Welcome everyone. We are now worshiping in person on Sundays at 10:00am.
We are doing this because Gov. Walz is allowing churches to worship up to 50% capacity up to 250 people. More info here. Our council met on June 16th to pray and discuss what our response as a church should be to COVID. We decided that we could allow a very limited, socially-distanced service for people who are healthy and not at risk. Council’s decision is based on their understanding of medical science and prayerful desire to do God’s will.
Please be mindful that worship at Zion will look different and may feel a little strange. We will wear masks. There will be hand sanitizer available. We will practice social distancing, no lingering to visit, no coffee. Szu Ling will play the piano. There will be no sharing of the peace. The offering will be collected in baskets by the doors. Communion will be served on the way to your cars after the service.
We will only use the east doors for entering and leaving the church. Inside the church the sanctuary and the men’s and women’s bathroom will be open to the congregation. The other parts of the church will be closed off. Ushers and signs will help direct people in and out of the sanctuary. We will prepare the sanctuary for fresh airflow and will have marked socially distant seating. Our cleaning crew will be cleaning high touch areas(like door handles) between services. Please refrain from touching the Bible and hymnals at this time.
I really want to highlight this. We are encouraging high-risk individuals and those who don’t feel well to stay at home. We will record the worship service and publish it online. It is ok not to come to church. Please do not feel obligated to come. Worship in person is a good thing, but at this time there is a high priority to care for our neighbor and we understand if that means staying home to limit exposure to the virus. If you are not able to make it to worship please consider calling a friend of yours from Zion as we continue to support each other in Christian community in person and at a distance.
In Christ -Pastor Steve
