Returning to in-person worship

Dear siblings in Christ,
 
Previously we sent out a letter to members of the congregation explaining where we are at in terms of a plan to return to in-person worship. It was a rather lengthy letter, but sought to offer some of the guidelines we are working with and an understanding of what needs to be in place to return.
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The first thing to say is that we are still in the midst of a public health crisis. Regardless of how long it has gone on for or how tired of it we may be, we are still fighting a virus with no cures. In 5 months we have had almost 120,000 people die in this country alone. Reopening church does not mean it is safe to return, but that hopefully our medical infrastructure can now handle the amount of cases that will occur as we return to normal activities. 

I cannot overstate that attending church is one of the highest risk activities you can partake in. It is a large gathering of people from all over, who have been to many other places, possibly not those following standard safety procedures, and you are sitting for an extended amount of time in one room with all of these people. Unlike grocery shopping, where you get in and get out, this is a period of time where you remain in the same place for extended periods.
In this communication, I want to outline the specific guidelines that will be enforced when we reopen. These guidelines are taken from the State of Arkansas Department of Health and the Bishop of Arkansas's directives, and are done so based on the most recent available research per the CDC.

We will begin in-person worship on the weekend of June 27th-28th. There will be four service times:
5pm Saturday evening - Rite II
8am Sunday morning - Rite I
10:30 Sunday morning - Rite II (this service will be live-streamed)
Noon Sunday morning - Rite I

1. The reason for having 4 services is that seating is very limited. You will be required to sign-up the week before the service to reserve a spot. We will be watching for those members who do not have email and reaching out directly to see if they would like a spot.  Let me be clear: I don't like the feeling of having to reserve a spot in church. But the only other option is whoever shows up first gets a spot and we have to turn people away at the door to try again another time. Instead, preregistration ensures we don't have that issue. Because we have so many people wanting to come back, and in order to maintain social distancing, we just simple won't have enough space for everyone at our normal two services. You will need to be flexible about what time you attend.
   
   
2. Signs will be posted at all entrances outlining that anyone who is considered 'high risk' by the CDC should seriously consider continuing to worship online. (For more information on who is in this category, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-higher-risk.html)   There will also be signs that outline: If in the last 2 days you have or had a fever of 100.4 F and/or cough, had a decrease or loss of smell or taste in the last 14 days, traveled outside of the US, or been exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19, you will not be able to attend services until your symptoms have subsided for 14 days, or you have been symptom-free for 14 days post travel.
   
   
3. No one over the age of 10 will be allowed into the nave or sanctuary without a mask on. Your mask should remain properly covering your mouth and nose the entire time. The only exceptions to this are the reader assigned for the week while they are reading and myself, while I am leading the worship. We will provide disposable masks, but you are welcome and encouraged to wear your own reusable mask from home.
   1. Per the CDC, for children under 10 years old face coverings are optional.
   2. For children under 2 years old, per CDC guidelines face coverings are prohibited.
      
      
4. When you enter you are expected to use the provided hand sanitizer or your own. Afterwards you may obtain a disposable mask if don't have your own, and a service leaflet. There will be containers to dispose of anything when you exit.
   
   
5. There is no pre-service sitting in the narthex. When you enter you need to go in directly to the most forward seat available in the nave. There is also no coffee hour afterwards.
   
   
6. A 6-foot minimum distance must be maintained between households at all times. Seating is marked off on the pews to maintain this.
   1. Seating in the nave is anywhere between 16 to 32 people, depending on your household. There are 16 spots that can accommodate up to 2 people, but they need to be in the same household. Under no circumstances will anyone be allowed to break the 6-foot rule to accommodate more seating. NO physical contact outside of your household. No handshakes, no hugs, no physical sharing of the peace.
      
      
7. For the time being, we will not have any singing.
   
   
8. Communion will only be consumed by the priest celebrating the mass in our first phase of returning. Hopefully we will quickly discern a safe method of providing consecrated wafers. We are awaiting further instruction and guidance from the Bishop on this matter.
   1. We will continue with the pre-shutdown changes also of no holy water in the font, no passing of the collection plates, and not bringing the elements forward.
      
      
9. Attendance will be recorded in order to trace contact should someone who attends a service fall ill with Covid-19.
   
   
10. Sanitizing all surfaces will take place between services on Sunday.
    
    
11. Our ability to return to in-person worship right now does not guarantee that we stay open no matter what. If Baxter county sees a rise in infection rates, the church, per the Bishop's directive, will return to online only worship.
    
    

I am sure there are many more pieces to this puzzle that we will discover as we return and experience these changes. I appreciate your patience and grace in approaching these necessary precautions. This is a very complicated situation that none of us have really ever been prepared for.

We will be reaching out this week to begin the signup for the 27th and 28th. We will also need a reader to volunteer for each service. I am also thankful for those that have volunteered to help clean between services. A rota will be sent out soon for them. It will also be helpful to have ushers to assist in directing movement of folks. Together, we will get through this in the safest possible manner.

~Fr. Kevin