As mentioned previously, we will be opening up our building for worship this Sunday, though in a modified way as we transition back. Here are the details...
There will be two worship services here in Sutton on Sunday morning, one at 9:00 [note: subsequently changed to 9:30] and the other at 11:00, and we will be setting up a livestream of the 11:00 service (a link will be posted on our website later in the week). We will also try to record that and post it on our website by Sunday night so that you can watch at a later time. If you are at high risk due to age or medical condition, or if you are not ready to attend for any other reason, then please stay at home and join us online. We understand, and we’ll look forward to seeing you when you are ready to rejoin us in person.
The room here will be set up to comply with the physical distancing guidelines provided by health officials, with those not part of the same immediate household sitting at least six feet apart. We’ll ask that you maintain that same distance when entering and exiting the building as well, which means we should try to refrain from congregating in the aisles or the foyer before and after the service. In order to avoid having to turn anyone away when we have reached our safe seating capacity, we ask that you let us know [find the link on the newest post] as early as you can which service you plan to attend so that we can reserve your spot. If your plans change, please send me an email so that we can make best use of our space. We will need to assign seats in order to reduce confusion and to make the best use of our space while maintaining safe distances, so lookout for an email from me sometime after making your reservation. I recommend arriving several minutes earlier than you normally have in the past in order to ease the flow of people.
In order to further decrease the risk of transmission, we are aiming for a "touchless" service. This includes doors being opened for you and not distributing a bulletin (please bring your own paper and pen if you would like to take notes). High-touch surfaces such as handrails and restrooms will be cleaned between services. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to encourage the use of cloth face coverings, especially when social distancing is difficult (with exceptions for children under 2 years old and anyone who has difficulty breathing). A limited number of disposable masks will be available in the foyer if you are unable to bring your own.
We are unable to offer nursery care or Children's Church at this time, so children will need to remain with parents. Also, we ask that parents continue to provide “coaching” for their children after the worship service or when you get home, as we will be unable to run our usual Transition Kids program for now.
The state health officials would like for us to also communicate the following to all of you:
Please do not attend if you exhibit any of the signs of COVID-19, which include:
- Fever (feeling feverish or a reading over 100.4 Fahrenheit)
- Respiratory symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath
- Whole body symptoms such as muscle aches, chills, and severe fatigue
- Changes in a person's sense of taste or smell
Other risks that should keep you home include:
- being in close contact with someone who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19 in the past 14 days (healthcare workers caring for patients while wearing appropriate protection may attend)
- traveling in the past 14 days, either internationally or domestically outside of NH, VT, or ME on public transportation
If you have questions about any of these plans please let me know and I will do my best to help you. These are uncharted waters for all of us, but the Lord is still on His throne and He can bring us through stronger than before if we depend upon Him and the resources He makes available to us through the Holy Spirit (such as Galatians 5:22-23). I look forward to seeing you when you are ready to join us.