Staying Connected
The leadership of ROC will post regular updates and notes of encouragement in light of the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic. The entries will appear in reverse chronological order, beginning with the most recent.
Please note: given that the news is changing daily, more recent church-related updates will surpass previous ones.
September 14 – Student Ministry Relaunch
Here are the details for our restart of youth meetings.
September 8 – Children’s Ministry Relaunch
Here are the details for our initial restart of nursery and ROCK.
August 9 – Path Forward
During the Sunday school time on August 9, Pastors Camera and Lanier delivered a detailed analysis of COVID data and shared our plans for fall ministries. Check out the details below.
July 28, 4:00pm – So, about masks…
In this vlog, Pastors Camera and Lanier discuss mask-wearing, particularly in clarification of a point made in the sermon from the prior Sunday.
June 25, 5:00pm – Updates in Light of Recent FL Spike
The pastors and leadership of the church wanted to provide an update on our worship services and other ministry activities. No doubt you have seen the news regarding a substantial spike in COVID cases in Central Florida, including Seminole County. You also may have seen that several churches in our area have decided to suspend services (again) indefinitely. This is a difficult situation for every decision-maker. We are monitoring the situation very closely and have remained in contact with our medical advisors.
For now we plan to continue gathering for corporate worship under our Stage 2 protocols, which include a cap of 60, social distancing, and mandatory masks. We cannot guarantee anyone’s safety when they are worshiping with us, but we believe these health standards represent best practices based on what we know.
Given the sharp rise not only in cases but also positivity rates, we wanted to provide details on the steps we are taking.
Action steps for a positive case or other exposure
Here are the steps we will take if a staff or worship team member comes in contact with a COVID-positive person, or if a recent worshiper tests positive.
- All attendees of the most recent service will be contacted by email informing them of the situation, so that they can take appropriate actions. Based on current medical advice:
- Anyone who attended with a Level 1,2,3 mask or N95 mask should monitor for symptoms.
- Anyone who attended with a homemade or cloth mask should self-isolate for 14 days.
- COVID-positive congregants will, of course, be asked to abstain from attending until they are symptom free and have 2 negative tests 48 hours apart.
- The church building will be fully sanitized.
- Otherwise, we anticipate continuing to meet so long as these steps are taken in an appropriate fashion.
- If a staff or worship team member comes in contact with a COVID-positive person outside the worship service, we will ask them to get tested and self-isolate.
Ministry continuity plan
Over the coming weeks, we will take three proactive steps to mitigate the risks associated with one of our pastors or staff members being quarantined (due to the above protocols):
- Preaching: Our preaching schedule will alternate over the next several weeks, so that we can avoid having both pastors (Camera and Lanier) as well as Zach and Joel all onsite on the same Sunday. If one needs to quarantine, another will be able to fill in.
- Music: Our worship team will also institute an alternating schedule so that we have someone available to lead music if someone else is required to quarantine.
- Leader meetings: All staff and elder meetings will revert back to Zoom, to avoid cross-contaminating each other.
The situation is very fluid, as you know. In coming days or weeks, the news may get better or worse. Churches will have different responses. We will continue to seek the Lord’s will for the wisest course of action for our church.
Thanks for your prayers and support. Our confidence remains in Christ alone.
June 11, 12:00pm – Stage 2
May 14, 2:00pm – From David
In this short vlog, Pastor David gives a brief walkthrough for what you should expect if you attend our reopened services in Stage 1 (remember: you need to reserve a spot!).
May 12, 3:30pm – From Joel
Joel Trigger (Dir. of Family Ministries) has provided a brief tutorial for parents/guardians to walk through how to find and download our children’s ministry curriculum (lessons, handouts, videos). Check it out:
May 10, 6:30am – Sunday Worship
Celebrate the Lord’s Day by watching our online worship service using the link below.
May 8, 7:00am – ROC Reopening Plan
ROC leadership is excited to announce our three-stage plan to resume in-person services (in a limited way) on May 17.
