Dear church,
After a lot of planning and sorting through guidelines, insurance requirements (!), and procedures, we've got things together for our first outdoor service, scheduled for this Sunday, September 13th! For those unable to attend, worship will be streamed online on Facebook and YouTube as normal.
What you'll find here are the things you can expect when you arrive on Sunday, and some guidelines that, if we all follow them, will serve to make our experience of coming back together a lot easier and more enjoyable.
Also, at the end of the email is some special information related to this Sunday being Pastor Casey's last Sunday with the church.
Guidelines
The following guidelines we're putting into place to both keep our church attendees and community safe by minimizing the opportunity for disease transmission, and in order to maintain compliance with state and local ordinances for church services. Failure to comply with these basic guidelines could result in greater difficulty in having outdoor services in the future, could prolong the time before we are able to come back together, or could result in the loss of church insurance coverage. Please adhere to these guidelines and allow church staff and volunteers to be greeters and welcomers, rather than “enforcers” of the "rules". Thank you for not making us play that role.
- Please RSVP by Friday 9/11 so that we know how many people to plan for, and how to allocate our space and volunteers. You can reply to this email, or call the church office at 209.668.0400.
- Please arrive between 9.30-9.45 in order to have adequate time for check-in and seating.
- Please stay in family groups, social distancing as possible.
- Please bring your own chairs and/or a blanket.
- Consider bug spray, as there can be some biting insects in the grass.
- The area where we gather is sunny at this time of morning. Consider sunscreen, and especially sunglasses.
- Come from your car to the check-in station, where temperatures will be taken and people will be signed-in. (This is a requirement to be in compliance with guidelines, and for church insurance purposes).
- Please wear a face covering while checking in, and while making your way to your seats.
- Please consider maintaining face coverings for singing.
- There will be no dedicated children’s programs. Children must remain with their parents. We will, however, have children’s activity packets available.
- We are not able to provide restroom access, so please arrive ready for the duration.
- Please stay in your designated seating area and greet people from a distance.
- Ushers will take you to your seats, and ushers will guide you to leave in an orderly way.
- We are not able to provide coffee or refreshments. Please feel free to bring your own coffee and snacks for during the service. We will not be congregating after service for coffee.
For Sunday September 13th
Because this is Pastor Casey’s last Sunday, he’ll be happy to talk with people after church.
If you didn't make it to the surprise drive-thru at his house on Tuesday, and would like to say goodbye to Pastor Casey, we will have a drive-through from about 1130-1230 at the church.
Alternatively, he will be available to meet individually through Friday the 18th. Just reply to this email, or call the office to set up a time.
It has been a long time since we've been together. While this won't be the fullness of our regular meetings, we will be together.
Looking forward to seeing you,
Hilmar Covenant Church
