Return to In-Person Worship

Sunday, May 9th, 2021

We are returning to in-person worship on Sunday, May 9, 2021. It feels good and right to do this. I know many are excited and ready for this day.

And, we will still be taking safety precautions because this virus has not gone away. It is still present in our society, and we still want to show love and care for the well-being of our neighbors and for one another. With that in mind, here are some things to to be aware of.

1) You may know that Lucas County is still on level red and continues to be one of the biggest hot spots in all of Ohio. We had said all along that we would meet online as long as Lucas County is on level red. So, why are we going forward to meet together if Lucas County is still on red? The reason is because we know that a large majority of our congregation is vaccinated. This greatly reduces our group risk. If we were a congregation of largely unvaccinated individuals, it would be a different scenario.

2) Because not everyone is vaccinated, we do require masks to be worn during the worship service. Please bring a mask. If you happen to forget, we have extras at the church. Please keep your masks on at all time, even while singing, and especially if you have to cough or sneeze. Remember, even vaccinated people can still spread the disease.

3) People who are formally leading an aspect of worship are permitted to remove their masks. This includes worship leaders, preachers, song leaders, etc. This is because facial expression is a big part of communication. Additionally, being able to read lips helps those who are hard of hearing.

4) We will not serve coffee or refreshments. Sorry. That's a hard one for me too. We won't do this indoors as long as Lucas County is still on level red. Once it goes off red, we can reconsider. Social Commission does have the green light to set up drinks on a table outside anytime the weather seems nice.

5) There will not be a bulletin, we will not pass the offering place, and there will be no passing the peace. Yes, we know that this disease isn't transmitted through surfaces, however each one of those requires close contact between individuals. We are simply taking a cautious approach and want to minimize close contact. We do encourage people to spread out in the congregation and do what you can to maintain physical distancing.

6) It's a good idea to wash/sanitize hands before you come into the building and after you leave. Hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building for you to use as needed. Don't worry so much about touching surfaces while here. Any virus particle will die in the week between Sundays.

7) If we become aware that anyone in our congregation has tested positive, we will send out a special email notice letting people know. So be sure to keep checking for the MailChimp newsletters.

8) If you borrowed a hymnal, Sing the Story, and/or Sing the Journey to use at home, please bring them back. Actually, you can keep the Hymnal Worship Book. We have plenty of those. But please do bring back the spiral-bound Sing the Story and Sing the Journey. When you do so, please cross off your name on the sign-out sheet on the podium as you enter the sanctuary.

9) Hopefully this doesn't happen, but we will continue to monitor the situation to discern if we ever need to go back online. I and the Leadership Team know that we all have COVID fatigue. Still, the virus has not gone away. If new variants develop or situations change that increase the risk for even vaccinated people, we will need to go back online. We hope that doesn't happen, but we will just keep an eye out.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding. I know some of these things are inconvenient. Yet I remind us again that the love of Christ and the command to love our neighbors compels us to continue to exercise caution and care for the well-being of others. You as a congregation have done this consistently in so many ways. Let us continue in that same spirit together.

Grace and Peace
Pastor Joel Shenk