Several churches of the Fountain Hills Christian Ministerial Association will begin to reopen on Sunday, May 17.

“We’ve all gone to great lengths to provide a safer environment and will be operating within both the CDC’s and State’s guidelines,” said Dr. Bobby Brewer, this year’s director of the FHCMA and lead pastor of North Chapel Bible Church. “Therefore, you’ll see a lot of changes from when you last attended. For example, you’ll notice modifications in how we partake communion, collect an offering and, at least for this next stage, gone are the days of greeting with a handshake and fellowshipping over homemade snacks.”

In addition to this, Brewer said attendees will see hand sanitizer stations in lobbies, social distance seating arrangements, as well as greeters and volunteers wearing masks.

“We want to over-emphasize that attendance is on a volunteer basis and that if you’re not ready yet, there’s no pressure nor expectations,” Brewer added. “We get it. We’ll continue to livestream our services.

As Pastor Rod Warembourg of Desert Creek Fellowship said on a recent conference call, “We’re not looking for heroes.”

Pastor Tony Pierce of First Baptist added, “In making these plans, we fully realize and recognize that many may not be ready yet to return for reasons of health or other concerns. We encourage you to continue to stay home and worship through our online services. Our key word for this particular season is voluntary attendance.”

Community members are reminded to check with their local church to clarify guidelines before making plans to attend and what to expect. Whereas many are offering some type of limited opening on May 17, others are still postponing until a later date.