Archived Information and Updates
 
 
May 14, 2021

Church Family,

As Elders, we wanted to reach out to you about the COVID-19 situation with both information and encouragement.

On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) changed the guidelines for social distancing and masking for fully vaccinated individuals. Additionally, Boone County’s health ordinance for COVID-19 expired on May 12th.

Based on these developments, we are ending the requirement to remain masked while in our building.

Naturally, those who wish to continue to wear a mask should feel free to do so. Further, you should know that the CDC continues to recommend non-vaccinated and immunocompromised persons continue to wear masks and maintain a social distance of six feet.

For now, we intend to keep our socially distanced seating arrangements and continue to use individualized communion service items.

Like so much during this pandemic year, we continue to monitor the public health situation. Know that we might have to change the policy if the local health situation warrants it.

We encourage you to monitor your health and to refrain from church activities if you feel sick. If you can’t join us in person, our weekly Livestream remains available for your convenience.

As always, if you have concerns or suggestions, please let us know.

The Elders at the Fairview Road Church of Christ
 
November 20, 2020
 
Church Family,
We continue to prayerfully review recent information and guidance from local, state, and national authorities as we discern the best way to lead our congregation. As the numbers in our community change, so must our plans and practices.
 
We are asking that everyone over the age of 10 wear a mask at all times while in the building – including while seated during worship.
 
It remains vital to our vision and mission that we show love and kindness in our words and actions, and we believe this is one way we can do so at this time – showing concern and protection for others who may be vulnerable in our midst and in our community.
We continue to work on improvements to our on-site and live-stream services. Please continue to make the best decision for your unique situation on how you will join us. And please continue to stay at home if you have any symptoms or illness.
 
Through this all we will continue to pursue a more resilient faith as we cling to the promise that there is New Life, Every Day, Because of Jesus. Stay safe, stay connected, and know that you are each in our prayers regularly.
 
The Elders
 
 
July 10, 2020
 
We pray all is well with you and your family. We genuinely miss the opportunity for all to gather for worship. We look forward to the day that this pandemic is resolved. Until then, we continue to pray over the situation and monitor guidance from state, federal, and local authorities.
 
This week, the City of Columbia passed an ordinance requiring face masks to be worn in public by all persons 10 years and older. After reviewing guidance from the City, here is how this new ordinance will impact our Sunday morning worship gatherings.
  • You will be required to wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth as you enter, exit, and move around the building. Once you are seated for worship and have six feet of distance from anyone who does not reside in your household, you may remove your face mask. If you prefer to wear your face mask during the worship service, that is okay too.
  • We recognize each individual and family must assess their situation when deciding whether to join in public worship. We understand and respect that not attending will be the best medical decision for some members. For those who cannot attend, we will continue to host a live stream through our YouTube channel. While we miss seeing each of you, we are thankful to have the ability to worship together virtually.
  • If you are not feeling well or have any symptoms including, but not limited to; fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, loss of taste or smell, do not come to the building. Please join us through the live stream while you have symptoms.
Continue to love and honor one another. In such times, it is easy to focus on different opinions and practices and to forget to celebrate what unifies us – that we cling to the hope of New Life, Every Day, Because of Jesus.
​
Please know that the elders and staff continue to pray over each of you. If you have a specific need, please reach out to let us know how we can support you.
 
June 4, 2020
 
Sunday, June 7 has been designated “Missions Sunday” for Fairview Road Church of Christ. On this day we have opportunity to give financially to support local and global missions. It is a time to reflect on blessings that come from being a part of Christ’s Church. And as a part of that reflection, recognize the blessing of being able to serve others in our community, across our nation, and around the world. It is the hope of church leadership that every member of Fairview Road will pray for the success of our mission work and become involved. These purposefully chosen ministries provide opportunities to demonstrate our love of Christ, love for one another, and love for our neighbors.
 
