By agreement of the Minnesota South District President and the Governor of Minnesota, indoor worship is now allowed to the those congregations which have a written plan to avoid exposure to the Corona-19 virus which follows certain requirements and recommendations. Below is an overview of our plan so that members can decide which service they wish to attend and what they can expect if they choose to come indoors.
Maximum indoor occupancy in the general seating of the sanctuary has been limited to 32 family units with up to five people in each unit for a maximum seating of 130 people in order to create the required distance between families. Only the ends of each row in every other row will be used.
All hymnals, pew cards, and pens have been removed from the sanctuary to decrease the number of items to be cleaned. Worshipers are asked upon entering to go directly to a seating place towards the front of the sanctuary and to exit beginning at the back of the sanctuary. Any that may arrive when the allowed spaces have been filled will be asked to return to a later service. If it becomes necessary, additional services will be scheduled.
All adults and children over age 2 will be asked to wear a mask during the entire service except when receiving the Sacrament. The pastors will not be wearing masks when presiding from the chancel or distributing Communion.
For the distribution of the Lord’s Supper, an usher will indicate when each family unit may proceed to the front of the church, giving adequate distance between families. To keep people moving in one direction, each family will need to go “all the way around” the pews. One pastor will be in front of the communion rail to place the host in the communicant’s hand, and then the communicant will proceed to the next pastor or elder to be handed an individual cup. The pastor(s) will bring the elements to those who are unable to come forward.
Offerings will be received in regular plates stationed at the entrances and exits of the sanctuary.
The services for indoors and the parking lot are intended to be mostly identical. Singing of liturgy will be limited and the words to hymns will be printed in the bulletin. Bulletins are not to reused. At this time we will not employing musicians or vocalists but using all prerecorded music.
The water fountains in the building have been covered to reduce common touch surfaces and exposure to potentially contaminated fluids. We ask that no more than two people use a restroom at the same time.