May 4, 1:00pm – ROC Pastors One-on-One
Check out our new video series where pastors Camera and Lanier interview each other one-on-one, finding out stuff that even they didn’t know about each other.
May 3, 7:00pm – Romans Q&A with the Pastors
Thanks to everyone who tuned in and submitted questions. We hope this conversation is helpful!
May 3, 6:30am – Sunday Worship
Our worship service for this Lord’s Day can be found at the link below:
April 30, 1:30pm – Sunday School Snippet #10
Pastor Lanier wraps up our series on Micah with the good news of restoration at the end of chapter 7.
April 29, 4:00pm – From David
Mid-week vlog update from David, with reminders about our new Bible studies, Thursday prayer meeting, and preparing for worship on Sunday.
April 28, 11:00am – Sunday School Snippet #9
In this installment, Pastor Lanier discusses the devastating personal and communal aspects of crisis, the maturity that comes in facing the consequences of your own sin, and the hope of the gospel found in Micah 7.
April 26, 6:30am – Sunday Worship
Our Sunday worship service, continuing our Romans series, is available below!
April 23, 12:00pm – From David
David provides encouragement from 2 Timothy (Paul was imprisoned but “the Word of God is not bound”) and shares some updates on the life of the church, including the new Bible studies that are starting next week.
April 23, 11:00am – Sunday School Snippet #8
Pastor Lanier discusses the spiral of sin (greed, deception, violence) on display in Micah 6:9-16.
April 22, 9:00am – 6-week Bible Studies
We will extend our women’s and men’s Bible studies six more weeks. See details below.
April 21, 12:00pm – Sunday School Snippet #7
Pastor Lanier continues our study of Micah by looking at Micah 6:1-8, where God reminds us of his goodness as well as how he values a heart of worship more than going-through-the-motions.
April 20, 5:00pm – COVID Testing Sites
The Seminole County Office of Emergency Management has asked churches to make congregants aware of various pop-up testing facilities in our area where you can get free COVID tests. See the flyer for details.
April 19, 6:00am – Sunday Worship
Our Sunday worship service is available at the link below. May God bless you this Lord’s Day!
April 16, 1:00pm – Sunday School Snippet #6
April 15, 2:30pm – From David
In this vlog David provides an exhortation from Prov 15:14 and the need to discern true wisdom, particularly in an era dominated by a flood of social media-driven data. He also gives a few mid-week updates about the upcoming Sunday service, the Thursday prayer meeting, and men’s and women’s Bible studies.
April 14, 5:00pm – VBS Update from Joel
We want to let everyone know that as we continue to follow the latest information and recommendations as they develop with the coronavirus situation, we are still prayerfully planning and hoping to host VBS at ROC the week of July 20th. We are also considering contingency plans in case we are still unable to meet normally, but in any case, your engagement in helping to plan and prepare will not go to waste even if VBS has to be delayed or the format looks a little different!
If you would like some creative projects to work on at home as a family during this quarantine time, please contact Alicia Billingsley for ways you can start helping with preparations for crafts or decorations!
April 14, 11:00am – Sunday School Snippet #5
In this installment, Pastor Lanier walks through Micah’s prophecy of a “remnant” in Micah 5:7-9 (and how that idea appears in the NT, incl. Romans 11 and Revelation 2-3).
April 12, 4:30pm – On the Resurrection
Central to Christianity is the truth claim that Jesus rose bodily from the grave. If you want to learn more about why it is rational to believe this claim, check out this Sunday school discussion from last year.
April 12, 6:00am – Easter Sunday Service
He is risen! Our Easter service can be viewed below. May God bless you this glorious day!
April 10, 1:00pm – Good Friday Service
Our Tenebrae service for Good Friday can be viewed below. May God bless your observance of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ!
April 9, 12:00pm – From David
In this vlog, David provides an update on our Good Friday service (which will be posted Friday afternoon) and Easter service.
April 5, 8:00am – Sunday Worship
Our Palm Sunday worship service can be viewed at the link below. Hosanna to the King!
