Know Before You Go!

Introduction

The Ministry of Worship, in collaboration with the Ministry of Christian Education and the Ministry of Church Life, has prepared this information so that we all know what to expect and how to conduct ourselves.

We expect our practices to continue to change as we transition to more familiar forms of worship and fellowship. Changes will be announced in advance so that everyone knows what to expect.

Everyone is Welcome

No matter who you are, or where you are in life’s journey, you are welcome here.

The First Congregational Church of Fresno, also known as “The Big Red Church,” is an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. Here is what that means:

We believe that all people are sacred creations of a loving God. We affirm the diversity that exists among us. We strive to answer the call of Christ by extending his love, compassion and acceptance to everyone. In this spirit, we open our family of faith to people of every religious background, sexual orientation, family composition, physical and mental ability, race, age and gender.
As Christians, we experience God’s reconciling love. In response we stand with those who suffer discrimination, isolation and alienation.
We welcome all people to participate fully in our church’s life and ministry. We celebrate the variety of talents and perspectives which flow into our spiritual community, continuing to enrich us in ways we could not have predicted or envisioned.

Please remember that we are not perfect. Although we strive to live up to our Open and Affirming Statement, above, we still have plenty of work to do. If you notice ways that we are not living up to our Open and Affirming Statement, please join the conversation and let us know! Your perspective is valuable, and we wish to grow together with you. Contact Pastor Raygan here.

Consensual Contact Only

During the entire time that you are with us, we expect you to be respectful of everyone else’s personal space and boundaries.

Please do not touch, hug, or engage in personal physical contact with anyone else unless they have expressed consent for you to do so. Do not assume consent. Do not assume that someone who consents to personal physical contact with someone else also consents to personal physical contact with you.

If you request consent, and someone declines, then you should respect and honor their decision. Be mindful of your words, your body language, and your facial expressions. Do not make people feel pressured, shamed, or less included because they have not consented to personal physical contact.

We expect everyone to follow these guidelines for your entire time with us, from your approach to the church before the worship service to your departure from the church after the worship service.

Children’s Sunday School

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me.” Children are important people in our church.

Our Children’s Sunday School program involves classes for children during a portion of the worship service.

Children should accompany their families into the sanctuary at the beginning of the service and remain with them until the “Time for Discovery.” The Order of Worship will tell you when the “Time for Discovery” happens. As the congregation sings “Draw the Circle Wide” (the words are printed in the Order of Worship), children are welcome to join the Pastor on the steps in front of the altar for a kid-centered time with him. Your child or children may remain with you if that is what you prefer.

After the “Time for Discovery,” the children will be dismissed and guided to their Sunday School classes by adult teachers. Your child or children may remain with you for the worship service, if that is what you prefer.

All children who attend the Children’s Sunday School program must be registered. Please contact the church office if you wish to register your child or children, or for more information. If you are new or a visitor, you may fill out the registration for your child or children when you pick them up after the worship service.

There are four classes for children from age 4 through 8th grade, as follows:

Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, taught by Mary Morrice and Sharon Thull in Room 2
1st and 2nd grades, taught by Catherine Cooper and a weekly volunteer in Room 4
3rd, 4th, and 5th grades, taught by Kenny Schoelen and Georgia in alternation, with a weekly volunteer, in Room 5
6th, 7th, and 8th grades, taught by Kevin Cooper and a weekly volunteer in Room 6

The Children’s Sunday School classrooms are located off the central courtyard to the south of the sanctuary (Room 2), or off the Fellowship Hall (Rooms 4, 5, and 6). The Fellowship Hall is the large room at the other end of the central courtyard from the sanctuary.

After the worship service, you will need to pick up your child or children from their classroom.

For now, the Children’s Sunday School program follows Covid precautions consistent with what Fresno Unified School District and Sanger Unified School District are doing, as follows:

Masks are worn indoors by all children and adults when children are present. (Disposable adult- and child-sized masks will be available for use.)
Children sanitize or wash hands upon entry and before eating.
Children may remove masks when outdoors.
Per school district policies and current CDC guidance, when children are masked social distancing is not necessary. In addition, social distancing is not necessary when children are outdoors.
During snack time, children will either eat outdoors or indoors with masks removed for a period of no more than 10 minutes, in order to remain below the threshold that would be defined as “close contact.”
Classroom surfaces touched by children are sanitized between Sunday class sessions. Additional sanitization measures (wiping down shared materials, for example) may be taken in Room 2 (the youngest group) where children still frequently touch their mouths.
Parents must agree to:
- Keep children home if they have Covid-19 symptoms identified by the CDC
- Notify the church office if their child tests positive for Covid-19 after attending the Children’s Sunday School program
- Receive clearance from the church office before returning a child who has tested positive for Covid-19 to the Children’s Sunday School program.

