COVID-19 Update Week of June 7, 2021

Dear Elsinore First Assembly Family,

In light of recent Supreme Court decisions, we are happy to announce that we will be able to move forward safely with fewer restrictions during our in-person services.

Our volunteer team will be working hard to maintain an environment of safety for every person who chooses to attend. Temperature checks will be required for everyone who attends, social distancing protocols will be set in place, and our team will be sanitizing every space and seat in between services.

Our aim throughout this pandemic has been to do our best to safely include everyone in our services wherever they are in regard to comfort level. I am very proud of our staff and volunteers who have shown great love and courage as we continuously move forward, often into uncharted territory.

For those of you who will continue to watch our services online, please know that our church staff is here to support you in any way we can. Our heart is such that we do not want a single member of our congregation or community to feel left out, lonely, or uncared for. We are here for you – reach out to let us know your need or the need of a loved one, and we will do our best to meet that need.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the church office at contact@elsinorefirst.com or 951-678-1757.

Know that Kathy and I are praying with and for you!

“See” you Sunday!

Pastor Fred

Schedule Of Church Activities:

  • Sunday English Worship Service @ 10 am

o   In-person and livestreamed to YouTube

  • Sunday Classes for Nursery, Elementary, Middle & High School Students

o   In-Person COVID-compliant cohorts

  • Sunday Spanish Worship Service & Children’s Church @ 12 pm

o   In-person indoor service with video livestreamed to Facebook

o   Spanish Children’s Church is for Nursery through 5th grade

      • In-Person COVID-compliant cohorts
  • Wednesday Services:

o   “Avenue Youth” Middle & High School @ 6:30 pm

      • In-person indoor with video livestreamed to Instagram

o   Adult Study @ 7 pm

      • In-person indoor with video livestreamed to YouTube

o   Royal Rangers boys kinder-12th grade @ 7 pm

o   Girls Club Kinder-5th grade @ 7 pm

o   Nursery ages 3 months – 3 years

  • Thursday Spanish Worship Service @ 7 pm (livestreamed to Facebook)

o   Spanish Children’s Church is for Nursery through 5th grade

      • In-Person COVID-compliant cohorts
  • Friday Food Giveaway

o Odd Fridays of the month (every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday) @ 11 am.

  • ID and something to show you live in Elsinore or Wildomar (such as a piece of mail)
  • This is a drive-thru service, and you must be in line by 11 am. Due to the COVID restrictions, we ask that you remain in your vehicles while you wait in line.
  • Food distribution begins at 11:30.

COVID-19 Update Week of March 15, 2021:

Dear Elsinore First Family,

We are thankful for your faithfulness throughout this past year! Because of your continuous prayers and giving Elsinore First has remained “open” through online services, and as guidelines allowed, in-person services outdoors and indoors.

Our aim throughout this pandemic has been to do our best to safely include everyone in our services wherever they are in regard to comfort level. I am very proud of our staff and volunteers who have shown great tenacity, love, and courage as we continuously move forward, often into uncharted territory.

We all see the world a little differently since March of 2020, and because we come from different life experiences and situations, we have different comfort levels in interacting with others during this pandemic, even with a vaccine. Amid these realities, we want to encourage everyone to continue to be patient and kind to one another, especially as the Easter Season is upon us. Jesus commanded us to love one another for that is how we will show the world the truth of God’s love (John 13:35).

Philippians 2:1-4 says: “Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

For those of you who will continue to watch our services online, please trust that our church staff is here to support you in any way we can. Our heart is such that we do not want a single member of our congregation or community to feel left out, lonely, or uncared for. We are here for you – reach out to let us know your need or the need of a loved one, and we will do our best to meet that need.

For those of you who are comfortable with attending our in-person services, all COVID-19 precautions recommended by the CDC and Cal/Osha remain in place. This includes temperature checks, required face coverings, and social distancing of six feet or more throughout the facility.

