Updated July 9, 2020

Updated July 4, 2020

Updated June 17, 2020

Dear OroNaz,
   I’m excited to announce that we are moving into Phase 3 of our Regathering Plan!  
PLEASE prepare by reading this email thoroughly and watching the Regathering preparation video that is below before arriving to worship on Sunday.
   Our goal is to regather in unity under the Lordship of Jesus as we worship him for his love, grace, and care while extending that same love, grace, and care
for each other.
   In the midst of the fluidity of our planning I have been deeply encouraged by your commitment to stay the course.  Your patience and willingness to yield to the not so convenient path, together as one church community. You have been a witness of your selfless love of our Savior to me and our greater community. I appreciate you!  

Below you will find bullet notes that give brief descriptions of both what has changed and what has stayed the same as we move into Phase 3. In addition, please watch the Regathering preparation video in this email. OroNaz leadership, staff and volunteers are diligently working under state, county and denominational provisions to ensure a God-honoring and safe environment for everyone to physically gather as the people of God.  

Church Office and General Church Ministry:

• Church office and counseling center continues regular hours.
• Ministry Groups (life groups, ministry groups, prayer groups, serving groups) are allowed to meet in groups of 25 or less in the fellowship hall and outside in larger numbers with social distance with coordination, approval, and sanitation protocol training.
• Church building available for ministry gatherings of a 100 or less with coordination, approval, and sanitation protocol training.

Thank you for taking the time to read this update and watching the Regathering preparation video. You are ready, we are ready for Phase 3. I’m encouraged and excited to see you. I am thankful for this new phase and the opportunity to take steps to regather for worship, service, and care for one another in person.  Please keep praying and don’t stop believing that there is not a square inch of the entire cosmos (everything, including pandemics, injustice and the many fear-inducing unknowns) that God does not rule over, renew within, and provide for, including you, me, our church body and our little community.  Be encouraged this day!

  With Joy,
  Pastor Travis

Updated: June 9, 2020

• Drive-In Church This Sunday – June 14th at 10am!
• Ministry gatherings of 25 people or less will be able to meet in the fellowship hall (with access to restrooms). Serenity to meet outside in the courtyard.
• Allowing Life Groups and study groups to meet in homes (preferably in outdoor spaces) 
• We are able to offer RESTROOM access on Sundays—YAY!
  

Dear OroNaz,
   Just a quick note to update you all on the path to physically regathering. Starting this week, ministry gatherings of 25 people or less will be able to meet in the fellowship hall (with access to bathrooms). Ministry leaders are being notified and informed on cleaning procedures. Our goal is to keep the most vulnerable safe.  This effort will require everyone’s focus and participation so, please read and practice the posted cleaning instructions around the church building.  Please join us in proper and prioritized personal hygiene. Please assess and monitor your own health.  If you don’t feel well, please stay at home or return home immediately.  If you are compromised by a health condition, please protect your health and participate in alternate ministry means online (contact the church office for more info or to get help connecting online).
   As a church we are allowing, as far as leaders and members, life groups and study groups to meet in homes (preferably in outdoor spaces) while following social distancing and proper disinfecting methods.  OroNaz will not be patrolling by any means, however, we are asking for your help and attention to achieve the greater health and interest of our church body and community. 
   I can’t say it enough - you all have been so patient and kind during these trying weeks. Thank you! I understand that there are several much smaller churches opening and that makes it hard for us to understand why OroNaz can’t do the same.  We’ll get there! Hang together, pray, lean into what God is doing in us and for us during this time.  Again, I say, it’s coming! 
   The last two weeks has been unconventional with Drive-In church; however, they have been a blast and we have received tremendous feedback.  This week (6/14) we will again be offering Drive-In church at 10am, in addition—GREAT NEWS!—we are able to offer restroom access—YAY!
   As we anticipate the BCHD and state officials to release their provisions, moving out of this 21-day evaluation period we are currently in, we are doing our best to plan for modified in-person worship services starting late June.  Without being able to know exact provisional factors we will need to continue to be flexible.  In addition, we are listening to you-- 50% of OroNaz members that took the recent survey expressed that they weren’t comfortable reentering the building quite yet. However, they would continue to utilize the online stream and would be open to take advantage of outside worship options 
   Thank you for taking the time to read this and for praying for me, our staff, CLT and the regathering committee as we faithful forge this path during circumstances we’ve never experienced before. I’ve said it many times, “I’ve never pastored through a pandemic.”  It is by God’s grace and only by his grace that I/we stand.  Let’s stand upon his unshakable truth while covered in his unfailing love. 
With Gratitude,
Pastor Travis

Updated: June 3, 2020-Drive-In Church This Sunday – June 7th at 10am!

