TOGETHER AGAIN
As we move forward in this season, we are going to continue to value what we’ve always worked to create:
- A family atmosphere where we love others and are loved ourselves.
- A place where every person is safe.
- Ultimately… A corporate experience where Jesus is central and we’re invited to take our next step.
As we value both the many and the one, we are making plans to reopen our church for you. We miss you, and we cannot wait to be together again. We want to be both courageous, considerate and cautious as we make plans to take our next steps towards being together again!
Please note: This has been a very fluid situation to lead through. We’ve seen a lot of change, and we’ll likely see a lot more change. What we’ve put together as we move forward to be together again can (and most likely will) change based on new, emerging situations surrounding meeting together.
PHASE ONE: Church With Friends
During June 2020 we’re going to invite you to do CHURCH WITH FRIENDS! If you’re in a Group, this is a good time to reunite with your friends and open up your church experience to share it with others. We’re going to rearrange our stream times to align with potential times for your Group! Consider hosting a brunch, having lunch, or even having an evening together on Sunday to share Church With Friends!
PHASE TWO: Preview Services
We are very close to opening our Downtown Location. As we get closer to the opening that location, we’re going to prepare worship experiences that are SAFE, SANITIZED, and SPACIOUS at our Downtown Location! You can expect these services to have limited seating (we’ll use a ticketing system to organize the services), but you can also expect these services to feel like Vortex.
We’re not going to try to meet too early and create experiences that do not represent our values. We’ve stocked up on all the supplies we need to make sure you’re going to be taken care of when we are together again. We expect these services to last for a few weeks as we prepare for the next phase of being together again.
PHASE THREE: Both Locations
In Phase Three we’ll open both our East Location (at Eastgate Cinemas) and our Downtown Location and move forward into what will be our regular schedule.
You can expect that our regular schedule will look something like this:
Thursday Night: Downtown Location at 7pm
Sunday Morning: East Location at 10am / Downtown Location at 9am & 11am
One Last Thing…
We do greatly appreciate your trust and patience during this season. While we didn’t see it coming, it’s obvious to us that Jesus did. We are thankful for His leadership and guidance during this season. God has been faithful. He will continue to be so.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn’t Vortex holding in-person meetings yet?
While we understand the nature of certain court cases and statements from politicians that impact our current ability to meet together, we are still being asked to facilitate services on-site that are socially-distanced and have limited capacity. We’re pretty sure we don’t know how to get kids to social distance, much less some of our adults!
Reference: CDC Guidelines for Churches & North Carolina DHHS
Have you considered a drive-in service?
We have thoroughly explored this option. We’ve talked to other churches and church leaders about their experience leading drive-in services. While we understand that there are many churches that are making this type of service work for them, we do not believe this the best strategy for us to accomplish our corporate mission at this time.
What about other events in our buildings?
Group meetings will be postponed until we reach Phase Two. Large-group or whole-church meetings will be postponed until we reach Phase Three.
What precautions will you be taking when we are together again during Phase Two?
We will be providing limited seating (which naturally creates a socially-distanced atmosphere).
We will not be passing out worship materials.
We will be sanitizing the entire facility between services.
We have already purchased a high-quality hand sanitizer that will be available throughout our facility.
We will not be having our regular coffee services until Phase Three.