Here is our current schedule of church activities:

  • Sunday English Worship Service & Children’s Church @ 10 am

o In-person indoor and outdoor service with video livestreamed to YouTube

o Children’s Church is for ages 1-5 and Kinder-5th grade

  • In-Person COVID-compliant cohorts
  • RSVP requested to help our kid’s check-in process go smoothly
  • Sunday Spanish Worship Service & Children’s Church @ 12 pm

o In-person indoor service with video livestreamed to Facebook

o Spanish Children’s Church is for ages 1-5 and Kinder-5th grade

  • In-Person COVID-compliant cohorts
  • Tuesday Zoom Meetings @ 7 pm

o EFA Ladies’ Zoom

o Men’s “Band of Brothers” Zoom

  • Wednesday Services:

o “Avenue Youth” Middle & High School @ 6:30 pm

  • In-person indoor with video livestreamed to Instagram

o Adult Study @ 7 pm (YouTube broadcast)

o Royal Rangers boys kinder-12th grade @ 7 pm (via Zoom)

  • Thursday Spanish Worship Service @ 7 pm (livestreamed to Facebook)
  • Friday Food Giveaway

o Odd Fridays of the month (every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday) @ 11 am.

  • ID and something to show you live in Elsinore or Wildomar (such as a piece of mail) is required.
  • This is a drive-thru service, and you must be in line by 11 am.
  • Food distribution begins at 11:30.
  • Due to the COVID restrictions, we ask that you remain in your vehicles while you wait in line.

We plan to have more in-person activities scheduled soon as we continue to be cautious in the coming months. I am confident that our slow and steady progress will pay benefits in the long run as Elsinore First regathers and finds new ways to carry out our mission to “Connect People to God, Each Other, Our Community, and The World”.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact the church office at contact@elsinorefirst.com or 951-678-1757.

Know that Kathy and I are praying with and for you!

“See” you on Sunday!

Pastor Fred

COVID-19 Update Week of February 8, 2021:

Dear Elsinore First Family,

Elsinore First is now indoors!!!

Due to a recent US Supreme Court ruling, our indoor services are officially resuming. We will also continue to have our online and outdoor services, plus indoor Children’s Church for toddlers through 5th grade students.

Youth will also have indoor services on Wednesday nights.

All COVID-19 precautions will remain in place for in-person services. This includes temperature checks, face coverings being required, and social distancing of six feet or more throughout the facility. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the church office at 951-678-1757 or contact@elsinorefirst.com.

For those of you who will continue to watch our services online, please trust that our church staff are here to support you in any way we can.

Know that Kathy and I are praying with and for you!

“See” you on Sunday!

Pastor Fred

Hello Elsinore First friends and family!

Elsinore First is continuing to comply with the Governor’s COVID-19 orders, so Sunday service will continue to be outdoors at 10:00 am. The service is live-streamed to YouTube and can be viewed from the YouTube channel or our E1 Live tab here on our website.

Our Children’s Sunday School Classes for elementary aged children continues to meet indoors in small COVID-compliant cohorts with a broadcast of the teaching at 11:30 am on Sundays on our YouTube channel.

Please RSVP so we can make sure to set up enough chairs to accommodate each of you plus you can RSVP your elementary aged children for Sunday School! RSVP on our website here: http://www.elsinorefirst.com/events/

Additionally, our Middle & High School Students are meeting outdoors on Wednesdays, beginning at 6:30 pm. A Wednesday broadcast of a teaching by Pastor Fred also airs on our YouTube channel at 7:00 pm.

For Spanish speakers we have an outdoor service on Sunday’s at 12 noon that is live-streamed to the Elsinore First Ministerio Hispano Facebook page. A live-streamed service is also held on Thursdays at 7:00 pm.

For those who have fallen on hard times, we are still giving out food boxes on the odd Fridays of the month (every 1st, 3rd, and 5th Friday) at 11 am. All that is needed is your ID and something to show you live in Elsinore or Wildomar (like a piece of mail). We offer drive-thru service, you must be in line by 11:00 am and food distribution begins at 11:30. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, we ask that you remain in your vehicles while you wait in line.

Feel free to contact our office if you have any questions.

God Bless You and have a Merry Christmas!

Hello Friends!

We will be having our  service outdoors this Sunday, December 13.

We are happy to share that we will have improved shade coverage for this Sunday’s service.

Please RSVP so we can make sure to set up enough chairs to accommodate each of you plus you can RSVP your elementary aged children for Children’s Church!

Children’s Church will be held indoors through small cohorts according to the latest Guidance from the State.

RSVP on our website here: http://www.elsinorefirst.com/events/

Feel free to contact our office if you have any questions.

God Bless You.