What a Sunday we had this past weekend!  With the overwhelming positive feedback along with the survey results we have decided to do Drive-In church this Sunday and next (June 7th and 14th).  In doing this, we have made a couple of modifications to best accommodate everyone in our church.  Here are the details:

• Shorter Service: 45 min. service (starts promptly at 10am and will end at 10:45am)
• Worship outside of vehicle: Each party will be welcomed to use the confines of their parking space to both park their vehicle and set-up and sit in lawn chairs.
• Larger vehicles will be parked in designated parking spaces to limit viewing obstructions
• No bathroom Access
• Family friendly with NEW and improved age-appropriate activities

We ask that you would plan to arrive no later than 9:45am. We are excited to be together to lift up our good and forever faithful God!  See you Sunday!

We will continue to have Live-Stream on YouTube
The option will still be available for those who want to or need to stay home to still participate in the service online at oronaz.org/stream, Sundays at 10am. Join us in the parking lot or online.

Updated 5/29/2020

Dear OroNaz,
  We are excited to announce that we are moving ahead with our Regathering Phase Plan for the month of June.  June 7th we will be offering on-site (in-person) modified worship services.  Now I know what you are thinking, “does this mean I have to give up wearing PJ’s to worship?” Answer—might be a good idea , unless you choose to take advantage of the ongoing live stream.  Enough with the joking, and back to business.  We are moving forward in our plans to regather!  Since the Governor and state and county health department’s  provisional news came with little warning, our church staff has been feverishly at work to get ready for you on June 7th, not to mention the big undertaking of “Drive-In Church” this Sunday (by the way, we can’t wait to see you this Sunday!).  The modification logistics of the worship services will be finalized midweek and emailed to you, along with an instructional walk-thru video. There are many moving parts to accommodate everyone, some of these parts are still being worked out. One thing we do know for sure is that we are limited to 25% of our building’s capacity or 100 total people max (whichever is lowest). Since our entire building can hold a couple thousand, we are limited to 100 people max under this provision. So, what does that mean?  We will need to get creative and you all will need to be flexible (love you all!). Remember, we are all in this together.
  What will this look like? For starters, we will need to have multiple services along with keeping our services to 45 minutes in length to be family friendly and ensure ample time for one service of worshipers to depart the building before the next service of worshipers arrive. We’re looking at the possibility of an earlier Sunday morning outside worship service viewing as an alternate venue in real time with the sanctuary service. These are just a few of the many modifications we are seeking wisdom in while juggling implications. Did I mention we all need to be flexible, patient and gracious?
  First things first, we need to hear from you.  We have no idea what you may be thinking and how you will respond to this phase of regathering.  Please take a moment to click on the link below and take the Regathering Survey so that we can get a pulse from our congregation.  This will be the first step in planning the many logistics for gathering the people of God to worship in person.  I’m so excited and full of gratitude.  May I ask a big favor of you? Commit these days to prayer (so many of you have earnestly been doing this already).  Thank you.  We are walking into a new day and don’t forget that God has not stopped actively moving his mission forward.
  You may be wondering why we’ve been calling this process OroNaz’s “Regathering Plan” and not our “Reopening Plan.”  The short answer is that we have never closed in being the church so there will be no reopening! We’re regathering, but the mission was never suspended.  Remember that God’s redemptive project is alive and well and does not have store hours or vacation dates.   Let’s do this …..TOGETHER by God’s grace!

As our community quickly moves into a new phase of re-opening from the Coronavirus, we are working with teams from our CLT and Staff to develop a plan to stay within the guidelines set by our State and County to re-open in-person gatherings as early as next week, June 7th. We will be asking for your thoughts and what you might be interested in. A survey will be coming out tomorrow, Friday, May 29th for your input. For those who don't have access to do the survey online, we will have a hard copy of the survey in the bulletin this Sunday, May 31st at our Drive-In Church.

