Resumption of Worship services July 5th, 2020
Dear Members and Friends of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, June 10, 2020
The Church Council met via Zoom for its meeting Monday evening to discuss when and how the congregation might safely return to in-person worship. After consulting with guidelines and input from the Synod and the CDC as well as other congregations, the Church Council has approved in-person worship to resume beginning July 5 in Fellowship Hall. This is Phase One with the goal to be back in the Sanctuary as soon as it is feasible. Fellowship Hall was chosen as the site of worship because of two advantages that it has over the sanctuary – the spacing is more flexible (chairs can be moved around) and the environment is more conducive for sanitizing. The Council is fully aware that the worship service arrangements are not for everybody and each individual will need to decide for themselves if they feel comfortable returning to worship at this time. Over the next several weeks, I will be working with others in the congregation to work out all the details. If you have questions or comments, please do not hesitate to call me in the church office (224-4220) or my cell phone (933-7434). Below are a list of the changes that will need to occur to make this happen.
In Christ,
Pastor Fischer
- To help facilitate social distancing, chairs in Fellowship Hall will be set up in 19 clusters, 7 feet apart, to accommodate a total of 50 worshipers.
- To minimize possible exposure to the virus, worship services will be shorter than what we are accustomed to.
- To spread out the attendance, there will be two Sunday morning worship services, one at 8:45 a.m. and one at 11:00 a.m.
- Surfaces will be cleaned between the worship services.
- In the place of hymnals, we will be using bulletins with a printed worship service.
- Several recent studies have found that forceful, sustained breathing, such as during singing, appears to pose a greater danger of spreading the coronavirus. To minimize these dangers, the singing of hymns, the Kyrie, and the Psalms, will be omitted. In addition to a prelude, we will be using a soloist for a hymn and speak the remaining parts of the liturgy.
- The Sharing of the Peace has been omitted.
- We will be refraining from handshaking and hugging.
- No nursery or Sunday School will be offered at this time.
- Offering plates will not be passed during the worship service but instead, be placed at the entrance.
- Holy Communion will be offered the first Sunday of each month, with July 5 being a Communion Sunday.
- The distribution of Holy Communion will be modified to minimize touch.
- We will be using wafers instead of bread at this time.
- Cups of wine and grape juice will be pre-filled, and cups will be spaced out on the serving tray to eliminate accidental touching of nearby cups.
- You are asked to enter using the door from the back parking lot (not the door off Oakland Street). Entering and exiting, the door will be either propped open or someone will open the door for you so that you will not have to touch the door handle.
- Social gathering after worship is not recommended within the Fellowship Hall. However, you may gather outside in the parking lot, keeping proper distance.
- For the protection of others, the wearing of masks is strongly encouraged during worship. You are encouraged to bring your own mask, however, masks will also be available at the door.
- We will continue to record one of the worship services every Sunday morning and post these on the internet, as we have been doing.
- A word of caution: We cannot provide a 100% sterile and sanitized environment at all times. Due to the size of the Fellowship Hall, the complexity of the structures and the furnishings within, and the myriads of church members who come to worship, therefore, if you have underlying health issues/concerns, you should not be at worship.
- Please note, during this time when we are not using the Church Sanctuary for Sunday worship services, funerals/memorial services will not be permitted in the Sanctuary.
