, and wisdom for officials.
Look for opportunities to love and care for others, whether they are sick, isolated, marginalized, poor, or oppressed.
Even if we are unable to gather at certain times, stay closely connected to your LH Family. Gather with smaller groups as appropriate, and participate in worship gatherings online if that’s the only option.
Continue to faithfully give financial offerings online HERE or by mail so that the ministry of the church thrives all the more in the midst of difficult days.