For children who are old enough, we encourage vaccination against Covid-19.

Children in the Worship Service

Children are always welcome to remain in the worship service with their families. We understand that people, including children, are sometimes noisier than some others would prefer. We understand that people, including children, sometimes need to move their bodies more than some others would prefer.

We expect everyone to be welcoming to families with children.

Caring Room

Everyone is welcome in our services, including babies and children! If you need to step away from the service with a child, we have a Caring Room available.

The entry to the Caring Room is the first door to your left if you are outside facing the main doors of the church. Go past the breezeway and the iron gates, go past the mailbox, and it’s the first door in that wing.

Arrival and Departure Times

At 9:00 am on Sundays, we invite you to join us for the Christian Exploration Hour, which includes opportunities for adults and children. Click here for more information about the Christian Exploration Hour.

We have one worship service each Sunday morning starting promptly at 10:00 am. The service will last about an hour, and a little longer on Communion Sundays (the first Sunday of each month).

After the worship service, you are welcome to join us for “Coffee Hour,” which is described below.

Parking

The Big Red Church is at the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Yale Avenue. We are in a residential neighborhood just north of Fresno High School.

We have a small parking lot at the south end of the church, which can be entered from Van Ness Avenue. Exit from the parking lot is past the apartment complex to the south of the church, onto Weldon Avenue. When you drive past the apartment complex, please be mindful and respectful of the residents there, who may be coming or going. We wish to be good neighbors.

There are limited spaces in the parking lot, so many people who come to church need to park on the streets in the neighborhood around the church. If you park on the street, please be mindful and respectful to all of our neighbors. Be careful not to block their driveways. If they ask you to move your vehicle, please do so kindly. Watch for pedestrians and bicyclists.

Masks

In recognition of increasing positive cases and updated CDC recommendations, the Church Council voted to require masks be worn indoors once again. The church is purchasing additional masks for adults and children to be able to hand out on Sunday. We hope the need for this measure will be temporary. No changes were made to events and programs on the church calendar.

We encourage everyone to be vaccinated. If you need help getting access to vaccination, please contact the church office.

Click here for further details on our COVID-19 Policies.

Restrooms

We have two restrooms in the courtyard to the south of the sanctuary. If you are outside facing the main doors to the sanctuary, go to the left and around the corner into the breezeway, through the gate. Continue straight to the opposite wing and you will see two doors.

A second set of restrooms is available in the Fellowship Hall. From the bathrooms in the courtyard, go to the other end of the courtyard, past the bulletin board, and enter the double doors to the Fellowship Hall. The restrooms are at the other end of the Fellowship Hall, opposite the stage.

Each restroom is single-person occupancy only. Any person of any gender may use either of the restrooms on the courtyard. The restrooms in the Fellowship Hall are divided by gender. If you are in the Fellowship Hall and facing the restrooms, the men’s room is on your left and the women’s room is on your right.

When you are inside a restroom, you should lock the door from inside. If you are waiting to use a restroom, please be respectful of persons inside. If the door is locked, then someone is inside. Please step back quietly and wait your turn. If you are waiting outside a restroom in the Fellowship Hall, please do not stand in the narrow passageway just outside.

If several people are waiting to use a restroom, please maintain a distance of six feet from the next person.

If you need to use a restroom during the service, please exit and re-enter the sanctuary through the narthex. There is a door just in front of the pulpit that opens onto the courtyard where the restrooms are, but we ask that you not use that door to get to the bathroom during the service.

If you need help finding your way to the restroom, ask an usher!

Entry

We enter the sanctuary for the worship service through the main doors to the church. Those are the large green doors nearest the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Yale Avenue, facing Van Ness Avenue. The main doors to the church will be opened 10 minutes before the beginning of each service.

Just inside those doors is the narthex, which is the entry area that moves us from the outside world into the sanctuary for worship, and sends us back out into the world after.

Ushers in the narthex will give the Order of Worship and help guide you into the sanctuary. Every person of any age is welcome to have the Order of Worship. A large print version of the Order of Worship, which includes the hymns, is available for those who need it.

There will also a be table where you can pick up an activity packet for children. Every person of any age is welcome to have an activity packet.

If you are joining us for the first time, we have a small gift for you on the table, too, including a Big Red Church mug with some goodies inside. Please take one!

After you have what you need for the worship service, please join us in the sanctuary. Please try to keep six feet from other persons or groups.

Hand sanitizer will be available from dispensers on the wall in the narthex.

Seating

Seating is open, but please try to keep six feet from other persons or groups. You may choose where you or your group will sit, as long as the space is available.

Seating in our church consists of two ranks of wooden pews, one on the pulpit side (to your left when you enter from the main doors of the church) and one on the lectern side (to your right when you enter from the main doors of the church). The pews are separated by a center aisle. There is another aisle along each side of the sanctuary.

