Based on the Declaration of Governor Reynolds from Monday, April 27th, religious communities are able to resume corporate worship while still adhering to certain restrictions. Here are the guidelines we ask everyone to follow for the sake of our entire community:
1. Please enter and move through our church building without touching any surface that is not needed for your safety. Example: do not touch railings if you are physically able to maneuver stairs without the help of a railing. Don’t move too close to others – six feet between you!
2. Please use the hand sanitizer in the upper narthex before you enter the sanctuary.
3. Please do not touch, hug or shake hands with anyone who is not in your circle of social contact. We will share the “Peace” only verbally between the Pastor and the congregation. The offering will be taken at the door as you enter or leave. Thank you for your generosity!
4. If at all possible, please wear a face mask.
5. Please be aware that you may not be able to sit where you normally would sit! We will seat people from the front to the back with two pews in between families and the seating staggered. Example: if your family sits in the first pew on the north side of the pew, the next household will sit in the fourth pew on the south side of their pew. Depending on how many people per pew, such will allow for a distance of 5 to 7 feet. Please do not lean over pews. There will be sheets of paper to help you navigate. If a family is in social contact with a single person (grandparent?), please sit together so we can ‘save a pew’. Thank you for strictly adhering to this plan!!!
6. We will serve Holy Communion by Intinction with each household being ushered up at one time and the next household (individual, couple or family) waiting in the pew until the previous one has left the chancel area. Not coming up to the Communion rail allows us to dispense with the cleaning of the rail between ‘tables’. I will sanitize my hands between each group. (Since we mailed this out in the newsletter, I believe I have been able to find an even more safe and suitable way to share the Sacrament that will eliminate even more unnecessary contact with a person or the element. We will offer instructions accordingly on Sunday morning)
7. At least until a new declaration lifts additional restrictions, there will be NO Coffee hour as ‘socializing’ per se is still limited to 10 people.
8. There will be NO Sunday School for the month of May. Parents, please use the lessons we sent to you in our previous UPDATES.
9. For now our worship service will be recorded and be available on Facebook and our website on Sunday evening for those who should remain highly cautions due to health issues that may cause complications if exposed to communicable diseases. If you have any sign of illness in your household, please remain safely at home. If you are healthy, we hope to see you on Sunday.
OF COURSE, WE WILL CLEAN AND SANITIZE OUR FACITYY PRIOR TO AND FOLLOWING WORSHIP IN THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY POSSIBLE.