To Our Church Family
     The session met Tuesday, June 16th in order to review the Reopening Questionnaires and make decisions about Sunday morning worship.  Session views the return to pre-COVID church life as a “process” that may need adjustment as we move forward. We ask all to be patient and bear with us and to continue to make comments and observations as we move forward. This decision attempts to accommodate the needs of the majority of the congregation.  In an effort to consider this wide range of feelings, the Session decided to:
  • Continue the parking lot service at 10:00 am for June 21, June 28 and July 5.
  • On Sunday, July 12, the parking lot service will begin at 9:00 am so that a second service in the sanctuary can be held at 10:30 am.  Details about the inside service can be found below. 
  • We are going to continue to offer the weekly message and the pastoral prayer on our web page at www.WorthingtonPres.net.  In order to listen to the sermon, click on audio and then the play arrow. If you click on Sermon Notes, you will find an outline of the sermon with supplemental scriptures and quotes.  In order for prayer requests to be included in the pastoral prayer, contact Pastor Bob.
 Please continue to pray for our country, for our neighbors, and for our church family.  
Blessings,
Pastor Bob 
 
To our church family,
     As mentioned in a previous e-mail from Pastor Bob, the Session has decided that beginning Sunday, July 12, 2020 we will begin transitioning back to worship in the sanctuary. Due to a wide array of responses to the surveys and a variety of comfort levels regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the Session is beginning this transition by trying to accommodate as many needs as possible. To explain, we will be continuing to offer the parking lot service at 9AM for those who may be uneasy, compromised or simply uncomfortable in the sanctuary at this time. A second service will be held in the sanctuary at 10:30AM for those who are comfortable and willing to begin returning to a sense of normalcy.
     The exact details regarding precautions for the in-sanctuary service are still being sorted out and will take some planning which is why we are still providing just the parking lot service at this time. With that being said, the transition may be a week-to-week, trial-and-error process in order to provide the congregation with the safest worship service possible. Please be patient with us and feel free to offer any additional input or suggestions as to what you feel will make this process safer or more efficient.
Tentatively a few guidelines discussed regarding the sanctuary services beginning July 12 include:
1.  Do not come to worship if you are sick, if you have been exposed to someone who is experiencing COVID-19 related symptoms or are compromised from a pre-existing condition. You are still welcome to attend parking lot worship in this case.
2.  Face masks are NOT REQUIRED but you are more than welcome to wear one as masks are still recommended in the “green phase.”
3.  Families, couples, etc. are able and welcome to sit together, but we must be respectful to those who would like to maintain the six-foot social distancing therefore, an usher may help seat the congregation if necessary.
4.  Bulletins will be available at the door for individuals to pick up on the way in but will not be distributed by members of the congregation.
5.  Offering plates will not be passed during the service, rather there will be an offering distribution spot also available upon entering.
6.  Hand sanitizing stations will be readily available.
7.  Restrooms are available but PLEASE be sure to wash your hands after using.
8.  Adult Sunday School will still not be held until further notice, but a “children’s church” is in the works to be offered outside behind the church during the parking lot service, weather permitting.
9.  Since COVID-19 is spread primarily via droplets, there will be no singing in worship at this time due to amount of droplets dispersed through singing. We are looking into still providing special music during the service therefore, individuals interested in sharing their talent during this difficult time should contact a Session member.
10.  Please continue to follow the basic guidelines that have been discussed for the last few months everywhere you go; wash your hands, don’t touch your face and please be mindful and respectful of those practicing social distancing.
     Again, these are merely the precautions that have been discussed thus far so if you have any suggested additions or corrections, please reach out to a Session member. If these guidelines still leave you feeling uncomfortable and you are not ready to worship inside, please continue to attend our parking lot service. We have purchased an FM transmitter which we are hoping to have up and running soon for better quality reception for these services as well.
     Lastly, a survey will be handed out in the coming weeks to see who is interested in or planning to attend the in-sanctuary services in order for Session to adequately prepare and have an idea of how to maintain social distancing and adjust given the number of people that will be attending. We understand that worship won’t quite be the same with all of the news precautions, however we are trying to do whatever we can to keep all of you safe and comfortable moving forward. God willing, we will hopefully be back to our normal worship at the beginning of September but until then please be patient with us and pray that the Lord continues to guide and direct us every step of the way.
God bless!