In the past year our local mission work has included: continued monthly delivery of food to families in need through our Food Pantry; providing meals on a schedule to St Francis House, a shelter for homeless men; Project Linus – where our K-5th graders make blankets as gifts for seriously ill or traumatized children; Warm Up Columbia – in collaboration with the Voluntary Action Center we provide warm clothing – coats, gloves, hats, and blankets to be distributed; In collaboration with LOVE, INC we complete Christmas gifts requests for selected families in need; and for the 10th consecutive year: Extreme Home Makeover (EHM), Fairview Road Edition. Last summer we provided repair, revitalization, and landscaping improvements for two terrific organizations (Great Circle and Granny’s House), that provide a variety of services to youth and adolescents in the Columbia area. Around 70 volunteers provided 500 hours of service to complete the home makeover project. This year’s EHM is planned for August 5-8 at a different Great Circle facility in Columbia.
 
For global missions, FRCC has made contributions to the following efforts: Support for orphaned youth in two homes in Cap Haitien, Haiti; a year commitment to famine relief through Zambia Mission Fund; continued support to Sam Shewmaker – who has provided a range of successful mission services in Africa for over 30 years; a one-time gift to the mission work of Felipe Cariaga assisting Christian families dealing with eruption of the Taal volcano. A planned mission trip to Mision Para Christo in Nicaragua for July 2020 had to be cancelled due to the corona virus pandemic. We are exploring options to support Mision para Christo in the coming year. This mission provides education, medical, and job training services in addition to church ministries to a rural Nicaraguan community. We are making plans for a mission trip in summer 2021.
 
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” Matthew 7:7-8
 
People in our community and around the world are asking and seeking. Let’s work together to give generously of our time and resources. And be a force to open doors for people to find a new (and awesome) life in Christ.
 
The Elders
 
 
May 19, 2020
 
We want to offer our sincerest thanks to everyone. We are thankful for those who are safely participating in worship at home using the new live stream, and for those following safe precautions at our assemblies. We are all one family and remain united in spirit. We are thankful for each of you.
 
Thank you for the kind notes, email, and phone conversations; for your encouragement to us, to the staff, and to each other. Please continue to find ways to grow in your connections.
 
Thank you for what you are doing to shine the light of Christ in your neighborhood and our community. At a time that in many ways has been overwhelmingly dark and negative, we see so much in you that shines the light of Jesus in a positive way.
 
Thank you!
 
The Elders
 
 
May 12, 2020
We were encouraged and blessed by seeing many of you Sunday at our worship assembly. And we were pleased to see several were able to virtually connect to the worship through the live stream.
 
We will continue to evaluate how to improve the live stream and our on-site gathering. We ask that you continue to watch for and observe the guidelines that we will be making available.
 
Please continue to reach out to us to let us know of any needs you have.
The Elders.
 
 
May 5, 2020
After reviewing local guidance and careful consideration, the elders have decided to provide a worship assembly Sunday, May 10th at 10:00am.
We believe the decision to attend or stay home is personal and we want to you be empowered to make the best decision for your unique situation. While we have taken precautions to help limit close interaction, there remain valid concerns we encourage you to consider.
• If you or a family member are in a high risk category, it may not be prudent for you to attend
• If you are not comfortable with the current situation within the community, it may be best for you to enjoy services from home
• If you have any active symptoms (fever, cough, cold or flu-like symptoms or difficulty breathing), do not attend and enjoy services from home
A summary of the precautions we are taking and what you can expect if you choose to attend this Sunday can be found on our website.
 
 
April 28, 2020
 
We continue to watch state and local updates closely. As we anticipate the changing of stay-at-home orders we continue looking at ways we can safely return to some form of worship assembly. While we are anxious to see you all in person again, we want to assure that we do so in a way that is safe for everyone and is in keeping with what is best for our community. We will rely heavily on local officials for guidance.
Above all, we rely on our Heavenly Father to guide and to keep each of us. You remain in our constant prayers and ask that you pray for us, for each other, and for our community.
 
The Elders
 
 
April 23, 2020
 
Church Family,
During this pandemic, we are grateful that our members continue to seek opportunities to serve one another as well as our neighbors, family and friends.
 
Service is the perfect demonstration of willingly sharing God’s love. We have seen this manifested in calls, emails, letters, prayers, meals, errand running, checking on neighbors, distant celebrations and so much more.
 
