updates due to coronavirus (COVID-19)

October 28, 2:00 PM

I hope you were able to join us online for Miracle Sunday this past weekend and hear about some of the incredible things that God is doing in and through our church family. Although 2020 has looked very different than any of us could have imagined, we have seen God continue to faithfully provide and direct us. His goodness is evident and His ways are higher than our ways, so we continue to yield to His plan and humbly follow His lead–and what a privilege it is!

The pandemic this year has made for some interesting planning and rather sudden adjustments to the church calendar. With the recent increase of COVID cases in Burleigh County, as well as updated information regarding the timeline of the construction project at the Bismarck campus, we’ve now had some time to think, pray, and develop a plan for the next several weeks. 

BISMARCK CAMPUS WEEKEND SERVICES

Services will be held online Sundays at 9:30 and 11:00 AM until December 6, 2020. There are two reasons for this: (1) Rising COVID hospitalizations and deaths in Burleigh County and (2) Preparing for the move into the new auditorium. Due to the amount of audio, video, and lighting equipment to move from the current auditorium into the new auditorium, we knew it would become necessary to take our weekend services online on November 22 and 29 in order to have time to transition equipment and many of our current spaces. The timing of this current rise of COVID cases along with our construction needs is unfortunate in that it puts our weekend services online in November, but it also provides a great opportunity for us to prepare our Bismarck campus and teams for this new season in a new facility. 

While weekend services will be online, Young Adult Alpha, Wednesday-night Alpha, the Marriage Course, Wednesday eKids and Youth, and other weekly ministries will all continue to meet in-person. 

Although we won’t be holding in-person services during these weeks, we are working hard to allow people to do church in different ways in the building. There are still many in-person ministry events taking place, both in homes and at the church. Marriages are being strengthened and restored through the Marriage Course on Monday nights, young adults are asking questions and learning about Jesus at Alpha, and new followers of Jesus are still being baptized at the church. God is moving!

NEW AUDITORIUM OPENING AT THE BISMARCK CAMPUS

The new auditorium is on schedule to be completed before Christmas, and I believe that the new space will enable us to share the Gospel with more people than ever before. This year isn’t over yet and we’re excited about what God has ahead!

I am so thankful for you and for the important part you play in the Evangel family. Thank you for your prayerful support and faithful resilience in the face of difficulty and uncertainty. We look forward to what God will do as we continue to trust Him.

joyhouse coffee is open in bismarck!

The best is yet to come,

Josh Skjoldal
Lead Pastor

October 21, 6:00 PM

Please take a few minutes to watch this important video update from our Lead Pastor, Josh Skjoldal for information regarding weekend services..

October 16, 4:30 PM

Please take a few minutes to watch this important video update from our Lead Pastor, Josh Skjoldal.

June 8, 10:20 AM

Recently, North Dakota leaders lowered the state’s risk level under North Dakota SMART RESTART. The state moved from a yellow (moderate) risk to a green (low) risk.

Changes made:

• The recommendation for large gatherings increased from 50 percent occupancy up to 250 attendees, to 75 percent occupancy up to 500 attendees.
• Standing room is allowed, and alternating rows for seating people is not necessary.

Due to low risk, Evangel leadership has made the following decisions:

• eKids relaunched in-person ministry on June 7. Bismarck parents are asked to enter Door 3 to check-in their children. eKids will not be available on Wednesday nights during the summer.
• Youth relaunched in-person gatherings on June 3. On June 10, Youth will host Welcome Night to celebrate and welcome students who will be going into the sixth grade in the Fall.
• Young Adults relaunched in-person monthly collective nights on June 4.
• Some precautions will be lifted for our Sunday services.

Beginning on May 20, we launched a Wednesday night service. It’s our intention to uphold strong precautions during this service and maintain a lower capacity. It is our hope that this may be appealing to those who desire to attend church in-person but prefer stricter social-distancing practices. eKids will not be available during this service.

We humbly ask that anyone with a fever or anyone feeling sick would stay home and utilize Church at Home. We also encourage those most vulnerable to the coronavirus because of their age or underlying health conditions to continue to engage in Church at Home during this time. We understand there will be some who are uncomfortable returning at this time, and that’s alright. We will maintain a vibrant and engaging Church at Home experience for you and your families and will be glad to have you continue to join us in that way.

May 10, 9:50 AM

Watch the video above for full information.

In compliance with state and CDC recommendations, we will provide an in-person service option and relaunch Sunday services on May 17. We will be taking many precautions to protect our church and community and to ease the fears of those nervous about gathering.

Here are a few things that will look different as we begin to gather again in person:

• Construction is continuing at our Bismarck Campus and the south parking lot will be unavailable. Please enter and park on the north side.
• We are adding more service times in order to create more space to social distance during each service. We are also reducing the seating capacity in the auditorium to allow for social distancing between families.
  • Bismarck services will be Sunday at 9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, and 4:00 PM. Beginning May 20, we will also add a Wednesday evening service at 6:30 PM with the same service content as the coming Sunday.
  • Garrison services will be Sunday at 9:30 and 11:00 AM.
  • Online services will move to 9:30 and 11:00 AM. BEK TV and Dakota Media Community Access times will not change.
• Because of the inability to enforce social distancing between children, eKids will not be meeting, but we are optimistic that their in-person ministry will resume within a few weeks. In the meantime, we welcome you to bring your kids into the Main Auditorium with you for service. eKids will also still be providing Church at Home for kids.
• We won’t be able to serve coffee or hang out within the church at this time; however, there will be an outdoor lobby in which people can social distance safely. This means you should move directly to the auditorium upon entering, and exit the facility quickly after services. To maintain social distancing and maximize our seating capacity, our hosts will be actively seating and dismissing everyone. Hand sanitizer will also be provided for you at the church.
• We humbly ask that anyone with a fever or anyone feeling sick would stay home and utilize Church at Home. We also encourage those most vulnerable to the coronavirus because of their age or underlying health conditions to continue to engage in Church at Home during this time. We understand there will be some who are uncomfortable returning at this time, and that’s alright. We will maintain a vibrant and engaging Church at Home experience for you and your families and will be glad to have you continue to join us in that way.
• If you’d like to be part of the Relaunch Team, you can sign up to serve at goevangel.org/serve.