April 4, 1:00pm – Holy Week Devotionals
The pastors will be recording brief devotionals each day of Holy Week (starting April 5) as well as providing morning and evening readings courtesy of Desiring God Ministries. We invite you to use these resources to help re-center on the significance of the last week of Jesus’s earthly ministry.
April 3, 8:00am – From David
Pastor Camera gives an update on what we’ll be doing for Holy Week, including a daily morning/evening devotional, a Good Friday service (online), and Easter service (online). Also, here are the links to the sermon sheets for children (older kids, younger kids).
April 2, 12:00pm – Sunday School Snippet #4
In this installment, Pastor Lanier covers the very famous passage pertaining to the birth of a ruler in Bethlehem, found in Micah 5:1-4 (quoted in Matthew 2). For more, you can check out a fuller article on this passage that he wrote for Credo Magazine: Bethlehem, the Nativity, and Matthew’s New Exodus.
April 2, 8:00am – From Jenn
Jenn, our children’s ministry coordinator, has a brief message for the kids of ROC. During Sunday worship, fill out a sermon sheet (older kids, younger kids), snap a picture of it, and send it in to Jenn or Joel, and we’ll post them on our website!
April 1, 12:30pm – From Tanner
Tanner, Gwen, and Jessi performed an acoustic set hosted by Orangewood Church. Check it out below!
March 31, 10:00am – Sunday School Snippet #3
In this installment, Greg wraps up Micah 4 with the prophet’s encouragement that God, though ordaining trials for his people, will redeem them through that process.
March 30, 3:30pm – From David
An encouragement from Psalm 67 along with other updates about joining community groups, the Wednesday night Bible studies, or the Thursday prayer meeting.
March 29, 6:00am
Our online service of worship can be viewed below. May God bless you this Lord’s Day!
March 27, 4:00pm – Online Fellowship
Here are a few glimpses into how ROC folks are still trying to build community, learn, and pray while #socialdistancing.
March 26, 10:00am – Sunday School Snippet #2
In this snippet Greg continues our study of Micah 4, focusing on verses 3-5.
March 25, 3:00pm – From David
Pastor David provides an update on Sunday worship, building community (each one reach one!), and mercy.
Here’s a link to the church directory (contact David or the church for the password if you don’t know it).
March 23, 5:00pm – From David
Some updates from David: using Amazon Smile, FB community bulletin board, and more…
March 23, 3:30pm – Sunday School Snippet #1
Since our adult Sunday school is on hold for now, Pastor Lanier will keep things moving with our study of Micah by breaking it down into short snippets. Here’s the first one on Micah 4:1-3.
March 22, 6:00am
Our Sunday worship service can be found below.
March 21, 12:00pm – Gary and Maura Roth!
Coronavirus can’t stop everything! Today, though a week ahead of time (due to the possibility of a lockdown), and though missing about 150 people (there were only a couple of us due to the restrictions on gatherings), we celebrated the wedding of Gary and Maura Roth!
It will certainly be memorable! Congrats, you two!
March 19, 2:00pm – From Joel
Insightful thoughts from Joel about how to deal with anxiety.
March 19, 10:00am – Supporting SCPS
Seminole County Public Schools is working to help students who rely on school breakfast and lunch for their food. They have asked for donations to sustain this effort, which will kick off on March 23. Please consider this as a simple way to support the community in this difficult time!
- List of schools in need of pantry items
- Food drive shopping list
- Drop off times: elementary 8am-3pm; middle school: 9am-3pm; high school: 8am-2pm
March 18, 5:30pm – From David
Encouragement from the psalms, and updates on services, the building project, VBS, and more.
March 18, 9:00am – From David
Some thoughts from our pastor about how to think biblically with respect to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on church life.
March 17, 5:00pm – From Greg
Some encouragement from C.S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain.
March 16, 4:15pm – From David
March 15, 8:00am
Our first online worship service can be found here:
March 13, 4:00pm
River Oaks leadership has announced that all ministries are canceled for the foreseeable, including our in-person worship gathering. We will offer a remote/online worship service beginning Sunday, March 15.
