OUR PLAN FOR RESUMING IN-PERSON WORSHIP SERVICES
The elders and deacons have decided to resume in-person worship services the weekend of May 31. We will have a worship service on Sunday morning at 9:00 AM; we will have a second worship service on Sunday morning at 11:00 AM. Both services will be limited to 80 people, which is 50 percent of our sanctuary’s capacity, and other mitigation strategies will be employed (see below) to make these services as safe as possible. The 9:00 AM service will be recorded and posted on YouTube for those who are not yet ready or able to worship in-person.
I know some of you will be disappointed we are not meeting in-person sooner. Others of you are wondering if we are moving too fast. Given the myriad of unanswered questions related to COVID-19, differences of opinion are inevitable. There were certainly differences of opinion among the elders and deacons who met to make this decision. Our plan does not represent the unanimous perspective of every individual elder and deacon. Rather, our plan represents the conclusion of the elders and deacons regarding the best way to move forward for a congregation of people with a wide-range of views. Our prayer is that God will protect us from the division and in-fighting that could easily accompany the re-opening process. We are asking each of you to resolve in humble reliance upon the grace of the Holy Spirit to graciously submit to the plan as an expression of love for your brothers and sisters in Christ at Trinity.
PHASE ONE OF OUR REOPENING PLAN:​
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Each service will be limited to 80 people (50% of our sanctuary’s capacity). We are asking our members and regulars to RSVP for one service or the other by noon on Friday. We are still working out the details, but plan to make RSVP available through our website and email.
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The building will be thoroughly cleaned following CDC guidelines prior to and between services. And hand sanitizer will be available throughout the building.
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We are encouraging people who are higher-risk because of age or underlying conditions to continue worshiping at home. However, this decision is left up to each individual.
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We are requiring people who have had COVID-19 symptoms in their household in the past 14 days to worship at home. COVID-19 symptoms include fever, chills, muscle pain, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, and loss of taste or smell.
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We are requiring people age five and older who attend an in-person worship service to wear a mask while in the building. We are asking people to provide their own masks, but will make disposable masks available to anyone who needs one.
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Those who are leading the service will be allowed to remove their masks while on stage.
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We will have ushers at the doors to help maintain a safe distance between family units while entering the building.
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We will have ushers outside the bathrooms to limit entry to one family unit at a time.
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All people leading the service or working as ushers will be temperature checked prior to the service.
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We are encouraging people to maintain a safe-distance from non-family members while in the building. Children must remain with their parents while in the building. Children who need to roam should do so outside in the grass. The playground will not be open.
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We will not be offering nursery services at this time. Classroom 1 and the foyer will be available for parents with small children.
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We will not be offering printed bulletins. We will send out an order of worship PDF Friday afternoon. The order of worship will also be available by QR code.
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We will not be passing an offering plate during the service. Offering plates will be available at the rear of the sanctuary. People may also continue to mail their gifts to the church or give online.
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We desire to resume celebrating the Lord’s Supper as soon as possible, but have not yet settled on a plan.
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We will not be offering Sunday School classes at this time.
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Small Groups will continue to meet online or outside for now.
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Our summer plans for Wednesday evenings are still under consideration.