Restrictions Lifted on Numbers in In-person Worship
The Three Takeaways from This Video
1. Operational Details (ammended may 4, 2021)
a. No in-person Sunday School until it becomes more feasible to do so.[1] No fellowship/coffee hour until social distancing requirements lifted. No childcare provided.
b. We will conduct one service on Sunday morning. This service is at 10:45 a.m. and will be live-streamed and in person.
c. FACE COVERINGS: In accordance with the governor’s executive order (11/13/2020), we will continue to require face coverings for all gatherings inside the facility. If you have your own mask, please use that. Masks will be available if you forget to bring one with you.
SANITIZERS: Hand sanitizer remains available at various stations in and just outside the Sanctuary. There will also be alcohol spray hand sanitizer. The Sanctuary will be cleaned after each service or activity.
TEMPERATURE CHECK: We will require a temperature check via an infrared no-touch thermometers for those who have not been fully vaccinated. Anyone registering 100˚ or higher will be encouraged to not participate in the in-person service.
SERVICE ADAPTATIONS: We continue with a basic adaptation of the Divine Service liturgy with no singing[2] but including the Sacrament of the Altar. Sanctuary seating fosters the proper physical distances. Family units and small numbers of people (appropriately distant) will come to the altar and the pastor and one elder to do the distribution. (We will hand sanitize between tables.) Gaffers tape marks on the floor suggest proper distances to those who wait. We will also give instruction on a different traffic pattern for Communion. The offering plate will be left on the table in the back of the Sanctuary and we will continue to encourage tithes and offering through the website.
2. At-Risk Groups
We encourage those of you who are in the vulnerable demographic groups to continue to stay home and livestream the service as you desire.
3. Grace, please.
Finally, please grant us some patience as we work the kinks out of our return to in-person services.
[1] Pastor Strickler (St. Timothy Lutheran Church) and Pastor Ruffatto are hosting Bible & Brews, an online Bible Study Group. Find more information here.
[2] Singing will come later. There are mixed reports on singing (even with masks) fostering the spread of the virus. So, out of an overabundance of caution we will wait to sing. (And when we do, it will be done heartily!)