St. Luke Summer Transitional Worship Plan
With COVID-19 vaccinations continuing to rise and updated CDC guidelines that soften restrictions for those who have been vaccinated, St. Luke is now ready to test a safe, gradual return to live, in-person worship.
St. Luke will enter our Summer Transitional Worship plan on Sunday, June 13. At that time, St. Lukers will have three options for joining with worship with St. Luke:
· A carefully curated indoor worship service, with safety measures and capacity limits
· A casual outdoor worship and fellowship experience with live audio from the sanctuary
· A fully remote worship offering, broadcast live from our sanctuary
Indoor Worship
In-person worship in the Sanctuary will resume on June 13 with a strong collection of safety and capacity measures. We plan to incrementally diminish these precautions as we progress through the summer, monitor COVID-19 numbers, and get comfortable with being indoors together again.
For the month of June, indoor worship will feature the following COVID-19 safety measures:
· We are piloting the return to indoor worship with vaccinated individuals only at this time
· Worship attendance will be limited to 30 individuals. To reserve an indoor worship slot, please visit our sign-up (link) or contact the church office.
· Face masks will be required and standard COVID-19 social distancing protocols will be observed during our initial rollout. Chairs will be strategically set up in our sanctuary to help facilitate distancing.
· Worship leaders may remove their masks while actively speaking or leading music from the podium. The podium will be kept at a distance from our wider congregation and will be fitted with a plexiglass shield as an added precaution.
· Congregants in attendance may join in singing softly, with masks on, while remaining seated.
· Sanctuary and outer doors will be propped open whenever possible to increase ventilation.
· Coffee and snacks will not be available during the month of June.
Outdoor Worship and Fellowship
All St. Lukers will have the option to join a casual “church on the grounds” experience, with live audio from our 10:30 worship service being fed to the backyard grounds area of our property. This will be a great option for:
· Those who are not yet vaccinated (families with children, for example)
· Those who are uncomfortable worshipping inside at this time
· Those who are unable obtain a reservation for indoor worship while capacity is limited
A few helpful details for those interested in Outdoor Worship and Fellowship:
· Masks are encouraged when you’re in close proximity with others outside your household
· Worship bulletins will be available for those who wish to use them
· Lawn chairs or picnic blankets are encouraged for those interested in seating
· Playground equipment is available, as always, for those who need a bit of play
· Coffee and snacks will not be provided by the church during the month of June
Remote Worship
Our in-person worship service will be live broadcast live at 10:30 am each Sunday, offering a convenient digital option for all people at all times. The service will be available for live viewing at our website (www.stluke.mn) and the St. Luke YouTube page. While we encourage folks to join us live on Sunday morning, these services will remain available for viewing on demand once they have gone live. The service will feel and sound a bit different than our pre-recorded services: a little more “live energy” while being a little less polished, if we had to guess!
Thank you, one and all, for your patience, cooperation and flexibility as we navigate the coming weeks and months together. We are excited to safely reconnect in person and eager to be sure that everyone feels as comfortable and included as possible through this transitional summer season. Questions, concerns, or helpful suggestions are welcome to the staff and Session of St. Luke at any time.
