“Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. Psalm 95:1-3
We are excited to finally come back together for corporate worship starting Sunday, May 24! While this pandemic has affected everyone in various ways, the one constant that unites us is Jesus Christ. There is no greater reason for the church to join one another again than to worship the One who gave His life for us. But we are also glad to gather because we miss one another. We want to share stories, laugh, cry, and express the fullness of our God-given personalities in a way Zoom never could. We are asking you to pray with us for a special measure of God’s favor to be upon our reuniting this coming Sunday! We also ask you to pray for those unable to join us for various reasons. May God meet them with peace, hope, and comfort in their homes.
VALUES THAT GUIDED OUR DECISION-MAKING
In the midst of our joy to return, we also understand we are returning to a “new normal” at least for a season. The coronavirus has heightened our sense of viral protection and for good reason. In light of this, a team has been formed to prepare our church for a safe yet enjoyable return to corporate life. The Reopening Team’s values have been concentrated on:
- Safety: We want to do all we can to ensure the safety of our congregation through the policies and procedures we enact.
- Simplicity: We want to produce an environment that reflects what we know and love rather than one that’s bogged down by complex systems and unnecessary rules that are hard to communicate.
- Positivity: We want to create an environment that exudes excitement rather than fear.
- Progression: We believe this season will be short, so as new guidelines are posted, we will likewise ease our way back to a more normal environment for worship.
What’s stated below are the plans put in place to reflect these values. Understand that these plans are created to bring ease of mind to those ready to return, not to persuade the unprepared to return. Everyone must determine their own conviction regarding a return to community life. We must all remember to love everyone regardless of the decision they make.
If any of the following apply to you, please do not come for live worship:
- You have a fever – even a slight elevation.
- You have an unexplained cough or breathing difficulties. (If you have seasonal allergies that cause you to cough or sneeze please wear a mask to set others at ease around you.)
- You have an underlying condition or a weakened immune system.
- You have had contact in the last 14 days with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or suspects they have it based on current symptoms. Even if you are not symptomatic now, you may still carry the virus and be infectious to others.
THE PLAN FOR SUNDAY GATHERINGS
We will have two services available: one at 9:00 a.m. and the other at 10:45 a.m. We are asking everyone to sign up in advance for the service they plan to attend. If you are unable to join us in person, a high quality live stream will be available for the 9:00 a.m. service on our YouTube Channel. You can watch it live then or as a recording later (it will remain available after the livestream concludes – subscribe to receive the correct link to find it easily). As you may know, state guidelines have now been extended for essential businesses, which includes churches, to hold up to 50% of their max capacity. While our seating capacity exceeds 300, we will start by allowing for 100 people per service out of an abundance of caution.
As you approach the worship center, you will be welcomed by two outside greeters who will not be wearing masks. We feel a warm welcome is almost impossible when wearing a mask because it hides the greeters’ bright smiles and muffles their delightful greeting! They alone will be opening and closing the outside doors while practicing social distancing as much as possible.
As you arrive into the lobby, you can rest assured that all hard surfaces, door handles, and bathroom fixtures have been thoroughly cleaned. To your right, the Nursery will also be thoroughly cleaned and available for parents wishing to take one child in at a time. We ask that any small toys that are touched be placed in a “dirty bin” to be disinfected after the service. All larger toys, rocking chairs, and bouncers, regardless of use, will be sanitized after the service. Please remember that no programmed childcare will be available. Lastly, a person will be available at the Welcome Desk for any questions. He or she will have hand sanitizer and respirator masks for those in need. We were able to purchase 50 FFP2 grade respirator masks, in packs of two, and are glad to make those available for free. If you have asthma or other breathing issues, these masks may not be advisable to you.
As you enter the worship center, the doors will be propped open. Two ushers will warmly invite you in and offer hand sanitizer if you’d like. No worship programs will be used for the first few weeks. As you look at the seating in the sanctuary, you will see every-other row missing. This reflects our desire to maintain social distancing at all times. We ask you and your family to fill the outside seats first and to leave at least 2-3 chairs between you and those next to you. On the outside you will notice rectangular tables. These are specifically for young families whose children will need activities to keep them occupied during the service. Please note that activity packets with crayons will be prepared on the tables (and provided digitally in the TreeHouse email if you prefer to print yourself), but you are welcome to bring your own supplies as well. Used church packets will be discarded after the service.
At the conclusion of the service, we are asking everyone to exit the building through the main doors while continuing to practice social distancing. We invite you to engage in conversation outside for as long as you’d like! While you reconnect, our Cleaning Team will be sanitizing the building in preparation for our next service! Your quick exit from the building also prevents cross traffic from those arriving for the following service. In the back of the worship center on the ushers’ table will be a small, wooden box for tithes and offerings. The ushers will personally offer you hand sanitizer as you leave. Again, the outside doors will be opened and closed only by the greeters.
Besides everything stated above, we encourage you to come prepared however you see fit. If you want to wear a mask, bring your own hand sanitizer, wear gloves or anything else, we invite you to do so. Regarding face masks specifically, since our state guidelines recommend them, we do as well, yet believe it to be a personal choice. Please limit all personal contact with others (hand shakes, hugs, etc). And of course, try your best to exercise social distancing!
CONCLUSION
We believe these recommendations will provide a safe, simple, and worthwhile community worship experience. We appreciate you joining with us to put these plans in practice as you arrive on Sunday. We are excited to see you there! Let’s pray for God to richly bless our reconnection!
Jason, for the Reopening Team, Elders, and Deacons