Dear South Church,
With love and care for the health of our community as our focus, we’re putting some preventative measures in place at South Church. Based on the information we have today, here is what you can expect to see at South Church moving forward. We anticipate there will be further updates in the coming weeks.
- Hand sanitizer stations with tissues throughout the building: in the Narthex, Fellowship Hall, Staff Office suite, and Sunday school classroom area. In addition to good handwashing, we encourage you to use hand sanitizer when you enter and exit our building.
- We have plenty of room in the pews, so you can spread out to whatever degree makes you and your neighbors comfortable.
- We encourage you not to shake hands before, during, or after worship. At the Passing of the Peace in worship, we ask that everyone put their hand over their heart and offer one another a nod or smile as a sign of our peace in Christ.
- The Offering will look different with no more passing the plates in the pews.
- We are evaluating how to celebrate communion with our Deacons and will share that plan with you before next month.
Most importantly, if you feel
at all sick, stay home. God is with you right where you are. If you let us
know, we’ll check in on you, too. But coming to church, even if you’re signed
up to lead in some way, is less important than tending to yourself and not
risking getting others sick, too, whether it’s the coronavirus, the flu, or
just a cold. You can livestream our worship service right where you are through
the South Church app on your phone or on our website at southchurch.com/live. If
you have trouble accessing the live-stream, please send a note to Pastor Alex;
he’ll be happy to help.
According to the CDC, “older adults and people who have severe
chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease seem to be at
higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness.” Among the five
recommendations for higher risk populations, three of them seem pertinent to
our community life:
- Stay at home as much as possible.
- When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often.
- Avoid crowds.
In the midst of all the fears that swirl around us in these days, I offer you Jesus’ words: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.”
Grace & peace,
Pastors Dana & Alex
