GATHERING AGAIN SAFELY

Guidelines for Gathering

  • If you are vulnerable or have signs of illness, please stay home.  Choose to worship at home if you or anyone in your family has had ANY of the following symptoms:  fever over 100, cough, sore throat and/or shortness of breath.  Also, stay home if you have had contact with anyone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.
  • We will continue to LIVEstream our 9am Worship service at our website, on Facebook and on YouTube.
  • Only Sunday worship services will resume.  All other on-campus event and activities are cancelled unless notified otherwise.  Many groups are meeting virtually through videoconference; contact the church office to get connected.
  • Families will worship together in the same worship service.  We will not offer nursery or separate children’s worship.

 

9AM Worship in the Sanctuary

  • In accordance with CDC guidelines, we ask that you and your family wear a face covering or mask.
  • Seating is limited to ensure social distancing.
  • A reservation must be made each week.  Reservations will open Monday morning and close Wednesday evening. 
  • Reservations can be made online or by calling the church office (517-625-3400)
  • Doors into the building and sanctuary will be propped open. 
  • Please maintain a 6-foot safe distance as much as possible.
  • When you arrive, an usher will seat you in a predetermined row. 
  • When the service is over, you will be dismissed by row.
  • Please catch up with missed friends outside in the parking lot.

11AM Worship on the Church Lawn

  • A socially distanced seating grid will be marked on the lawn by the pavilion.  Bring your own blanket or lawn chair and set up on the grid.
  • You do not need to reserve a seat. Please maintain a 6-foot safe distance.
  • In the case of inclement weather, the service is cancelled.  Worship at home using the 9am LIVEstream recording.

Things we are doing to keep everyone safe:

  • The building will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized before service. 
  • Hand sanitizer will be available in the church.
  • Staff will assist with traffic flow and seating to accommodate social distancing recommendations.
  • There will be no bulletins or communal items such as hymnals, pens or Bibles. 
  • Greeting time will look very different.  Be prepared to wave, nod or greet from a distance. 
  • In the building, only the pastor and worship team will go without a mask so they can be better understood.

 

Things that will look different:

  • No nursery or separate children’s worship.  Families will worship together in the same service. 
  • Offering:  To avoid personal contact with passed offering baskets, drop boxes are available in each worship service.  You may also give online or by mail.
  • Communion:  When we serve communion, it will be served in pre-packaged containers.
  •  Welcome and Greeting Time:  Please observe social distancing.  It will be hard not to hug or shake hands with people we haven’t seen in a while, but we ask that you refrain from doing so for now. 

 

What will children’s worship look like?

  • Your child will be with you in the same worship service and families will sit together.
  • Praise Packs will be available to help children engage with the service.  Please take these home with you and use them for discussion with your children.  They will include age appropriate materials and activities.

 

Exercise Caution

Please use caution in returning to the church building.  No one will judge anyone who decides not to come back immediately.  Our LIVEstream worship service will continue indefinitely.  If you feel safer worshipping at home, please do so.  Our first concern is the health and well-being of everyone, especially those who are most vulnerable.

 

We Thank You!

We thank God for your grace and your sustaining prayer.  Your support of the church staff is beyond words. Your faithfulness in giving is encouraging.  Your care and concern for one another inspiring.  Thank you for being steady members of the body at Perry Church of the Nazarene.

 

We re-open with caution.  We hope the cautions we have outlined can be lifted quickly, but as you know, this could change again at a moment’s notice.  Pray with us as we seek the best and safest decisions for all.  Extend grace and be instruments of peace.