We are adhering to all Minnesota State guidelines for a house of worship. https://www.health.state.mn.
What Safety Precautions Is Oak Hills Church Taking?
- We are deep cleaning after each event with high-contact surfaces being sanitized more frequently.
- Hand sanitizer stations are placed throughout the building.
- Staff and volunteers are wearing masks.
- No coffee or water is being served at our services.
- The auditorium’s air ventilation is always running; per recommendations, we have increased the outdoor air flow coming into the building and scheduled the air ventilation system to run in all spaces where people are scheduled to be.
**If you or someone in your household is feeling unwell, please contact services@oakhillschurch.net to cancel your reservation and do not attend in-person service. If you test positive for COVID-19 after attending an in-person service, please email services@oakhillschurch.net to let us know. We will do our best to respect privacy and anonymity when notifying others of possible exposure.
Updated: October 19, 2020
Dear Oak Hills Family,
THANK YOU
I’ll begin with a thank you. Thank you for being a church that has been committed to walking through the past 7 months together in unity and faith. Through each step we’ve taken – from online-only worship, to services in a circle on Sunday evenings, to Sunday mornings in the backyard – you’ve stayed focused on our mission to see un-churched people find the joy of living fully devoted to Jesus.
I also want to thank you for praying and reaching out to other members of our church during this time. I’ve seen you doing this as we’ve met together, and have heard reports of incredible acts of kindness and love through our small groups and the many different events and ministries we’ve sponsored.
ANOTHER STEP
On Sunday, November 1st we will take another step and move into our auditorium for Sunday morning worship. Honestly, I’m going to miss being outside. It was not only great to worship together in our beautiful backyard, it also gave us the opportunity to gather more people with fewer restrictions.
Let me share with you some important details about our worship services as we move into the winter months.
ONLINE SERVICE
Many of you have let us know that you love your Oak Hills Church family but are not yet comfortable meeting indoors with others for worship. We understand that and look forward to worshiping with you online each Sunday.
Over the next number of weeks, we will be working hard to enhance the online experience.
IN-PERSON SERVICE
If you’d like to attend the in-person service on Sundays, please know that the capacity of our auditorium limits the number of people who can attend each service. Here are the details:
1. Sign up to attend by the Thursday before the Sunday you plan to come. You can sign up as an individual, a couple, or family. You can also sign up with people you are comfortable sitting with to maximize our socially-distanced seating. (unfortunately, if you do not reserve ahead and receive a confirmation, you will not be able to attend).
2. Come a bit early (9:15) and enter through the North door.
3. Wear a mask at all times and stay socially-distanced when you’re inside the building (disposable masks are available if you need one).
4. Make your way through the Big Room to the auditorium doors. Our hospitality team will be available to lead you to your assigned seat.
5. Enjoy the worship service with your Oak Hills Family.
6. Smile at the ushers as they dismiss you by rows and then move outside the building to connect with and wave hello to others.
7. Click here for all the details about our building cleaning/sanitizing protocol.
*We plan to begin our elementary age children’s ministry in the new year and add our preschool and nursery ministry as soon as it is safe do so.
A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE
As you can see our indoor worship experience will be much different than what we enjoyed together before COVID arrived. Please remember, this pandemic will only last a season. While we walk through it, we have a wonderful opportunity to unconditionally love each other and our world in a way we’ve not done in the past. Let’s continue to be patient and kind and watch what God does in and through our congregation as we move into our 30th year of ministry together at Oak Hills Church.
THE BEST WAY TO STAY CONNECTED
Being a part of a small group is one of the best ways to stay connected – especially during this time. Presently we have over 50 small groups, discipleship classes, Bible studies, and generational mentoring groups that regularly meet, pray, grow, and connect together. We’re starting some new small groups this fall so if you’d like to join one click here and we’ll find a group that’s right for you.
OTHER MINISTRIES AND EVENTS
Remember to read our online program that you will receive in your email each Monday to be aware of all the ministries taking place outside of our Sunday worship service. Our pastors and staff are working hard to offer creative online and in-person ministries to continue to see our church grow and mature during this season.
It’s a privilege to pastor the wonderful people of Oak Hills Church,
Pastor Rod Carlson
Updated: August 20, 2020
Good news! Beginning Sunday, September 13, we’ll gather for service each Sunday morning this fall at 9:30a in our beautiful backyard! We will continue to offer online service every Sunday at 9:30a on Facebook and Vimeo – so you can come to church every week whether in person or online – whichever option is right for you! Find signups on our Events Page HERE!