Dear OroNaz,
   I pray that this email finds you encouraged in Christ even in the challenging circumstances of our day. Join me in being renewed this day by one of God’s instruments to remind us of who he is, the Bible. We are reminded this day that there is no place that God does not dwell, and it is impossible to escape his loving presence. (Ps. 139:7, John 15:9, 1 Kings 8:27, Ex. 33:14—just to name a few) I give praise to a God who is with us.
   With that encouragement in mind, I want to bring you up to speed on how our staff and CLT (Church Leadership Team) has been diligently at work these past couple of weeks in drafting a Regathering Plan.
   There are 3 primary graces we have been leaning into to create a plan that is both strategic and flexible to accommodate the ongoing changes of national, state and local health dept. parameters for reopening public life —1) Prayer for the wisdom and discernment of the Lord; 2) Collaboration with community authorities and leaders (from the greater Church body of Butte County and other sectors such as health and wellness, law-enforcement, local jurisdictions, education, business and non-profit organizations), 3) Strategically exercising the many angles of the challenge to safely regather with a steadfast faith and attentive caution to give glory to God and love by caring for our neighbor(s). (Lev. 19, Lk. 10, Mk. 12).
The following is the short-term plan to move Oroville Church of the Nazarene toward regathering under the authority and in harmony with the guidelines of the State of California and the Butte County Health Department (BCHD). I have been honored to serve on the Reopen Butte County task force. This is a team compiled of 11 sectors ranging from local jurisdictions to manufacturing. I am serving on the faith and cultural organizations sector. In addition, I would also like to report that Sheriff Honea and BCHD director Donette York has been so kind to welcome the pastors of the area to join with them in planning efforts that are unique to Oroville. They recognize the essential nature of shared worship and service that our local churches provide for the flourishing of our community.
   OroNaz has been gifted with favor and responsibility in some many ways, one of which is numerically. As we serve a larger population comparative to other churches and organizations within our community, we will have to consider and mitigate risks that some other churches may not have to consider.  Because of this, our journey toward regathering will likely look different and be unique on some levels to other organizations, churches and associations. We desire to be wise stewards, while at the same time, hold unwavering in the discernment of God’s direction.
   As of late, the State of California has granted Butte County attestation to expand reopening provisions in our community as a whole. Even though some businesses and restaurants are opening with spacing and occupancy requirements, public gatherings are still strongly discouraged.  With so many unknowns, we are unable to place firm dates to future phases for our church, however, please know that OroNaz’s staff and the CLT (Church Leadership Team) regathering committee is engaging in ongoing efforts to update and modify that phase plan to meet public guidelines. We will be eager to share with you these steps as we know more accurately the timing and logistics to plan accordingly.    
   We recognize that our plan is still limiting and may frustrate some, however, our hope is that God will bless our stewardship, spirit of willingness and desire to be aligned with Him for his glory and the growth of his kingdom in our community and beyond. We must not forget that God is at work (he is always at work!) and is not hindered by circumstantial limitations.  Our staff and CLT will continue to work diligently to creatively provide opportunities to remain connected to one another and worship God in unity.  We are all looking forward to the day that we will be able to gather together and worship in spirit and truth while standing shoulder to shoulder. When that happens, I believe we will be able to look back, acknowledge and give thanks for the work God faithfully cultivated in us as individuals and a corporate body, seeing how it spurred our church into the next season of worship and service.
   These plans are informed by instructions from the CDC, BCHD and our denomination. The General Superintendents of the Church of the Nazarene has clearly stated that If a church decides to meet without that procedure approved at the current given point by their state, within their respective county, the denomination would not be in support of that church. With this said, the leadership of OroNaz will continue to pay close attention to the status of COVID-19 and the shifting recommendations of the state of California, to adjust our plans accordingly.

***PLEASE NOTE: OroNaz Phase #3 and beyond will be communicated as we enter phase #2 and have clear direction from county officials, our denomination and our CLT to make an safe and appropriate decision.
 
   We are in this together with God calling us to follow him, together—we are our sister’s and brother’s keeper.  When you study the history of the church you see tectonic shifts caused by major events that God used for birthing his missional emergences, reformation and advancement of his restoration project of all of creation.  Here are just a couple (you can google them to learn more), Constantine’s Christendom (4-5th century), the Great Schism including counsels that led up to it (11th Century), the Reformation and the catalyst of the printing press (16th century), Postmodern/Post-Christian era including 9/11 and now COVID-19 (21st century). It’s interesting that these shifts are all about 500 years apart.  May we be attentive to God’s movement, grace and will, keeping in step with him as we are on the verge of a new day.
   Thank you for taking the time read this update.  I want to ask you to continue to pray as this email can serve as a good prayer guide for the individuals in our church, our entire church body, the churches in our community and our greater community. It is natural to feel and act out of fear during these days, however we must be reminded that there is only one antidote to fear and that is the perfect love of our Creator, as given to us in Jesus Christ. (1 John 4:8) May that love, the love that overcame the darkness of death, give you hope this day. 
   With the love of the Father,
   Pastor Travis

UPDATE FROM APRIL 2, 2020:
As we are ending our third week of Shelter-In-Place
Most of us are taking needed precautions to stay home and only go out when we absolutely need to. Our Butte County Health Department just sent out an urgent plea via email, text and a phone call to continue in this process. Our President informed us earlier that the precautions put in place are to stay in effect at least through the end of April. We have never had a situation to this magnitude before. It requires our serious attention, and diligence to adhere to the requests of our leaders. We commend you, and encourage you to stay home, take care of yourself and your family, and stay connected online. If you need anything, prayer or physical needs please call the church office at 530-533-7464, leave a message, we will get back to you.