COVID-19 Update Week of September 27, 2020:

Dear Elsinore First Family,

Elsinore First is re-opening October 4th with one service at 10:00 a.m.

Our Elsinore First team has been prayerfully preparing to be ready to resume in person physical gatherings at our facility as soon as Riverside County transitioned to “Red”. This allows us to legally reopen indoor services with the same procedures that were in place before the second shutdown. These procedures include the RSVP system, temperature checks, and other social distancing requirements.

The most exciting part about Elsinore First being able to reopen is that we will have children’s church for elementary aged children (grades K-5th). For the church to be in compliance with the state guidelines, it is crucial for parents to utilize the RSVP system for us to have the proper precautions and volunteers in place. We sincerely appreciate your help in RSVPing your children along with yourself.

Youth (middle and high school) with begin their services on Wednesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. (no adults or children). RSVPs will not be required for the youth services; however, all other check-in procedures will be in place. The youth will meet in the Youth Center and will be required to wear masks or other face coverings and use social distancing throughout the entire service.

All Sunday and Wednesday Services will continue to be “livestreamed” to our Elsinore First YouTube Channel for those who are more comfortable remaining home. This includes the children’s service (Sunday’s at 11:00 a.m.) and Youth Services (Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m. on Instagram).

Below there is detailed information about our RSVP and Check-in procedures, Children’s church and Youth services. If you have additional questions that are not answered in the details below, please use the appropriate contact information.

 

How to RSVP for October 4th:

We are still limited by the governing authorities to 100 people at each service, so we will be utilizing our MinistryOne Church App “Events” button and our website, www.elsinorefirst.com, in the “EVENTS” tab to process reservations for a 10:00 a.m. service. You will need to RSVP yourself and your family, including infants and children. If your elementary aged child is going to stay in the main sanctuary with you, please specify so on the RSVP form.

Temperature Checks

Each Person’s temperature will be taken before being allowed to enter any facility on the campus. This is a safe, no-touch process using digital infrared “touch-free” thermometers that will help us keep you and everyone else in our congregation safe.

 

Masks or other Face Coverings

Due to the state order requiring face coverings, everyone over 2 years old must wear a mask or other face covering at all times, inside and outside the building, and during the entirety of the service. We would appreciate it if you could bring your own mask, however, we will have disposable masks available if needed. Please remember that regardless of how one feels about this restriction, it is currently required by law and additionally it is the right thing to do and is an easy way to love our neighbor, especially those who are “at risk”.

Children:

On Sundays we will have children’s church for K-5th grade. All children will be required to wear a mask or other face covering. We sincerely appreciate your help in RSVPing your children along with yourself through the above-mentioned system. We are not able to accommodate children 4 years old and younger at this time, however we are working towards doing so. Children will be allowed to interact with each other within small “cohorts” per the guidelines issued by the state and CDC.

Youth:

Youth (middle and high school) will begin their services on Wednesday, October 7th at 7:00 p.m. RSVPs will not be required for the youth services; however, all other check-in procedures will be in place. The youth will meet in the Youth Center and will be required to wear masks and social distance throughout the entire service. Parents are encouraged to watch our broadcasted service on the Elsinore First YouTube channel.

 

Additional COVID-19 Service Procedures:

There will be a check-in procedure on your way into the building. We ask that you do your best to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the service start time to allow us to check you in and take your temperature before the service begins.

There will be a temperature check station near the parking lot and a designated entrance and exit. Please make sure to follow the arrows and instructions given by ushers etc. The ushers will seat families with small children on the balcony area, all others will be seated on the main floor. You will not be able to sit in your “normal’ seat, as things have been arranged for your safety. Please do not change seats, this can inadvertently cause a guidelines violation which could potentially lead the health department to close the church.

The service will be dismissed row by row from the pulpit to maintain CDC compliance. The restrooms will be available, but we ask that you do your best to limit movement during the service. Additionally, our café, bookstore, and other common areas will not be open, and gathering in the parking lot is also not allowed per the guidelines.

The ushers are volunteers, we ask that you respect them and trust they are following policy for your safety and the safety of others in attendance.

 

For those of you who will continue to watch our services online, please trust that our church staff are here to support you in any way we can. I am sincerely excited to see each of you on October 4th!

Know that Kathy and I are praying with and for you!

“See” you on Sunday!

Pastor Fred

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