Though we've resumed in-person worship at FCCEM, it's sadly the case that the COVID-19 pandemic is compelling some of our people to stay away from our building on Sunday mornings. We've responded to that in part by providing a phone-in option - the ability to call-in and listen to our worship live by phone. That's been a great addition to our ministry, but it doesn't provide the connections we all want. So we created an additional means to foster connections between the people of our church, a step we call "Lobby Time."

In pre-COVID days, groups of people involved in conversations in the church lobby before worship were common and much enjoyed. We can't replicate that experience, but we can offer something close. From 10:15-10:30 a.m. every Sunday, the fifteen minutes before worship begins, we invite you to call our conference call service so as to be part of our a group conversation we call "Lobby Time." Here's what you need to know:

• To connect to "Lobby Time," simply call (309) 306-0038 at anytime during or prior to those 15 minutes. (NOTE: This call is NOT a local call unless you live in Peoria, so please include the area code when you dial.) When asked for an access code, enter 964600. Then finally, during or after the brief greeting from FCCEM, press the * key. Once you complete those  three simple steps, you will be connected to Lobby Time.
• If you choose to speak, we invite you to share about your life and your family, to seek prayer requests, to ask how others are doing, or pretty much anything else. You are of course free simply to listen; you don't have to speak unless you want to.
• The only "rules" we must enforce are these: 1) Only one person can speak at a time - otherwise no one will be understood; 2) So that everyone who wants to share has the opportunity to do so, we ask that you limit yourself to 30-45 seconds each time you speak. 
• We very much invite people who come to the church building for worship on Sundays to call in for Lobby Time. We know it could be a hard choice - whether to talk to people face-to-face or on the phone - but we welcome you to join the call.
• At or very close to 10:30 a.m. we will mute all phone lines other than Bill Coley's and begin recording the call from which we will draw the audio of the morning's sermon's to post to our website.

The whole point of Lobby Time is to help us feel more connected - people who phone-in to worship; people in the building for worship; all of our people. We hope you'll join us!