What can you do with free time? Take a tip from our Sew Much Ladies
I hope you all are doing well in light of the worlds’ struggle with this Covid 19 virus.  It’s a trying time and can, if we let it, lead to panic.  I know I have been tempted to go there a few times.  There is one word that I feel God gave me to help me during this time.  “ACCEPT”  Accept the circumstances, accept the anxiety, accept the grief, accept the isolation, etc.  Then let God lead us through the circumstances doing what we have been told, to be prudent and wise in our choices to minimize the spread of this virus.  Stay home and stay healthy!  We can do that.  At the same time, we can pray for peace, for healing and love and help others to the extent that we can.

  One of the ways we can help and occupy ourselves during this time of sheltering at home is to make masks for our family, friends and the medical community.  If you have been keeping up on the news, you know that the medical community is in desperate need of supplies.  I am planning on making some masks to give away as they are one of the PPE (personal protective equipment) that are in dire need and something that can be made easily.  I will be giving you a few links on tutorials on how to make them for those of you who may be interested and have the means to do so.  It, I believe, is a great project that our ministry can be involved in.  I will be posting my finished masks on our Facebook page for Women Alive – “Oronaz Women’s Ministry”.

Mask tutorials:
https://youtu.be/GmR2P4-b2Uc
https://youtu.be/G9UMXyOPvTM
These are just two of many.  You can just type in the search bar on YouTube “Face Mask Tutorial”

Love and Blessings,
Cynthia Strickland

Have questions on the Coronavirus Package Rebate Check?
Many have been asking questions about this new rebate coming to all of us. There are a lot of questions. There is a site from our representatives in Washington that has a lot of answers that you may be asking. Here is the basic question:
Who is eligible to receive a rebate check?Any person that has a valid Social Security number (SSN), is not considered as a dependent of someone else, and whose adjusted gross income (AGI) does not exceed certain thresholds, is eligible to receive the credit.  This means workers, those receiving welfare benefits, Social Security beneficiaries, and others are all eligible. Click here to read more...

Information on Online Groups Coming Saturday
Watch for the Saturday Update where you can have step by step instructions on how to get on our OroNaz Zoom Platform and join an online group throughout the week. This is a good way to stay connected, praying for others, reading God's Word together, and laughing with someone not at in your house. It is refreshing as a few groups have been testing this tool this week. More information coming Saturday. Watch for the Saturday Update.

A Few Key Things We Want to Remind You About:
 GREAT REPORTS COMING IN ABOUT YESTERDAYS DRIVE-THRU AT CHURCH
In our efforts to connect with you and you with the activities of the Church, we call yesterday's Drive-Thru experience a great success. Thanks to all who participated, from those who helped organize the stuff, those who handed it out, and all of you who took the time to drive-thru and get supplies. A side note, more than supplies were given out. There was energy and excitement in the air to see church friends and family. Keep in touch, stay connected.

As our Office Staff has been calling and talking to people calling in, here are a few of the many comments:

• Hi Tina, I got your message. We are doing well. Both working from home. Take care and thanks for thinking of us.
• I received Teresa's message & it was very thoughtful. We are doing well. We have been live streaming & enjoying it very much. I am young & healthy enough to be going out & being very careful when I come back home to decontaminate myself. Again thank you for checking on us. Praying for health & safety for all our church family.
• Hi Tina, Thank you for reaching out.  Yes, we are doing well, feeling healthy and grateful.  We’re both still working...trying our best to be conscientious of our habits and behaviors.. to not be a “carrier” of this virus. This has become our new normal.

Some great comments for all of us to consider and remember. Take some time to reach out to others in your life. Call a friend, text three people, email or write a letter to someone today. It is critical that we take care of each other.

Take Care of Your Mental Health
Uncertainty and confusion can have a harmful effect on your mental health. This article from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention gives you five ways to take care of your mental health in the face of uncertainty. Here is an excerpt.
Human beings like certainty.  We are hard-wired to want to know what is happening when and to notice things that feel threatening to us.  When things feel uncertain or when we don’t generally feel safe, it’s normal to feel stressed.  This very reaction, while there to protect us, can cause all sorts of havoc when there is a sense of uncertainty and conflicting information around us.

