June 2, 2021

Dear New City Family:

I am so excited about this summer in New City! We are moving from the rooftop of the parking garage to Grand Hope Park for the summer, starting this Sunday, June 6. We are also restarting our in-person gatherings for children. So, we are calling everyone back to in-person gatherings at the park. We hope this provides a safe and fun transition later to indoor in-person gatherings in the late summer or the fall.

Here are the details regarding our in-person Sunday worship services at Grand Hope Park:

When: Every Sunday from June 6, 2021, until further notice.

Time: Every Sunday at 10 AM.

Where: Grand Hope Park, 919 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90015 (this is not the same park as The Grand Park, which is by City Hall; this is next to FIDM at 9th and Grand Ave.). Please note that there will not be any worship services at the rooftop of the parking structure.

Parking: Keck Medicine of USC-Downtown Parking Garage, 830 S. Hope Street, Los Angeles, CA 90017 (on Hope Street between 8th and 9th; only half a block from the park entrance). Parking is $5 all day Sunday. There is no validation for this parking. You can also park on the street around the park on Sundays for free.

Things to Note/Bring:

• In-Person: All music, communion, storytelling, special segments, and preaching will be done in and from the park.
• Canopies: There will be canopies for the main worship area (and the baby play area), which will be in the main grassy area of the park.
• Chairs and picnic blankets: Feel free to bring a picnic blanket and sit on the grass with your family or quarantine buddies. You can also bring a camping chair. If you don’t bring one, we will have a limited number of chairs for you to use.
• Bathroom: There is no bathroom in the park. Please use Ralphs’ bathroom across the street from the park. You may want to purchase a bottle of water or something if they limit bathroom use to customers only.
• Mask and reasonable social distancing required until LA County health authorities say otherwise.

Zoom/FB Live online of the Sunday Worship Services: The Zoom and FB Live online will continue. So, if you do not yet feel comfortable joining the in-person worship service or you are too far, you can continue to join the worship service via Zoom or FB Live (the links are the same as before) at 10 AM on Sundays. Zoom breakout groups and post-church fellowship time will continue.

• Zoom link: https://newcitychurchla.zoom.us/j/92187529335
• Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/newcitychurchla/

Shuttle Service from URM and LATC: There will be a free shuttle (white Honda minivan that seats 7 total), from Union Rescue Mission and Los Angeles Theatre Center (the old worship location) to the Park as follows (thank you Joe Hernandez for volunteering to be the driver!):

• URM front door; 545 San Pedro St.: 9 AM and 9:30 AM
• LATC, 514 S. Spring St.: 9:10 AM and 9:40 AM

New City Kidz (preschool to 5th grade): Every Sunday worship service during the summer at the park will be intergenerational. Children will have kids’ instruments and flags to participate in worship in their own way. There will be a children’s Bible storytelling time during every worship service. During announcement time, children will be dismissed to have their own time with arts and crafts with approved and vaccinated teachers and volunteers at the shaded area of the park, which is a stone’s throw away from the main worship area. (Thank you Pastor Grace Weng for preparing the children’s curriculum and the material for the summer!) Kids will be required to wear a mask. They are also free to stay with the adult(s) with whom they came (and are welcome to use some of the materials that the other children will be using as well).

• Please make sure your child goes to the bathroom before coming to church. There is no bathroom in the park. If your child needs to go to the bathroom during the children’s time, a volunteer will bring your child to you to take to the bathroom at Ralphs, which is across the street from the park. (You may want to buy a pack of gum or something there if the bathroom is for customers only.)
• Kids’ snacks will be given at the beginning of the worship service so that they don’t have to take their masks off during the children’s own time.
• Please bring your child to the children’s area for check-in after the children’s storytime.
• There is a playground at the park, but as of last week, it was not yet open. We expect it to open soon.
• Please note that the Zoom online program for kids will discontinue from June 6.
• If you have any questions, please contact Janet Forster or Grace Haah, co-coordinators of New City Kidz for the summer, at kids@newcitychurchla.com. (Thank you Janet and Grace H. for taking the lead for the kids this summer!)

miniNew City Kidz (infants to toddlers): There will be a baby play area set up at the back of the worship area, but it will NOT be staffed. You can stay with your baby in the pen (bring your own toys) or keep your baby with you. Please do not worry at all about your baby crying or making other sounds during the service. That is perfectly fine. We are all a family, and furthermore, we will be outdoors, so it will not be a problem.

Youth Group (6th grade to 12th grade): There will not be any Sunday program (including via Zoom) for youth during the summer. Youths can stay with the adults for the entire worship service or they can help out with the children’s ministry if they receive prior volunteer approval. There will, however, be an in-person youth group gathering every Friday night (and some Saturdays). The first in-person gathering is expected to be on Saturday, June 12 at 6 PM. More information will follow to the youths and their parents. For more information on the youth group, please email youth@newcitychurchla.com.

Volunteers needed: We need more volunteers for the Set-up Team and the children’s ministry, as well as the youth ministry. Please respond to this email if you can volunteer at least one Sunday a month.

If you have any questions, please respond to this email.

Thank you!

Love and Blessings,
Kevin Haah
Lead Pastor

SFV PARISH FELLOWSHIP AT THE PARK ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EACH MONTH

Grow and Serve group is online! Contact david@newcitychurchla.com