Our Food Pantry is another way you can serve our community. When you are shopping for your own family, consider purchasing some extra items to restock our food pantry. We are well stocked with many staple items, but are in need of some of the following:
  • Ladies razors
  • Toothpaste and toothbrushes
  • Oatmeal Variety Packs
  • Canned pastas
  • Applesauce
  • Manwich (bold flavor)
  • Alfredo sauce
  • Potato sides

 

The Elders
 
 
April 21, 2020
 
Church Family,
We continue to be thankful to see and hear the reception various new resources have received. One great new opportunity is that sharing what is going on at Fairview has never been easier.
 
We can all think of someone who might need a little extra encouragement or a way to engage during isolation. Many of you are speaking more to neighbors and friends on the phone or online. As you connect with people, be on the look-out for opportunities to share a bible study, devotional or worship video. As you connect with people in new ways, don’t forget to share your faith as well.
 
All of our worship services, web resources, videos and devotionals on various electronic platforms are easily shareable through social media, text or email. This may be an easy way to grow in encouraging and sharing your faith with others.

 

The Elders
 
April 16, 2020
Church Family,
While we continue to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, it remains important that we model Christ in our actions. Some of you are doing this by continuing to work in important service and support jobs. Others are doing this by enduring extended times at home. We have heard many stories of people encouraging and lifting one another up through cards, phone calls and prayers. Please continue to look out for one another, be good neighbors, and shine the light of Jesus in difficult times.
 
If you need additional communion supplies, Andrew will be at the building this Friday afternoon from 1 – 2. If you need supplies delivered to you, contact Andrew or David.
 
We pray for you regularly and trust that God will sustain us all and hold us in his hands.

 

The Elders
 
April 14, 2020
We received some helpful feedback on the resources that are available on our website, particularly about our worship videos. The most common positive feedback has been related to feeling a sense of normalcy by having Brian preach from the pulpit and having the youth and other members participate in prayers and communion meditations.
The most common areas for improvement with our weekly worship videos related to the number and familiarity of songs as well as having a blessing from the elders. The eldership will continue to review this information with the staff as we adapt and adjust through this time.
 
If you have not yet shared your thoughts with us, you may continue to leave anonymous feedback HERE.

The ministerial staff have begun a new devotional series titled Under the Sun. This series provides a reminder that while the particulars may be new, the core truths of a given situation are not unique. God’s word provides real and relevant wisdom for the times in which we live.
 
Follow along with this series as new devotionals publish every Tuesday and Thursday. And share these encouraging messages with those you think might benefit from them. Today’s devotional explores wisdom for dealing with financial uncertainty and disappointment.
 
 
April 9, 2020
We are so grateful for the work that our ministry staff have undertaken in the last couple of weeks to ensure that resources are available to encourage us all in our daily walk and to help us stay connected. The weekly worship videos, the devotionals and the children’s resources that are available on our website have been outstanding; and we are also grateful for Jamey’s efforts to keep the youth engaged through zoom meetings.
 
Andrew will soon be starting a virtual class on Sunday mornings; if you are interested in joining this class, please let him know.

Fairview Road’s Food Pantry is still in operation, though modified to allow curbside pick-up. This ministry is ever more vital as more of our community becomes unemployed, and we can use your donations of food items. When you are shopping for what your family needs, remember to pick-up some extra items for the Food Pantry. You can contact the office to arrange delivery of your donations.

We continue to pray over the congregation during this time and we so look forward to when we can gather again. If you have any needs, please reach out to one of us.

The Elders
 
 
April 7, 2020
Our goal has been to not only survive, but thrive during this season. Part of that goal is to grow and expand opportunities to connect with one another.
 
During the past few weeks, we and the ministerial staff have been hard at work to find new ways to stay connected and plugged into God’s Word. We have pulled together devotionals, education, and worship resources. We see that people are accessing and sharing these resources, and we are grateful to have heard some early feedback.
 
We’d love to hear from you on how these resources have blessed you, what difficulties you have had, and what opportunities may exist to move forward.
Leave anonymous feedback HERE.
 
Mission Sunday Moved to June 7th
Due to the ongoing circumstances preventing us from gathering at this time, the Missions Committee has decided to move Mission Sunday to June 7th. The need for us to serve both locally and worldwide have never been greater. Please continue to lift our mission efforts in prayer and consider how you might contribute and participate in this coming year. More details on specific needs will come soon.
 
