Plans to Return
Almost a full year after we stopped gathering in the church together, we are ready to start the slow but joyful process of coming back. The Covid numbers in our community have fallen dramatically. Active cases are below the bishop’s guidelines for in-person worship. The rate of positive tests remains higher than we would like, but hospital capacity is widely available. Although we will continue to watch the numbers and will delay if necessary, we are planning to offer in-person worship inside the church beginning March 7.
Coming back into the church is a powerful and important sign of progress, but we cannot lose sight of all that has been lost, nor can we expect that everything will immediately return to the way it was before the pandemic. There will be many people at St. Paul’s who are too vulnerable to come back right away. Although more and more of us are receiving vaccines, it will be months before even a majority of our congregation has received them. Likewise, capacity in the church will be very limited, and we will need to sign up to reserve a spot. We will not be able to sing in church together. We will not receive the wine, and we cannot pass the peace with a hug or a handshake. While we will experience joy when we gather again, we will also share some of the sadness of knowing that our gathering is not yet complete.
Our principal offerings will continue to be livestreamed because we recognize that most of our parishioners are not able to come to church. When the weather is consistently warmer, we also plan to add outdoor services for those who would prefer to come to church but only if we meet outside. If you are among the many people who yearn to come back but cannot do so yet, I hope you know that we have not forgotten you. We cannot be the body of Christ and leave you behind.
Here are some specifics about our plans for in-person worship. In next Thursday’s newsletter, we will share a link to an online signup, which you may use to reserve a pew at one of our Sunday-morning services. Only half of our pews will be available, which limits us to 18 individuals or households per service. Our 7:30am service will be Rite I (traditional language) without any music. Our 8:45am Rite II (contemporary language) service will continue to use a quartet of singers, but the congregation will not be allowed to sing. Our 11:00am Rite II service will have instrumental music but no singing. All three will include Communion.
Everyone five years old and older will be required to wear a mask over their nose and mouth the whole time they are in the building, and double-masks are strongly encouraged. Parishioners may only remove their masks for the brief moment they receive a Communion wafer. Individuals or families will reserve their own pew ahead of time, and those who show up without a reservation will not be able to worship in the church. People will be asked to keep at least six feet of distance between them as they go into and out of the building and when they come forward for Communion. We will share the peace by waving or bowing to one another. We will not pass an offering plate but will have one available where you may place your offering.
The only doors that will be open are the two doors that lead directly into the narthex on East Avenue and the side door by the organ, which will only be an exit. Mobility-limited individuals will need to use the ramp on the side of the narthex. The check-in table will open fifteen minutes before each service, and everyone will need to check in as they arrive and stay in their pew for the whole service except to receive Communion. The rest of the building will be closed. Restroom access, therefore, will be for emergencies only.
Some of you have expressed frustration and anger that we have been closed for so long. Others are likely to express frustration and anger that we would consider opening up so soon. We have been cautious—perhaps too cautious—but none of us has lost our ardent desire to come back together when it is safe. Other congregations in our area have met in person, and those that continue to practice social distancing measures have not been identified as a source of community spread. As Christians, we have an obligation to care for others—healthcare workers, educators, other frontline employees, people who cannot afford to stay home, people who are vulnerable to Covid—and we also have a need to care for one another. However we do that, whether by staying home or by coming to church, may we do that in a spirit of selflessness and mutual concern.
Yours Faithfully,
Evan