A large part of anxiety comes from a sense of what we think we should be able to control but can’t.  Right now, many of us are worried about COVID-19, known as the “Coronavirus”.  We may feel helpless about what will happen or what we can do to prevent further stress.  The uncertainty might also connect to our uncertainty about other aspects of our lives, or remind us of past times when we didn’t feel safe and the immediate future was uncertain. In times like these, our mental health can suffer.  Click here to read more.. 

Pray for Open Hearts
Weeks ago, when many cities in China were first experiencing the Coronavirus lockdown, a friend asked us to pray for the people of China and this time-sensitive opportunity.  Many people could not go to work and were stuck in their homes with nothing to do but talk with family and contemplate what was happening.  The prayer request was that we pray for the Chinese Christians to boldly share the good news of Jesus with their families.  We prayed specifically for a young man who had come to the states to attend a university, became a Christian and was currently in lockdown at home in China reading the Bible to his parents and discussing Christianity for the first time and they were listening with open hearts.  When I was praying for China, it didn’t occur to me that we too would soon be experiencing the same unique opportunity for sharing the good news of Jesus.  Pray for open hearts.
By Kelly Yam

Update from March 24, 2020
Four primary things we want to remind you about:

• Make plans to stop by the Church drive-through tomorrow, Wednesday, March 25th between 2:30pm and 6:30pm to get a virtual hug, and some fun stuff. You can pull up under the Portico, on the East side of the building. Roll down your window, and a staff member will bring ask what you need, and if we have it, we will get it for you. For our kids we have a fun activity bag, for Sunday we want you to get your communion elements and be ready.
  
• We have prayerfully decided that All Ministry Gatherings, on and off-site, are Suspended, including our Office and Pastoral staff working on site. At this time we asked staff to refrain from working at the offices and to instead work from home. Because of this, when you call the church you will receive a voice message. Please leave a short message with relevant information and we will get back to you the same day or at best the next business day. Feel free to also email us at info@oronaz.org. We are only doing two Live Streams per week now, one on Sundays, our Worship Service at 10am, and the other one on Tuesdays, which is our Youth Service at 6pm. You will notice that we are limiting the size of these teams to limit the risk to each other. Your Pastoral Staff is still meeting regularly, in fact, three times a week via Zoom. Check out our pictures on the new Zoom platform. We not only meet, but we also talk about the Word of God and spend some time in prayer for you each time we meet. 
• Please make time each day to pray and read you the Bible. Try praying for others, and maybe even get on the phone and pray with someone, or do facetime or skype. As you get better at Zoom you can use a basic account and get several friends together at the same time. Stay connected, but stay home and stay safe.
• We hope you are taking this time seriously. We are just at the beginning stages of this thing. There are now four reported cases of the COVID-19 in Butte County. I don't have to tell you more. There are some who are still going out, going about their normal life, and simply putting themselves in danger, as well as those they love. Here are a few things that the CDC recommends to do now while you are healthy.

Update from 3/21/2020
Considering today one of my favorite verses in the Bible. The writer to the Hebrews in challenging his listeners to persevere in their faith, something we all could use right about now. He says in Hebrews 10:22-25:

" Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Powerful words for us today. I especially like verse 24 and 25. It is impossible to spur one another on without being in contact with others. We have so many ways to make contact with others, not just in person. Call someone today, email others, text friends, face-time or Skype someone, or sit down with a pen and paper and write them a letter. We need to stay in contact with each other now more than ever.

There you have it. "SPUR ONE ANOTHER ON TODAY!" There are some really important updates below the video, don't stop reading, watch the video, then read the updates. Stay connected. See you tomorrow on the OroNaz YouTube Channel as we gather together in our separate homes to worship our God. 

Three primary things we want to remind you about:

• Don't neglect assembling together, even if it is online. Join us at 10am for the Live Stream of the service, or watch it later (oronaz.org/stream). Make it a dedicated time, not while you are doing other things. Give God that time, he will help you make it worth your while. Make sure and take a group picture when you are participating in the Service tomorrow and post it on our Facebook post (www.facebook.com/oronaz)
• Do the Group Survey at oronaz.org/groupsurvey to let us know which groups you are part of or want to be part of. Even if you haven't been part of the groups listed you can still join them now. There is no limit to those who participate, so fill your day and week with others in the study of God's Word. Don't confuse this new Groups Survey with the Helps survey. If you want to help others or need help fill out the Helps survey at oronaz.org/survey
• Make sure and take the family on that field trip to the Church on Wednesday, March 25th, between the 2:30-6:30pm, to pick up kids activity kits, hygiene kits, and individually packed communion for next Sunday, March 29th when we take communion together on Live Stream.