 
April 2, 2020
Dear Fairview Family,
 
We are very encouraged with all that is being accomplished by staff and members at Fairview – both despite of and because of COVID-19. Please keep sharing your needs and your stories with us and with each other. Some members have graciously offered to pick up items for those who cannot get out themselves, so please let us know how we can assist you.

As we continue to focus on the spiritual and physical resources we are able to provide for our church family, we have spent much time this past week discussing and planning our ongoing efforts in foreign and local missions. Please continue to join us in prayer for these efforts – that they will bear much fruit and will be done safely.
 
Please be sure to stay connected with our Fairview Road Church Internet home page for ongoing postings. Special thanks to Brian and Andrew for a new Sunday worship segment each week and to our teens who have been willing to participate in leading the Sunday worship.
 
Also on the home page, the series of our individual stories is complete. Some are in a video format and others as text. Each tells the story of how our lives have been transformed by our faith. You will also find Bible studies, devotionals and children’s resources for your use. We hope you will find these to be an encouragement.
 
As always, our Fairview Road Church Family is uppermost in our prayers.
 
 
March 31, 2020
Good evening Family,
We decided to cancel the 2020 Mission Trip to Nicaragua due to the COVID-19 situation. The health and safety of our members – and those we intend to serve at Mision Para Cristo in Nicaragua – make it impossible for us to visit right now.

We designed this mission trip to:
  1. please God and grow our understanding of Christ’s church,
  2. spread the gospel to persons served by Mision Para Cristo and
  3. expand our faith. To that end, we still believe we can accomplish these three objectives.

To that end, we still believe we can accoplish these three objectives. With your support, our plans include the following:
Remaining in contact with Mision Para Cristo leaders and let them know of our support.
Plan an in-person visit to the mission in 2021.
Grow our relationship with Mision Para Cristo over the next year by supporting areas identified on their website — www.misionparacristo.com. Examples include sending “Smile Boxes” to children at Christmas time, sponsoring school and health expenses for a child, etc.

While canceling the 2020 trip disappoints everyone, we know God remains in control. The revised plans are only a detour on our path to serve. By continuing our involvement, we can grow our relationship with the mission and make our visit in 2021 even more meaningful.

 
 
March 26, 2020
Dear Fairview Family,

We are encouraged by the communication taking place – the calls, cards, and activity on the family Facebook page. Please keep reaching out to one another.
 
As you have no doubt heard, the city and county have issued new guidelines. We have made the decision to set up our office staff to work from home. You can still connect with staff through email and numbers listed in the directory. Vicki will be regularly checking the mail and has remote access to voicemail. Our hope is that this move will keep our staff safe, be in the best interest of public health, and have a limited impact on our ability to connect.
 
Online giving remains an excellent tool during times like these. We have added a short video tutorial to our website that will step you through the process of setting up a one-time or recurring gift. If you have questions, please contact Andrew.
 
Thank you again for all you are doing to live out our shared vision. We encourage you to continue shining the light of Jesus in difficult times.
 
The Elders.
 
 
March 23, 2020
Good morning family,
 
Thank you for your continued faithfulness to our mission during the past week. Despite challenges, we were able to worship, commune, and grow together. We will continue to adapt and grow in the coming weeks. Here are some things you can do this week.
  • Stay engaged in study – Brian has prepared two new devotionals for this week. The first is available now.
  • Stay engaged in fellowship – Connect with our private Facebook page , call someone you miss seeing or someone you think may be lonely during this time. Send a card to encourage someone that could use a lift.
  • Stay engaged in our mission – The elders continue to share their transformation stories. Burt Miller’s is available now.
We continue to pray over each of you and our community.
 
The elders.
 
 
March 20, 2020

Hey Fairview Family!

We have ordered some individually wrapped communion packages that you and your family can use to have communion time in the Sundays to come. You may come to the building tomorrow morning (Saturday) from 10:00-11:00 to pick up some supplies. If you are unable to get out tomorrow, contact David Parker and we will arrange to deliver some to you. We continue to pray for God’s protection over each of you. Have a great weekend!

The Elders
 
 
March 19, 2020
Church family,
 
As new information becomes available on a daily basis, the elders and staff remain in constant prayer for guidance and wisdom. Based on current national and local recommendations, we will continue to refrain from meeting this coming week.
 
