“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Dear Rivermont Family and Friends,

With much prayer and collaboration, we remain fervent in prayer for the greater Lynchburg community with the recent spike of Covid-19 infections.  The REPC ministry staff pray daily and seek God’s wisdom for worship, discipleship, and mission in prayerful response to the recent surge of infections and exposures.

Regarding the on-site worship cancellation yesterday, please take a few minutes to listen to Pastor David’s comments by clicking here.  On Saturday, Pastors David and Ron responded to the following— the Rivermont family had several Covid cases by the end of the week with an increasing number of members being exposed to Covid-19.  By Saturday, three ministry staff were exposed, a fourth was Covid-19 positive, and others participating in worship had Covid-19 concerns.  On Saturday,  two Rivermont doctors gave Pastors David and Ron an update on what was happening in the hospital with a strong encouragement to introduce some mitigation to our worship services. With the spiking numbers in Lynchburg and Liberty University’s decision to go online through September 10, with no time to communicate effectively, Pastors David and Ron decided to cancel on-site worship and utilize our capabilities to worship on-line. 

And today, the Rivermont staff met to plan our response to the recent spike in infections in the Lynchburg community. 

Discerning Worship Options

The pastors’ passion is to encourage you to remain engaged in worship whether on campus or at home.  Worship services will remain at  8:30 AM and 11:00 AM in the sanctuary with the following qualifications. Our three service options will be coded Red, Yellow, and Green. Please prayerfully consider what option is best for you and your family. 

Red Service – Online Worship Service available on demand at 8:30 a.m. or by Livestream after 9:00 a.m.

• For those who desire to stay home for any reason
• For those who have compromised health
• For those who are displaying any symptoms of Covid-19
• For those who are quarantined 

Yellow Service – 8:30 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary

• First service of the day to provide the lowest possibility of contamination
• Face coverings required for school-age children and above
• For those who are at higher risk or who desire an abundance of caution 

Green Service – 11:00 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary

• Face covering optional
• For those who are at lower risk

Additional Worship Responses

• During the 8:30 a.m. worship service, masks are not required in the John Knox Room.
• During the 11:00 a.m. worship service, masks are required in the John Knox Room.
• Outdoor worship by the porte-cochere will be streamed during the 11:00 service. 

Ongoing Discipleship 

God has blessed us with numerous discipleship options for adults and several opportunities for our students and children. 

• A new quarter of Adult Sunday School begins on September 12, meeting on campus at 9:45 AM.  At least three classes provide on-line opportunities through Zoom. Please explore available classes and online capabilities for the new quarter by clicking here.   
• The Men’s Dawn Patrol gathers in person and by Zoom on Tuesday mornings at 6:30 AM.
• The Women’s Oasis Bible Studies will meet at 9:30 AM on Thursday mornings beginning on September 9 with an option to gather during Rivermont Fellowship Night beginning on September 15.
• Student Ministries (Club 56 through 12^th grade) will continue to meet on campus with each class discerning appropriate practice.
• Children’s Ministries (infants through fourth grade) will continue to meet on campus with each class discerning appropriate practice. 

Praying for Wisdom and Unity 

As we continue to seek best practices to protect our community and staff, please remain in prayer for God’s wisdom and blessing as we gather to worship and follow Christ as a covenant family. Please remain in prayer for our ongoing faith and trust in the God Who will direct our steps.   Praise God for His blessing of unity as we move forward. 

Also, please communicate to the church office (Janet Freshour by clicking here) if you have been diagnosed with Covid-19 or suspect that you have Covid-19.  From the perspective of leadership, this information will be kept confidential. We want to pray for you and make informed decisions with wisdom and care for all.