I almost forgot, parents, take time tomorrow to spend time with your children and their teacher with the lessons posted on our Children's page on our website. Go to oronaz.org/children and everything you need is right there.

Stay connected, don't lose heart, God has this, we need to trust Him and know that He will is in control.

Love you all, God bless. If you need anything please let us know, you can call the church office and leave a message at 530-533-7464 or email info@oronaz.org. Someone will get back to you. Take time to take the help survey by clicking here. We already have people who would be willing to get groceries and other errands for you. Let us know how we can help you!
Pastor Kenn Bishop

Update from March 20, 2020:
Well, it's a new day and we are officially in a SHELTER-IN-PLACE order from the Governor for the next month. There is a lot of debate as to what that means. We are supposed to only do essential things, otherwise, stay home. The best plan for all of us is to abide by this and stop grumbling and complaining. Here is a great verse for us to consider today:

"Do everything without grumbling and arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, "children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation. Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life" Philippians 2:14-16b.

That is hard to do, especially in these times. Solitude we are learning is good, but it is good when we use it to focus on God, not all the stuff around us. We are being forced to practice solitude, isolation, social distancing, but not spiritual distancing. Stay in touch with God first, many of you have your devotional books for Easter, read that together as a family, read the word, focus on intentional prayer.

I read this from Henri Nouwen in yesterdays devotional on page 94,

"From all that I said about our worried, overfilled lives, it is clear that we are usually surrounded by so much inner and outer noise that it is hard to truly hear our God when he is speaking to us." 

WOW!! So true for our times now. In the paragraph just above that, he says,

"Through the practice of a spiritual discipline we become attentive to that small voice and willing to respond when we hear it." 

I think this says it all. We have to take this time to practice "SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINE" instead of all the other things we so easily turn our attention to. We have to purposefully force ourselves to take our eyes off of all that stuff that just sends us into a tailspin, and look fully in the face of a loving God. One last quote from yesterday's Nouwen devotion on page 95,

"that is true prayer: being all ear for God. The core of all prayer is indeed listening, obediently standing in the presence of God." 

There you have it. "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace."

OK then, we will stay home and only go out when we absolutely have to and keep our eyes on Jesus. We do have one thing we want you to go out for, and the Governor may not agree, but we feel that your spiritual health is as important as your physical health, so, this Wednesday, March 25th, we will have some of our Church Staff (masked and gloved) standing in the drive-through area on the west side of the church with essential items for you and your family. You can drive through between the hours of 2:30 and 6:30pm. So, load everyone in the car and take a field trip on Wednesday to get things like kid activity kits, hygiene kits, and individually packed communion for next Sunday, March 29th when we take communion together on Live Stream.

Take care of yourself and your family. Stay tuned for our online groups started early next week. More to come on that once your leaders are trained. Stay in touch.

• Join us Sunday at 10am on our Live Stream click here  to go to our YouTube Channel.
• Post pictures and things on our Facebook page by clicking here.
• If you have a need please email info@oronaz.org or call the church and leave a voice message at 530-533-7464. Someone will get back to you.
• Take time to take the help survey by clicking here.
• We already have people who would be willing to get groceries and other errands for you. Let us know how we can help you!
• Drive through and pick up your spiritual supplies at the Church on Wednesday, March 25th between 2:30pm and 6:30pm.

God is at work, look for Him all around you!
Pastor Kenn Bishop

Update from March 19, 2020
Know that God is at work in the world. He has not left us, his heart is still with us. Even though we may not be able to gather together as we want, know that we are still the Church. The Church isn't the building, it sits empty now, waiting for this time to pass so it can be filled with the sounds of hope, joy and rejoicing. Until then we must stay in touch. We are the Church. We are so excited to be online with you and your family. We are extending our suspension of in-person gatherings through the end of March. More and new information is included below

Pastor Shane and her many Children's leaders are prepping as though they were going to be inviting your kids into their living rooms this coming Sunday. Each class will have its own video and lesson. We will be posting them on our children's page on our website at oronaz.org/children by Saturday, so you can watch them and interact with your kids while participating on Sunday, either before or after our Live Stream of Church at 10am.

We have been working hard to get you back in your small groups and studies. We have purchased a program called "Zoom," an online interactive program that your leaders can use to hold studies, groups, and meetings online. For now, we are wanting to stay away from being together physically, but we must find creative ways to hang out spiritually. We think this might be a good resource. Your leaders will be trained this weekend and the first part of next week. Your leader will then be getting in contact with you to verify you're available to have the necessary device to join them. A smartphone of any kind, a pad, laptop or desktop computer with a camera can participate. More information to come.