We remain committed to forging ahead with our Spirit-led vision for the year – transforming in faith. We are working diligently to figure out how best to lead in that vision under our current limited circumstances. We ask for your graciousness and your prayers as we adapt, grow, and learn.
 
We remain positive that in the face of difficulties and limitations, there are great opportunities to stretch and to grow – ways to transform! Jesus promised us troubles in this world, but he also promised that he had overcome this world (John 16:33). In this time, we rejoice in those promises.
 
We ask you to actively participate by following along with the materials that we and the ministerial staff continue to prepare and post online. Use the study and devotional materials, engage with the questions, and reach out to each other with encouragement.
 
The Elders at the Fairview Road Church of Christ
 
 
March 16, 2020 -Statement from the Elders

Dear members of the Fairview Road Church of Christ,

As the public health situation regarding the COVID-19 virus unfolds, the elders remain committed to faithfulness in prayer, seeking guidance from God’s Holy Spirit. We continue to consider how we lead with wisdom in this rapidly changing environment. Our goal is to do this with transparency and openness.

Though difficult for us, we canceled services on March 15th based on the best information at the time. Further, we do not intend to meet on Wednesday, March 18th.

We desire to meet together as soon as we safely can. To accomplish this, we will explore ways to reduce and eliminate risk factors inherent to an assembly setting. During this time, the elders intend to meet (or have a conference call) twice per week to address the public health situation and how it impacts our membership.

We recognize the need for timely decisions and information in the coming weeks. Each Thursday, we will provide an update on plans for the coming Sunday and Wednesday. We will post this information to our church website – www.fairviewroad.org We understand that some of our members do not have reliable access to the Internet. The elders will identify these members and make plans to call them with updates regarding service cancelations. Please keep in mind that the situation may change frequently, and our plans may need to change quickly. Once we are again able to assemble safely, a good practice would be to check the website before you leave home.

We desire to maintain a sense of connection and build an environment of spiritual growth through the days ahead. We want to provide spiritually forming devotional and educational content twice weekly as part of regular informational updates. We will also look into video sermons and other accessible materials.

We want to remain connected during this unprecedented time. We encourage members to continue communication with their brothers and sisters, respecting the need to limit physical contact with higher-risk groups. Phone calls, cards, letters, email, texts, and other means of communication offer real ways to remain connected.

 

The Elders at the Fairview Road Church of Christ

 

March 14th, 2020 – Statement from the Elders

Dear Members of the Fairview Road Church of Christ,

As Elders, we wanted to reach out to you about the COVID-19 situation with both information and encouragement.

We are taking steps to protect the health of our congregation. Our building is as clean as we can make it at this time. We continue to evaluate other measures to help thwart the transmission of communicable diseases. We encourage you to follow all public health suggestions and recommendations. MU Health Care provides up-to-date guidance at this link https://www.muhealth.org/conditions-treatments/medicine/infectious-disease/coronavirus

We encourage you to monitor your health and to refrain from church activities if you have symptoms of illness. If you feel sick, stay home and follow these steps from CDC. Additionally, if a member of your immediate family is ill, we recommend the entire family stay home.

To our seniors and those with underlying health concerns, we understand that your risk of getting very sick from COVID-19 is higher. You have our blessing to stay home if you feel uncomfortable attending worship.

To other members, be vigilant in loving your neighbors, particularly the elderly and infirmed among us. We encourage members to remain connected to these brothers and sisters, respecting the need to limit physical contact with higher-risk groups. Phone calls, cards, letters, texts, and other means of communication offer real ways to remain connected to higher-risk groups.

If other activities canceled, we will send a mass email and we will post the announcement to our website and Facebook page. Please keep in mind that this public health situation remains fluid and that our plans may need to change quickly.

We believe it is within the hour of hardship that people most need the comfort and stability our church provides. Remember, we serve a risen Savior who is in control. That should be evident in the way we respond to this situation. It was our Christian brothers and sisters in China, who led the way during the initial outbreak of this virus. They testified to their hope by loving, serving, and above all, trusting in the LORD.

 

The Elders at the Fairview Road Church of Christ