OUTDOOR WORSHIP PREPARATION
The FLC Council has reviewed plans for worshiping in our courtyard and approved a service for July 5th at 10:00 A.M.! That’s the good news! …And now (just like those drug commercials on TV) here are some of the details and Frequently Asked Questions to help you prepare for and consider whether to attend.
What is expected of me, if I choose to attend? We need to assume that people attending may have covid-19, so we are asking that anyone in attendance agree to…
1) wear a face mask,
2) bring your own chair,
3) use the restroom before coming to the service (to reduce the need to open and clean the church),
4) maintain a distance of at least 6 feet at all times (No hugs or contact—I know that will be difficult for some of you!),
5) follow these instructions and the instructions of the ushers and leaders at the service,
6) if you, or any close contacts, are sick or at greater health risk, please stay home,
7) and if you or any close contacts become sick, please let the church office know right away,
8) if you don’t think you can agree to these steps to keep our worship as safe as possible, please stay home. Everyone else who attends will be expecting others to follow them, as part of their decision to attend.
How long will the service last, and what will it be like? The service outside will be under 45 min, and initially have no music, to keep it short and reduce the risk of transmission. The congregational parts of the service will be read by a worship assistant, similar to our online format. The congregation is encouraged to not join the responses or to respond in a quiet voice.
What if I choose not to attend, will I be left out? If you cannot attend or don’t wish to attend because of the health risk, we will be sharing information about joining the service via Zoom or online recording. We will have a recording of this service available online later in the day and will email out notifications when it is ready to view. If you are interested in using your phone to listen to the service, please let us know.
Why are we not worshiping inside? For your safety, we are not planning to worship indoors until the risk to the congregation and community is reduced or we learn that our ventilation indoors allows for minimal risk of spreading covid-19. We do not yet have reliable ventilation recommendations or information that would allow us to plan a worship service indoors.
What about weather? If the weather looks unfavorable, we will shift to an online format again. In the event of rain or other unfavorable weather conditions, we will cancel this live service not later than 1 hour before the scheduled starting time. Sunny and/or hot weather are not unfavorable weather conditions. So, if it is raining or threatening rain or storms that morning, we will likely cancel the live service so all can stay home. We may also respond via email, text or by phone to those who have indicated they will be attending if time allows.
What should I bring? You can bring your offering envelope to the service, but avoid bringing much else besides masks, a chair, sanitizer, water (with a straw if possible) and maybe a hat or umbrella to protect you from the sun. You also can give online HERE.
When should I be there? Please plan on arriving by 9:45 AM for the 10:00 AM service. Seating will likely take a bit longer as we want to maintain social distancing and will need to set up lawn chairs.
Do I need to RSVP ahead of time? YES! We need to know how many to plan for! If you have not yet taken our poll about attending, please do that now or after you talk to other family members about your decision. The link to the poll is found HERE.
How often will we worship outside? We don’t know yet. After we know who wants to attend and the council reviews the first service and reliable covid-19 information in our area, we will make plans for future services.
How can I help? If you are willing to usher or assist in worship please contact the church office. If you are willing to make phone calls to those who do not receive emails please contact the church office.