Providence Family,
We are still living in strange and uncertain times. If you are like me, I miss worship and seeing your smiling faces. I am happy to announce that we will gather again for worship this Sunday (June 21st) with a drive-in service! But there is still concerns with the rise of COVID-19 cases in our state and community. With that comes some guidelines that we all need to follow to make sure we are all safe.
Christians operate under two major moral principles, “love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 12:31)” and “Just as I (Jesus) have loved you, you also should love one another (John 13:34),” which obligate us to care for one another. As Methodists, we actualize these principles by making an effort to do no harm, do good, and love God. In an effort to do no harm while loving God, our move to in-person worship will adjust our church practices in the near future to minimize the likelihood of transmission of COVID-19 during our church activities.
Guidelines:
Drive-in Worship-
– If you have a fever, cough or short of breath, stay home and/or seek medical attention.
– Families will be able to stay in their cars and listen to the service over the radio or they may roll down the windows to listen.
– You may get out of the car and bring your own lawn chair to sit outside for worship. There will be designated areas for you to do so. If you do decide to exit your vehicle, you must stay 6 feet apart from others, not including families. At this time, wearing masks are optional, but HIGHLY recommended.
– You may not shake hands, hug or “visit” others. Instead, wave from a distance or nod to others.
– Bulletins will be provided as you drive up for worship with words of music. The person handing our bulletins will be wearing gloves and masks to lower the risk of transmission of the virus.
– There will be no offering plates. If you wish to give your offering, you may drop it in a plate as your get your bulletin. You may still mail in your offerings or drop it off at the parsonage.
– As you enter for the service, please use the driveway between the parsonage and sanctuary.
– Please, limit your visit to the restrooms. The fellowship hall will be open for emergencies.
– If people break these guidelines or if the number of cases in our community hits a high, I will call off worship until it is safe to reopen.
Please note, there will still be no meetings or Sunday School gatherings. This is our new norm. Once it is deemed safe to return to our sanctuary, there will be more guidelines to follow. I know it is a lot, but this is our way we can return to worshiping our God together. I want everyone to come to worship and feel safe. If you are unable to attend, you may still hear our “Church Chat” on 96.5 FM.
I am looking forward to seeing each of you Sunday! I pray everyone will continue to stay safe and if there is anything I can do, please reach out to me!
Grace and Peace,
Justin Ritter