Finally, stay safe, be smart, don't take unnecessary chances. You must be in charge of your health. I know, I've been told, there are no reported cases in Butte County. The problem is when there is a reported case it will be too late. I heard a great comment from one of our School District Administrators earlier this week that I have been holding onto. We are better to have taken the precautions and not needed them, than to not take them and wish we did.

Remember, God is in this, He is with you, and He will protect and provide. His Word is filled with these promises. Claim them.
Pastor Kenn

Update from 3/18/2020
Be encouraged today Oronaz! 
Our daily Lent meditation (p. 62 – Wednesday of the second week in Lent) reminds us that “servanthood is a joyful way of life in which our eyes are opened to the vision of the true God who chose the way of servanthood to make himself known” (Matt. 20-:26-28). Today, be filled with hope as we, together join in one spirit to serve others in the same ways we have been graciously served by Jesus. Join me in praying that our eyes, ears and hearts would be open to the endless possibilities that God is already at work in our homes, neighborhoods and community and is calling us to join him.  For a list of ideas to serve and remain connected look back on yesterday’s update.

Below are a few reminders and updates:

• PLEASE! Take a moment to fill-out the survey form on how you would like to remain connected to your church family.  Click here to access that form.
• Serenity Recovery Ministry goes live at 6:30pm tonight (3/18) on OroNaz’s YouTube Channel. Click here to go to our YouTube channel.
• Planning for online ministry video conferencing is happening right now and will be rolled out very soon. Stay tuned…
• OroNaz will worship together streaming online this Sunday, March 22 at 10am on our YouTube channel.   
• Share stories, pictures and videos of encouragement on the OroNaz Facebook page. Click here to go to our Facebook page

  If you have questions or needs please contact the church through our Facebook page (facebook.com/oronaz), email (info@oronaz.org) or phone 530.533.7464. Serve one another just like Jesus!
  Serving like Jesus,
  Pastor Travis

Update from 3/17/2020
In the wake of the recent days and those to unfold I thought our Lent meditation from Show Me The Way, by Henri Nouwen was strikingly timely today. Friends, being physically separated from one another does not, it must not!-- mean our connection and relational ties get put on hold.  Our God has shown us that his very nature is love. That love cannot be bound by space, time or circumstance.  We are his beloved, partakers in that love, we are invited to learn (and quite possibly relearn) to love in this way because we are first loved by him. Bottomline, God is with us and as a result we can be with one another.

Nouwen writes, “God’s compassion (love) is not something abstract or indefinite, but a concrete, specific gesture in which God reaches out to us.”  He then goes on to say, “As we live on the earth, our lives as Christians must be marked by compassion (love). But we must realize that the compassionate life is not our final goal. In fact, we can live the compassionate life to the fullest only when we know that it points beyond itself.”

There it is!  The expression of love is our call as followers of Jesus because it points beyond itself to God himself.  Simple?  Not so fast!  It’s hard to focus beyond ourselves, but here is the great news, God is inviting us to practice.  Dear OroNaz community, let’s practice expressing love in fresh, creative and authentic ways. What an opportunity we presently have to look beyond ourselves and catch the vision that God is making all things new.  What does this look like?  Here are a couple of examples, but the ideas are endless:

• Think of 10 people that you normally see at church and contact them.
• If you were a part of CommonTable group last fall, find an old email and reach out to people in your group. If you are currently involved in a Life group, women’s group, men’s group, any group, do the same.
• Check on your neighbors and make yourself available for their needs (especially if they are older, financially struggling or overwhelmed by 24 hr. care for their kiddos).
• Be active in Sunday online worship and the soon-to-come interactive conference streaming of prayer groups, Bible studies, children/youth ministries and others. You might even consider joining with a few others (under 10 people) to worship, learn and grow together online.
• Post a story on the OroNaz Facebook page (www.facebook.com/oronaz) of how God is on the move. Use a picture and video to let others see and be encouraged.
• Several have already contacted the church wanting to help to provide food and other basic needs to those who are the most vulnerable during this time.  Our staff and leadership are strategizing to mobilize teams (would you like to help? email info@oronaz.org to let us know).
• What are some of your ideas to express love and keep connected?  Share on our Facebook page. www.facebook.com/oronaz

 
We are faced with a tremendous opportunity to be creative in how we express love.  Don’t lose heart. Keep praying. Reading God’s Word along with the Lent meditations (they are so good!) and don’t lose connection. 
Below are a few reminders and updates.

