A Message from Pastor Lori
Friends,
It seems like a long time since we have been together in worship. We look forward to being together once more for in person worship at 10:00am starting September 6th.
As with so many things, there will be several changes in order for us to be safe and help prevent the spread of Covid-19. That will begin with a deep cleaning of the church before our first worship service with weekly disinfecting cleanings each week.
Here’s a little of what you will experience when you come to worship:
- As you enter the church you will be greeted by a volunteer who will record your contact in formation. Taking attendance is a requirement and part of our safety protocol so we are able perform contact tracing if necessary.
- Entrance and exit aisles will be clearly marked with arrows on the carpeting. But don’t worry if it is a little confusing because we will have someone in the narthex to help guide you and answer questions.
- Our bulletins will be laid out on the table in the Narthex so you can pick one up on the way in.
- One of the best ways to prevent the spread of Covid-19 is by wearing a mask. So everyone will be expected to share the love and concern for their brothers and sisters by wearing a mask while inside the building. If you have forgotten yours, we will have a disposable mask to give you.
- We will be practicing social distancing while seated in the sanctuary. Pews where you may sit will be clearly marked. Households/couples can sit together but there needs to be 6 feet between one family/household group and another.
- Bibles and hymnals will be removed so we prevent the spread of Covid-19 by contact. This would be a good time to bring your own Bible.
- We won’t be singing during worship because of the wider spread of aerosol. Many of the songs you are familiar with will be an instrumental piece. We will follow recommended guidance and try to introduce soloists during worship.
- We’re going to try something new as well with the passing of the peace-- observed from our pews by offering gestures and words of peace.
- An offering receptacle will be in the narthex for you to place your gifts. We invite you to drop your offering in the receptacle or please feel free to mail your donations to the church.
- At the conclusion of worship, people will be asked to leave in an orderly manner while insuring we follow social distancing guidelines. All will be invited to proceed to the front lawn where Pastor Lori will greet you at an appropriate distance. You will be able to do the same with you friends.
At this point you may be thinking this is a lot of change. Well, you’re right. Remember, all of this is designed to insure we maintain a safe place where people can attend worship in person. Our first, and most important goal is to keep everyone as safe as possible and help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
If you’re concerned, are considered in the high risk population, or simply don’t want to attend in person then that’s OK. We will continue to Zoom at 8:00 and 10:00 each Sunday. 8 AM service will also be livestreamed to Facebook and the church website.
Our health as a congregation and community--and our permission from the Bishop to remain open--depend upon the compliance of every person in the building. We hope and trust that as the virus is brought under control and an effective vaccine is developed, these restrictions will be loosened or removed. For now, though, our main objective is to keep our brothers and sisters safe!
Thank you in advance for that compliance and invite you to reach out to Pastor Lori, Council Chair Jay Thomas, or any member of the reopening team with questions.
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