We know that the wooden pews can be hard to sit on, so there are green cushions available in the narthex for those who need them. If you use a cushion, you may return it to the narthex at the end of the service, or you may leave it in the pew and the ushers will collect it.

We do not currently have spaces designed or designated for wheelchair seating. If you use a wheelchair, the ushers will seat you at the end of a pew, either on a side aisle or in the center aisle. We know this is a shortcoming of our sanctuary, but we hope to remedy that problem in the future.

During the Service

When you enter the sanctuary for the worship service, you will hear a musical prelude. It is usually performed on the pipe organ or the piano. The musical styles that you will hear in our church are mostly traditional.

We remain at our seats during the worship service, but we stand or sit for different parts of the service. Most of the time, the Order of Worship will tell you when you should stand or sit. If you are unable to stand, or if you do not wish to stand, you may remain seated.

There will be prayers and readings during the service. The words of the readings and the word of The Lord’s Prayer (also known as “the Our Father”) are printed in the Order of Worship. You may choose whether to join in the readings and the recitation of the prayer.

The hymns that we sing together will be in the hymnal or printed in the Order of Worship. When we sing from the hymnal, the numbers of the hymns are printed in the Order of Worship and are not announced. Our singing is usually accompanied by organ or piano. When the choir is not singing in the service, a song leader will sing from the front of the sanctuary. You may sing loudly, or quietly, or not at all. If a hymn includes harmony parts, you are welcome to sing those parts!

At the end of the service, we turn toward the center aisle and sing “Go Now In Peace.” The words of “Go Now In Peace” are printed in the Order of Worship.

After the end of the service, there might be a brief musical postlude. It is usually performed on the pipe organ or the piano. Our tradition is to remain seated during the postlude so that everyone can enjoy the music.

Communion

We celebrate Communion monthly, on the first Sunday of each month. Everyone is welcome to celebrate Communion with us. No one is required to celebrate Communion with us.

The Order of Worship tells you when Communion occurs in the worship service. The Pastor will explain what to do when that time comes in the service.

Children in the Children’s Sunday School program might celebrate Communion with their classmates, or they might return to the sanctuary to celebrate Communion with the congregation. If you wish to have your child or children join the congregation to celebrate Communion, you may go and get them from their Sunday School class for that.

Giving

Giving is an important part of our faith practice, and we expect the people of our church to be generous as they are able. At the Big Red Church, everyone counts and every gift counts.

If you wish to give by cash or check, you may place your gift in the offering plate when it comes to you. We also have collection boxes in the narthex. Envelopes for your gift are available in the pews and in the narthex.

You are also welcome to give through the Givelify app. (“Givelify” rhymes with “magnify.”) Instructions are available in the Order of Worship and in the narthex. You can also use the QR code printed in the Order of Worship!

Dismissal

After the postlude, we are dismissed. (On Sundays without a postlude, we are dismissed after we sing “Go Now In Peace.”). The dismissal is not usually announced – you are just free to go. As you go, please try to keep six feet of distance from other persons or groups.

If you sat near the front along the side aisle on the pulpit side (to your left when you enter from the main doors of the church), then you may exit through the door in front of the pulpit, onto the courtyard. From there, turn left and go through the breezeway back towards Van Ness Boulevard.

Otherwise, you may exit down any of the aisles and through the doors at the rear of the sanctuary.

Coffee Hour

After the worship service, you are welcome to join us for Coffee Hour. Don’t worry—you don’t actually have to stay for an hour! Coffee Hour happens in the courtyard when the weather permits, or in the Fellowship Hall.

The Fellowship Hall is the large building at the opposite end of the central courtyard from the sanctuary. If you exit the sanctuary from the door near the pulpit, just keep walking straight toward the double doors at the other end of the courtyard. If you exit from the narthex, then turn to your right, pass through the breezeway into the courtyard, and then go to the double doors at the opposite corner of the courtyard. After Coffee Hour, you will be able to exit the Fellowship Hall through doors along Van Ness Boulevard.

At Coffee Hour, you will find coffee and prepackaged snacks prepared by the Ministry of Church Life. You may take those things with you, or you may eat and drink with us. It is okay to take your mask off while you are actively eating or drinking. For now, there is limited seating available for Coffee Hour, to limit the possibilities for “close contact” that causes Covid-19 to spread.

We understand that spaces like Coffee Hour can be intimidating and awkward, especially for visitors. We expect all of our members and regulars to be mindful of the differences in personality styles during our time together. Coffee Hour is a time to spend with friends both old and new.

Live Streaming Online

Sunday worship services can also be viewed through our online live stream, which is available on Facebook Youtube and our Digital Sanctuary. The streams will also be available to view at a later date.

More Information

If you would like to have more information about our church, how to meet Pastor Raygan, or how to get involved, please contact the church office at [email protected] or 559-227-8489