• Take a moment to fill-out the survey form on how you would best like to remain connected to your church family.  Click here to access that form.
• All ministry gatherings on and offsite through March 22 are suspended.
• OroNaz will worship together streaming online Sunday, March 22 at 10am (oronaz.org/stream for details).  
• Logistics for online ministry streaming is being scheduled and will be rolled out soon. Stay tuned…
• OroNaz Youth will be streaming youth group live on the OroNaz YouTube channel starting at 6pm tonight (oronaz.org/stream for details).  

If you have questions or needs please contact the church office by email (info@oronaz.org) or phone 530.533.7464 (8am-4:30pm, or leave a message and you will be contacted). You are loved!
Hopeful,
Pastor Travis

Updated from 3/16/2020
The worship of God’s people went out all around the world yesterday in many forms including an unprecedented amount online. OroNaz was one of many congregations who worshiped online through live stream. It was a different experience, but since then many of you have reported hopeful encouragement.  We share this so that all may be encouraged and filled with hope this day.

For several hours this morning the pastoral staff of OroNaz met to pray, prepare and strategize how the ministry of our church will continue regardless of the swirling unknowns.  Leadership is actively and continually seeking professional advice and discernment to determine the safety and health of our community. Since the communication climate is constantly changing from hour to hour, we have prayerfully decided to suspend all ministry gatherings on and offsite from March 16 through March 22. We will continue to gather online for worship Sunday, March 22 at 10am.

If you have questions about a specific ministry that you are involved in, please contact your ministry lead. If you have questions or needs please contact the church office by email (info@oronaz.org) or by phone 530.533.7464 (8am-4:30pm or leave a message and you will be contacted).
Hopeful,
Pastor Travis

Dear friends--  I thank God for you! In this present moment and situation, I firmly believe that we are being called to bear witness to the Gospel in our world through the love of our neighbor(s).  The Call is before us to be at attention and be prepared to take care of each other. For this reason, we are positioning ourselves to seek, at all cost, the health and wholeness of our neighbor (our faith body and greater community), especially the most vulnerable among us.

In light of this and with much, prayer and professional consultation we have made the decision to cancel all on-site (in person) services and ministries events for Sunday, March 15th (all ages, all gatherings: children ministries, Sunday afternoon Lent Groups, Prayer, and Open Basketball).

We are taking this day by day right now. More information will be coming Monday afternoon in regards to future plans. Check the links below to get help finding the information you need. Feel free to respond to this email with any questions, concerns or needs you might have.
Pastor Travis

Updated 3/13/2020 FROM PASTOR TRAVIS:
With initial news and unfolding updates on the COVID-19, there have been many responses ranging from indifference to panic. Jesus gives us and calls us to a sober-minded faith and hope—to fear Him, to believe His Word, God is our refuge and strength, and to respond in faith, do not fear.

Even as we do not know the details of this virus, we are united to the One who does. Jesus is our refuge and strength, our very present help in trouble. What faith looks like for us is not pretending that the spread of this virus is not a cause for concern nor resigning ourselves to despair or panic, but rather looking to Jesus, exercising wisdom and discretion, not fear.

The call of the love of Christ upon us means that we are prayerful, vigilant, and careful—doing all that we can do to stop the spread of the virus, especially in light of those who are most vulnerable among us. As we care for our church body and the greater community we are bearing witness to the Gospel. The way of Jesus is a way that loves and blesses others.

Psalm 46:10 reminds us of God’s commitment to reveal Himself as the One, true God, even when it seems that everything is falling apart. It is a reminder to us that He is present and still working when things seem hopeless and everyone is panicking-- the Cross reminds us that God has a habit of doing things this way. The encouragement to us is that we be still and know that He is God. Paul tells the church in Phillipi (Phil. 4:5-6) not to be anxious, but we often miss the conjunction just before-- "The Lord is near..." (so then, do not be anxious) He has us. Let’s join together as we are already one in Christ.
Love you all,
Pastor Travis

We are committed to be a people that cares deeply for our community, which includes every person that calls OroNaz home.  It is for this reason OroNaz is taking health and safety precautions to the highest priority during the coronavirus (COVID-19) concern. All around the world, churches are facing the social impact that the coronavirus presents. I want you to be assured that, while fear is being felt for many of us, all who are in Christ Jesus can remain in Christ’s love with vigilance, cooperation, responsibility, and hope.
 
OroNaz is committed to keeping you informed with accurate and up-to-date information. OroNaz leadership remains in close communication with local medical professionals, the Butte County Health Dept. and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Below are some precautionary practices that we would encourage you to practice at OroNaz. These practices can also be a guide for your home and in the general public.