Return to In-Person Worship: What you Need to Know

(As of March 10, 2021. Policies and protocols are subject to change based on local spread and as we learn how best to care for one another in regards to public health.)

​It has been over one year since we worshipped together in our sanctuary, something that had been as routine for many of us as having breakfast in the morning. This has been a difficult time and we are glad that spread has been on the decline while vaccines are quickly being distributed. As we resume in-person worship, we will do so deliberately and with as much wisdom as we can. We continue to look to the overall well-being of our members and the safety of our neighbors as we make decisions. We continue to ask questions of purpose and strategy.

​What are our goals as we make decisions about Sunday worship?

• To have a physical experience of our church family and the energy of the Holy Spirit that comes from the embodied presence of the Jesus community
• To encourage one another with prayer, song, word, and sacrament in a direct way
• To embody God’s love with one another
• To equip and empower one another to live the life of Christ throughout the week
• To promote both physical safety and human/spiritual connection
• To be good neighbors to our community, doing what we can to reduce the spread of the virus and support vulnerable individuals and groups.

Location and Time:

• Beginning March 21, 2021, we will have two Sunday morning services. Zoom Worship will begin at 9am. In-Person Worship will begin at 10am.
• Services will last about 45 minutes.
• Worship will be streamed on Facebook Live and recorded for later availability on YouTube.

​Strategies and Protocols:

• If you are exhibiting any symptoms of illness, please do not attend the in-person worship service, but you are more than welcome to join on Zoom or watch the stream live or later.
• Masks should be worn at all times on church grounds—except when partaking in Communion. Masks should cover both the nose and mouth and not be removed to speak.
• Personal physical distance of 6ft. should be maintained with those outside of household.
• Absolutely no touching (hugs, handshakes, elbow bumps) outside of households. Waves, signs of the cross, air-fist-bumps, etc. are good alternatives. Please do not even ask to hug, shake, etc.
• Restrooms will be available, but please minimize use and avoid occupied restrooms if possible.
• The in-person liturgy will begin at 10am. Doors will open at 9:50am. If you arrive earlier than that, please wait in your car, or you may interact with others with face coverings and distancing outside the building.
• If you come down with symptoms or receive a COVID diagnosis, we are depending on you to be candid with Pastor Jon. This trust is essential if you are planning to attend in-person worship.
• Windows and doors will remain open when possible. We recommend bringing a blanket, dressing warmly, and/or sitting away from the windows if this is a concern. In freezing weather, we will not open the windows.
• There will be fans blowing as well as the vacuum fan at the top of the sanctuary, in the effort to keep our own particle emissions from concentrating around us

• Pew sections available for seating will be clearly marked. Only people from a single household or "pod" (already in contact) should sit in a half-pew section. (See  diagram for seating.) The pews are roped off. The piano side of the sanctuary is roped for single/pair seating with every 3rd row empty, while the pulpit side is roped off for families of 3 or more with every other pew empty.

• Preaching and other speaking will be done from the pulpit. Speakers will wear masks if possible.
• Holy Communion will be celebrated weekly to emphasize our physical connection with God and one another in an increasingly virtual world. You may bring your own elements OR there will be a basket of pre-packaged Communion sets available to you as you enter the sanctuary.
• The service will last about 30-45 minutes.
• Everyone is asked to depart immediately following the service. You may interact outside of the building, with masks and continued distancing. There will be no coffee hour at this time.
• There will not be childcare available. The service will be shorter than indoor services in the past. And we continue to welcome the sounds and movements of children among us. Adults, please take responsibility not to engage a child in a way that might draw them closer than 6ft. Make the distance a “fun” thing with silly waves, air-high-fives, etc. We do not expect children to perfectly abide by these protocols. 

As we move forward, these protocols will likely be relaxed and altered. But whatever the protocols are in a moment, please join us in taking them seriously in care for one another.

We also expect feelings of awkwardness or a sense of “this isn’t what I remember church feeling like.” That may come from the new protocols or even from anxieties stemming from the ongoing risks of the virus or from being a little “rusty” with human contact and in-person worship. We encourage you to notice these feelings and give yourself and the community time to readjust.

Concerning whether to attend, we urge you to make a decision prayerfully and in consideration of the risks and costs as well as the gifts and benefits. Be assured, we will do our best to maintain these protocols and ask for your help in doing so. When everyone generously abides by the protocols, we create a safe space for those who are concerned about the risks and everyone is able to focus on the good of being together. Our summer experiment with outdoor distanced worship was a success in this regard. We thank you for that, and look forward to this new shift to something a little more familiar.
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God bless you all,
Point Place UCC Leadership Team and Board of Trustees