Greetings
Friends,
Session
has decided that Pioneer will resume worship at the church under limited
conditions effective June 14, 2020.
This was not an easy decision for Session to make,
nor was it unanimous. Concerns remain regarding how to keep our congregation
safe, most of whom are in the vulnerable category on the basis of age as well
as many who have other medical conditions that places them at even higher risk.
Even though we are beginning to resume traditional worship, there will be some
of you who are not yet ready to participate in the gathering of groups. That is
okay. Each must act according to what is best for him or her. There is no
stigma to staying away from gatherings during this pandemic. Be safe!
Resuming even limited worship is absolutely
contingent on compliance with the conditions established by Session and
mandated by the Governor’s reopening criteria. The biggest challenge will be
maintaining a six-foot separation.
I know there are those who believe that the risk of
coronavirus has been overblown and that officials have overreacted. Others are
very concerned about the risks and choose to protect themselves as best they
are able. I know, too, that community is a very important aspect of our
gathering to worship. We ask that you respect the concerns of those who are
trying to comply with the distancing rules. When you approach someone and they
step back, that is not an invitation to move in closer. Maintain distance!!
We are basing our resuming worship on the Governor’s
Phase 1. It is true that by June 7th Phase 2 may be in effect, but
we cannot make that assumption. Here is what we’ll be doing:
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We will be Zooming the service and worshiping live simultaneously.
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There will be a maximum of 25 people at the church including worship
leaders. People will need to sign up so that we have a headcount. This will be
done on a first-come first-served basis. If you sign up and do not attend, you
may be denying someone else the opportunity to worship live.
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If you are ill, fevering, or showing other symptoms, please stay home!
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Worshipers will be asked to use hand sanitizer when they enter the
church. Frequently touched surfaces will be disinfected before worship. Face
masks are optional. If you wish to wear a mask, please do so and bring your
own. At this point we do not have a source of masks.
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Six-feet separation will be maintained except for those of the same
household. Pews will be marked accordingly.
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There will be no singing. Hymnals and Bibles will be removed from the
pews. It has been determined that singing is a major factor in the spread of
the virus because when we sing, we project and it can spread germs for up to 25
feet. Marianne will sing and we will have the pleasure of listening. Hopefully,
we will have people volunteer to do special music as well.
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In order to maintain distancing, we will not pass the peace, shake
hands, hug, etc. Offering will be received by dropping it into a plate
stationed for that purpose rather than passing the plate. When communion is
offered it will be done in such a way that congregants touch only what they
will consume. There will not be a ‘handshake line’ following worship. There
will be no coffee hour or social time afterward. Don’t make me get out the
yardsticks!! There will be an orderly distancing as people leave the church pew
by pew.
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Most other church activities will be in recess through the summer.
There are a very few exceptions. Highway Cleanup will be held since individuals
can drive in separate cars and maintain distance while picking up trash. PPW yard
sale (rummage sale? Basement sale?) will be held using similar rules as
worship, allowing limited shoppers in at a time. Shoppers will be required to
use hand sanitizer when entering.
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A committee comprising Jan Oswald, Kathy Wassom, and Pastor Jean will
be formed to work out further details and implement the necessary practices to
allow us to move back into live worship.
Gathering in community to worship is a key living-out
of our faith. It is not the basis of it. Jesus Christ is the foundation of our faith.
We live our faith and we worship our God wherever we are. God is not confined
to the walls of a church. God is with us every where we go. We can worship at
home and we can gather in community to worship in the church. We long for
normalcy in our lives again, to resume worship and activities together. That
time will come. It won’t be a grand celebration as we’d initially hoped.
Instead, it will be a gradual process—done safely. Our prayer is that when we
reach that point of being able to all gather together and worship as before, we
will not have lost any of our beloved members to the virus.
Grace,
Peace and Good Health,
Pastor
Jean
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