As always, we will strive to create an environment that is safe, secure, and sanitary for you and your family. We can’t wait to see you!

May 7, 2:25 PM

Walking through this season of unknowns has provided people and organizations alike the opportunity to grow and strengthen. We are so thankful for the positive growth we’ve experienced in the past six weeks.

Through the COVID-19 crisis, we have had an incredible opportunity to meet tangible needs of our community and truly be a church not just in our community, but a church for our community. Your willingness and generosity to give and serve through the City Reach Drive and the Crisis Prayer and Care ministry has been a powerful testimony of what it means to be the local church. During COVID-19, the church has remained alive and active, in our communities and in homes across our region and beyond. While the church has been connecting and engaging through online platforms, Evangel’s leadership team has been strategically planning how to bring people back into the church building. Pastor Josh has been diligently researching and planning different relaunch options for Evangel.

He’s sought counsel from numerous local, state, and national leaders to inform those strategies. We are aligning our relaunch plans with Governor Burgum’s ND Smart Restart plan. It’s imperative we continue our efforts to contain the virus. We walk a delicate balance between resuming gatherings and preventing further spread of infection.

Due to this, the relaunch of moving services back into the church building will happen in phases and will look different than what has been the “normal” at Evangel. The way forward will not be a matter of following a timetable, but of faithfully and continuously discerning the information we have at hand and responding accordingly. Please continue to visit our COVID-19 webpage for future
developments and updates regarding the relaunch plan. Although we’re not able to meet in person yet, we would love to stay connected with you!

• We’re excited to celebrate Mother’s Day this Sunday with online services and a small token of appreciation for every type of mom. Click here for service times and more info.
• You can click here to find all the info you need about how to connect with us during this season. You can submit prayer requests, find resources, listen to past messages, and more. We’d love to hear from you!
• Text and direct message your neighbors, friends, and family, and invite them to be a part of Evangel Church at Home.

March 20, 5:15 PM

We want to thank you for your prayers and the encouragement you are giving to each other during this difficult time. Stories are coming in of how the Evangel family is caring and praying for one another. We definitely need each other now more than ever and we need God’s continued help and guidance as we navigate these unprecedented times.

As you may know, the first confirmed case of community-spread COVID-19 in North Dakota was found earlier this week and Governor Burgum has urged everyone to practice “social distancing”–recommending people to no longer gather in groups larger than 10. These restrictions are in place to help stop the COVID-19 virus from spreading. We would strongly suggest that you follow these guidelines for your protection until these restrictions are lifted.

With that in mind, all of Evangel’s ministry events and groups will move to an online platform for the foreseeable future and all weekend services will be moved to online and TV broadcasts only. The Annual Business Meeting scheduled for Sunday, March 29 will be postponed to a later date. The current members of Evangel’s board will continue to serve and the election of two new board members will take place at the 2020 Annual Business Meeting.

Although church will look a little different during this season, we are so thankful that we have the opportunity to share church together from our homes on Sunday and throughout the week.

Here is what Sunday services will look like:

• We will connect online at live.goevangel.org and facebook.com/goevangel every Sunday at 9:00 AM, 10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, and 4:00 PM; on BEK TV every Sunday at 10:30 AM; or on Dakota Media Community Access every Sunday at 8:00 PM.
• During each main service, eKids will have their very own service experience, along with resources for our preschool kids so that we can continue to give them Jesus on their level. More information to access this will be provided by our online service hosts on Sunday.
• We will have online hosts ready to connect, pray and engage with you during the services.

We would love to stay connected with you:

• You can click here to find all the info you need about how to connect with us during this season. You can submit prayer requests, find resources, listen to past messages and more. We’d love to hear from you!
• Text and direct message your neighbors, friends, and family, and invite them to be a part of Evangel online or on television and watch the service with you.

In spite of the challenges we are facing, God is with us, and He is working! You are not alone. You are a part of a faith-filled body of believers who care about you, and we are in this together.

“May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (NLT)

Pastor Josh Skjoldal
Lead Pastor

March 17, 4:45 PM

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March 16, 12:45 PM

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March 13, 11:15 PM

Following the update from Governor Burgum earlier today, Evangel’s leadership wants to reassure you of the decision to continue gathering together for weekend services. This situation may change quickly and we will respond to any future recommendations accordingly. For those of you who are not able to join us this weekend, either due to illness or caution, we encourage you to join us online or watch our broadcast on BEK TV. Please watch the video below to hear a special message from Pastor Josh regarding COVID-19.

Sunday
10:30 AM – TV Channel Bek247
10:30 AM – Facebook Live
10:30 AM & 12:00 PM – live.goevangel.org

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March 12, 5:00 PM

• We will continue to clean and disinfect all eKids toys and surfaces after every event that they are in use.
• Our diligent facilities team will continue to clean and disinfect our buildings to the highest standards throughout each week.
• We are working to make extra hand sanitizer available in strategic locations at all of our campuses.
• For the next few weeks, the greeters on our Welcome Teams will be waving and smiling rather than shaking hands or giving hugs.