Updated: July 20, 2020
Dear Oak Hills Church Family,
One of my favorite moments early this summer happened on Sunday evening, June 7 th. That night, about 200 of us pulled into our church parking lot to attend our first Service in a Circle. My heart was touched as I saw your smiling faces and felt the excitement of being together again. My sincere thanks to all of you for being so supportive of our plan to gradually gather back in person as a church community. I know it hasn’t been ideal but it has been a perfect way to allow everyone to attend within their level of comfort. I believe this process has represented the grace of Jesus and has been a wonderful witness to those outside the church. Let me update you on our plans moving forward and also share something important the Lord has laid on my heart concerning the mission of Oak Hills Church.
Next Step Plans
In August, we will have two more Sunday evening Services in a Circle. This time, however, we will be in socially-distanced circles in our backyard rather than in our cars in the parking lot. This will be a wonderful way to prepare us to move into September, when we’ll begin to gather for weekly, in-person, Sunday worship services. All the specific details of our backyard August Services in a Circle and our weekly, in-person, Sunday services starting in September will come your way soon. Remember, our services are also always available online!
*All plans are subject to current state health regulations and guidelines.
Our Mission at Oak Hills Church
We’re all very aware of the incredible challenges our world has faced since the beginning of this year. My prayer for our church has been that we would experience God’s presence, provision, and peace. I’ve also been praying that God would give our Oak Hills family a renewed passion for our mission to reach the unchurched. Recently, as I was reading through the gospel of Luke, I noted again how Luke emphasized over and over that Jesus came to reach the outsider. There are numerous examples, but one that stuck out to me was how, after deciding to follow Jesus, Levi the tax collector invited all his friends to come to a party to meet Jesus. Notice the reaction of the church “insiders”:
Luke 5: 29-32
“Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner. The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. “What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and ‘sinners’?” Jesus heard about it and spoke up, “Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick? I’m here inviting outsiders, not insiders—an invitation to a changed life, changed inside and out.”
Three specific events over these past months have reminded me of how much I want to have the attitude of Jesus toward reaching those outside the church:
1. The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis has caused me to want to lift myself out of my limited knowledge about racial inequality and make sure I do whatever I can to make it right.
2. The response of some church insiders demanding their rights has caused me to want to be better at giving up my rights for the outsider so they, too, can have a chance to know the love and grace of Jesus.
3. The reading of the gospel of Luke has reminded me that 29 years ago we asked 20 church insider families to start a church for outsiders and…they actually did it! From day one, we embraced the mission to turn unchurched people into fully devoted followers of Jesus. I desperately want to see that mission not only renewed, but reimagined in our church in the days, weeks, and months to come.
I look forward to seeing you all soon and experiencing together all the good things God has in store for our church.
It’s a privilege to pastor the wonderful people of Oak Hills Church,
Pastor Rod Carlson
Updated: May 22
Dear Oak Hills Family,
Ever since this pandemic began, our desire has been to do all we could to stay connected, care for each other, keep growing deeper in our walk with Jesus, and be a good witness to those who are un-churched. My sincere thanks to all of you. Because of your faith and maturity in Jesus, we’ve continued to be Christ’s body even though we’ve not been able to be in the church building. In many ways I feel like we’ve been able to live out what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, “The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.”
While we will continue to have our weekend worship services online throughout the summer, I’m excited to tell you about four special outdoor services we have planned in June and July. These services will allow us to slowly gather back together, get reconnected, and begin to experience the joy of corporate worship with our church family. More details will be coming your way but let me give some basics.
- Outdoor services on June 14th, 28th, July 12th and 26th
- Services will start in our vehicles in the parking lot and then move to the backyard when we are able
- To keep everyone safe and comfortable, we will abide by all of the recommendations given to us by our government and medical experts
- We’ll get to see each other, smile, wave “hi,” and be reminded of the wonderful group of people who make up Oak Hills Church
Throughout the early summer months, we’ll keep a close watch on all that’s happening and prayerfully consider the best way to move back into our building for our worship services.
I miss you all and look forward to seeing your smiling faces soon,
Pastor Rod
P.S. Another wonderful way to get together with others this summer is to join a Better Together summer small group. These groups will either meet online, or in smaller groups socially distanced in a park, the church backyard, or an outdoor coffee shop. If you’re interested, go to “Better Together Summer Small Groups” on our app or click HERE to take you to our Events page.
COVID-19 is affecting all of our lives in one way or another, and now is the time to come together and be the Church! Could you use a little kindness? Are you looking for ways to share kindness with others? Let us know by filling out the form below!
