Session, under the guidance of the Reopening Task Force, has agreed that for the season of Advent (four weeks beginning November 29), we will move this short "Prayers on the Steps" service into the sanctuary. This will allow the task force to develop the best ways for managing longer worship services, with more in attendance, when Session agrees it is appropriate. We can also use this period to experiment with different video technologies for bringing services into people’s homes.

 

There must, of course, be rules for doing so. The church will do its part, providing sanitized services, setting seating at appropriate distances, and ushering people to those seats, in particular. Ushers and leaders will wear masks, except when speaking from the chancel.

 

For your part, the first rule is: Stay home if you have recently tested positive for coronavirus, have been exposed to anyone with COVID-19, or are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19. Second, you must wear a properly-fitting mask while inside the church. We will have a supply of disposable masks, if you need one. You must do your best to maintain social distancing from others, whether indoors or outdoors. Third, you should make use of the hand sanitizer station(s) before being seated in the pews. In summary, see the poster below, which will be displayed at the entrance.

 

Important: attendees will enter the sanctuary through the narthex, using the accessible side door (11th Street). Come a little early to line up. Those being seated together will enter the narthex one group at a time, to be ushered to a seat. Seats are spaced more than six feet apart, to allow seating of pairs of people. Larger groups should use two spaces, as appropriate. Please remain at your marked seat until dismissed at the end of the gathering.