Who We Are

Grace and peace be with you all!

In this unusual season, we are all changing our patterns and finding new ways to stay well physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

Each Sunday at 9:30am our worship service is posted on our FaceBook page and YouTube channel. Direct links to these sites can be found on the the bottom of this page. Weekly worship materials (a bulletin order to follow) are available via the link on the right hand column of this page (“Sunday Worship Bulletins”); such materials will help you participate more fully each Sunday.  Please do make a commitment to join in this time of prayer, message, and music, expressing our connection to one another even in this very different fashion. 

Additionally, Pastor Hogan has been posting a brief reflection each morning– offering a simple word in the form of a prayer, a poem, or a story as a small offering for the day; and Gary Farquhar posts a midweek musical offering.  These are posted on our YouTube channel and Facebook page.

A WORD FROM OUR ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL (September 17, 2020)

As you may be aware, the responsibility for approving any reopening plans rests with your Administrative Council.  We are a collection of church leaders, representing various dimensions of church life.  At our meeting on September 15, 2020, we had a hearty discussion regarding reopening for in-person worship.

Our conversation included several considerations:

— the state of pandemic, which we understand is still of considerable concern. The upcoming flu season, and New Jersey’s slowly increasing numbers of infections suggest caution

— our congregational demographic, which is made up of many considered among the ‘vulnerable’ population

— the nature of what in-person worship will entail, as described in the next paragraph

Given the guidelines at hand, once we are able to gather in person for worship, maintaining 6-foot social distancing will mean that our sanctuary can welcome 25 worshippers, plus staff. This will mean that reservations will need to be made prior to Sunday, in order to manage the attendance, giving priority to those without internet capability.  Masks and assigned seating will also be required.  Additionally, we will not be able to sing or pray aloud together, given the research on the special risks such activities create.  We would forego fellowship hour and would not be able to socialize with one another, but would instead gather for the brief (30 minutes or so) service and then depart in an orderly fashion. The content of a service would be much like what is currently offered online. In other words, worship will look and feel very different from what we may anticipate.

Given the restrictions involved in in-person worship, with particular concern for the limited number who would be able to gather, we also explored the idea of having more than one service.  However, we acknowledged the need to thoroughly clean all surfaces between gatherings, and we noted the fact that multiple services would still require reservations and limitations.

Clearly, it was a complex and thoughtful conversation.  We also noted that, at the current time, we are in some fashion “united” as we engage in online worship. Our unity is something we value, even as it surfaces in this new fashion.

So for reasons of safety, wisdom, and practicality, we determined that we will not yet open for in-person worship, but will revisit the discussion again on November 16, 2020.

In the meantime, we continue to welcome you to the sanctuary on Monday mornings for prayer, and our church groups can gather, following the safety procedures we have affirmed.  We will continue to offer parking lot communion at 4 pm on the first Sunday of each month as this past month’s experience offered us grace not only in the elements but also in the joy of seeing one another in a safe fashion. The guidelines for sanctuary prayer and parking lot communion gatherings are found below.

We thank you for your patience and understanding, and we join you in praying for healing for our community and world.

The Administrative Council

See our Sanctuary Prayer Guidelines

See our Parking Lot Communion Guidelines

The Prayer Garden Focus for November: The Prayer Garden focus for November is the changing colors in trees and bushes illustrating God’s creativity.

 

103 Monmouth Road

Oakhurst, New Jersey 07755

(732) 531-1150

OakhurstUMC@optonline.net

Office hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

 

9:30 a.m. Worship

9:30 a.m.  Sunday School for Grades Pre-K through Senior High

11:00 a.m.  Adult Sunday School

 

If you are in need of a spiritual lift,

“U R WELCOME” at First United Methodist Church: Oakhurst.

You will find us committed to Christ

and responding to you with Christian love.

All members are called to be in ministry.

 

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We are proud to be handicap accessible!