Saint Paul plans to return to in-person, in-the-building worship on Sunday, August 23
On Tuesday, July 21, St. Paul’s council agreed unanimously to lay aside the return plan that served us well until now. Instead, council appointed Sunday, August 23 as the date St. Paul will begin again to offer in-person, in-the-building worship. On August 23 and each week after, there will be one short service of holy communion at the usual time, 9:15am. Here is what you can expect.
Before leaving home
Are you feeling under the weather? Have you experienced any of these COVID symptoms? If so, worship from home, watch the livestream and stay safe.
Bring your mask. Masks say, "I care," and are required. Masks will be provided to you if you do not have one.
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Bring your mask. Masks say, "I care," and are required. Masks will be provided to you if you do not have one.
Entering and navigating the building
A greeter will meet you outside. They will welcome you, ask you how you're feeling today, give you a mask if you need one, and ask you to put on your mask. They will briefly remind you of precautions. They will also open the door for you, or, in the case of the bank-side door, ensure the door handle is clean.
If you approach by the parking lot door, the greeter may ask if you'd be willing to walk around the building. Either to the left to the old front doors, or to the right to the bank-side door. The goal is to spread people out as much as possible.
Hand sanitizer will be just inside the door.
After you enter, proceed directly to the sanctuary and find a seat. (Or the bathroom, then the sanctuary.) The lounge will be closed, and there will be no coffee. Maintain safe distance from others outside your household. Fellowship outside only, please!
The door you enter will determine your path to a pew. (See the diagram.) Use the left aisle if you enter by the old front doors. The left aisle, if by the bank-side door. The center aisle if by the parking lot door. Again, the goal is to spread out.
Pick up communion and leave your offering as you enter the sanctuary. Communion is prepackaged, juice and wafer together. Keep it until we all commune together.
Places to sit in the pews will be marked: the ends of one pew and the middle the next pew, and so on. Starting from the front and moving toward the back, take the next available marked place on the near side or in the middle of the pew. Don't cross the whole pew to reach the far side. Leave that far place for someone coming up the other aisle. Fill in from the front of the sanctuary to the back.
If you approach by the parking lot door, the greeter may ask if you'd be willing to walk around the building. Either to the left to the old front doors, or to the right to the bank-side door. The goal is to spread people out as much as possible.
Hand sanitizer will be just inside the door.
After you enter, proceed directly to the sanctuary and find a seat. (Or the bathroom, then the sanctuary.) The lounge will be closed, and there will be no coffee. Maintain safe distance from others outside your household. Fellowship outside only, please!
The door you enter will determine your path to a pew. (See the diagram.) Use the left aisle if you enter by the old front doors. The left aisle, if by the bank-side door. The center aisle if by the parking lot door. Again, the goal is to spread out.
Pick up communion and leave your offering as you enter the sanctuary. Communion is prepackaged, juice and wafer together. Keep it until we all commune together.
Places to sit in the pews will be marked: the ends of one pew and the middle the next pew, and so on. Starting from the front and moving toward the back, take the next available marked place on the near side or in the middle of the pew. Don't cross the whole pew to reach the far side. Leave that far place for someone coming up the other aisle. Fill in from the front of the sanctuary to the back.
What worship will be like
Brief: 20 to 30 minutes long. There will be communion, taken together from our places in the pews. There will be music but no congregational singing. There may be distanced singers in solos or duets. Worshipers will be encouraged to hum or clap along. This worship will be livestreamed, and available from St. Paul’s website, YouTube and Facebook pages, and Instagram.
To review
Here's what council agreed to.
Thanks and peace, PC
- Worship will be brief: 30 minutes or less.
- Anyone feeling under the weather and anyone with preexisting health conditions, please stay home and stay safe.
- Masks will be required. Masks will be provided to those who need them, and hand sanitizer will be readily accessible.
- Ushers will invite worshipers to sit in marked pews and remain socially distanced. Arrival and dismissal will be choreographed to avoid clumping as much as possible.
- There will be music but no congregational singing. There may be distanced singers in solos or duets. Worshipers will be encouraged to hum or clap along.
- Passing the peace will be stationary with waves, bows or other quiet gestures.
- There will be communion. It will be served in individual, prepackaged juice and wafer sets. Each worshiper will take a cup and wafer as they enter the sanctuary. They will then keep it with them until all partake together from their place in the pews.
- There will be no fellowship time in the building. The lounge will be closed. No coffee will be served.
- There will be no bulletins, and all books, bibles, envelopes, pencils, and cushions will be removed from the pews.
- This worship will be livestreamed, and available from St. Paul’s website, YouTube and Facebook pages, and Instagram.
- After August 23, council will evaluate and develop criteria for how we will know if we need to return to online-only worship.
Thanks and peace, PC
