July 23, 2020 Update

We take the health of our community very seriously and encourage caution for the well-being of everyone across the Duval/Clay/St. Johns community. Our Relaunch team is monitoring governmental guidance, FLUMC guidelines, and scientific recommendations, and we will adjust our phased plans as conditions warrant.

We recognize that other churches and organizations have reopened to in-person worship sooner than Mandarin/Longleaf, and we are eager to gather together once again. However, we have considered the risks and remain confident in our ability to build Christian community through virtual means as well as small group opportunities until such time as to believe it is safe enough to return to in-person worship with appropriate safety measures to help prevent the spread of disease in our unique settings.

Despite our not meeting in-person for worship on Sunday mornings, God continues to work beautifully among our churches! We have recently moved towards the relaunch of in-person off-campus small groups for our children, youth, and adult small groups. These groups are doing an excellent job of adhering to the guidelines set forth by the Relaunch team under the direction of The Florida Annual Conference. Our youth have participated in local mission work and are making an incredible difference!

New groups are being formed at both campuses. Please stay tuned to the Buzz (Mandarin) and Outloud (Longleaf) for additional information as to how to begin meeting in-person, off-campus in small groups. Our Relaunch team is currently working with ministry leaders in many areas to provide these new opportunities.

1. As shared two weeks ago, we are continuing to follow the public health measures of case count, hospitalizations and death count as criteria for moving from phase to phase. Please click here to see the latest numbers for Duval/Clay/St. Johns Counties.
2. Phased Plan approach – Our Relaunch Teams at both Mandarin and Longleaf continue to work towards moving us into Phase 2 in the near future. We have made great strides in providing near-future alternatives to indoor worship. Below, we have included our Phased Plan approach.
3. Multiple churches in the area have pulled back from in-person, indoor worship due to the recent spikes in our state. Other churches have made the decision to do virtual-only worship into 2021. The Relaunch team is working at developing outdoor alternatives (with guidelines) for connection with others as we understand and have heard from many that connection is desperately needed.
4. As we continue to assess and move forward, the Relaunch team follows the guidelines of our government (Local, State, and National) as well as the guidelines of The FLUMC to ensure that we continue to meet the integrity of our insurance coverage.

Our Relaunch team is fully aware of the need for an opportunity for our campuses to gather in community. Despite all the challenges each one of us faces, God continues to be on the move! Do not lose hope! Stay tuned for an exciting Relaunch announcement that will be made soon! We are working through the details and hope to share this announcement in the next few weeks!