Resuming In-Person Worship on June 7
Beloved of the Lord,
“I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the House of the Lord.’”
Psalm 122:1
The Elders have decided that the time is coming to resume holding in-person worship services with some specific adaptations to do our best to minimize the risk of contracting or spreading the COVID-19 virus.
On Sunday, June 7, 2020 we will hold worship servcies at 8:00am and 10:30am.
(Bible Study will still be done via Zoom, online only.)
First and foremost, we want everyone to know that if you feel uncomfortable attending in-person worship, even with these adaptations, please feel free to remain home until such time as you are ready. The services and Bible Studies will contine to be provided online or by DVD as we always have done. Let your conscience be at ease knowing that the Lord is with you. Reach out to the church office if you have any pastoral care needs.
As we return to worship, please give careful consideration to the requests and adaptations presented by the Board of Elders. We make these with best interest of the spiritual and physical care of everyone attending. While you may agree or disagree with the need for or effectiveness of various adaptations, we ask that, should you choose to attend, that you also abide by these requests to the best of your ability so that everyone attending can feel at ease. Love of our neighbor places their needs ahead of our own and we do our best to put everyone’s conscience at ease.
We are grateful for the many volunteers that help make worship go smoothly each week. For the time being in order to minimize the need for training and so that no one feels compelled to attend before they are ready, no volunteers will be scheduled to serve during the worship service (AV, readers, acolytes, ushers, etc.). The Elders will be handling these responsibilities.
I look forward to soon greeting you in the Lord’s House when the time is right for you. Until then, may the Lord guard and keep you and bless you and your loved ones during these days. May He soon deliver us from this pandamic and all its effects of health and wellbeing.
In Christ,
The Board of Elders: Pastor Zielinski
Sam Jakabcic
Steve Kato
Tim Wadle
Guidelines for Returning to Worship at St. Paul, Sunday June 7, (8am & 10:30am)
- If you, or someone in your household would be considered “high-risk” for complications related to COVID-19, please be safe and stay home. Or, if you are not feeling well, or if someone in your household is not feeling well, please be considerate of others and be safe and stay home.
- Recommend wearing a face covering/mask.
- Maintain social distancing (6-feet or more from others and no handshakes/hugs/etc.)
- Entering:
- Sanitize your hands as you arrive please.
- Bulletin:
- Pick up a bulletin at the table near the Welcome Center.
- It is yours to keep! It contains the entire service including readings and hymns.
- Offering
- Continue to make use of automatic giving via your bank or our website.
- If you have brought your offering with you, place it in the basket as you pick up your bulletin.
- Seating
- Every-other pew has been sectioned off. They have also been sanitized between services.
- Please sit as a family unit with appropriate social distance between your family and others.
- If we reach capacity in the sanctuary, we will provide additional seating in the Narthex and Fellowship Hall.
- Communion
- Pastor and an assistant will have just washed their hands and will be wearing masks and gloves.
- Ushers will dismiss one family unit at a time to come forward and receive communion.
- Communion will be received standing at the bottom of the steps, as we have done from time to time.
- Place your hand out flat so that Pastor can place the Body of Christ into your palm.
- Then, you take an individual cup from the tray.
- Place the empty cup into the basket and utilize the hand sanitizer provided, if you desire.
- Return to your seat via the narthex around to the back of the sanctuary (instead of the side aisles).
- Leaving
- Ushers will dismiss pews beginning at the back of the sanctuary.
- Please limit your lingering in the Fellowship Hall but rather make your way directly to the parking lot.
- You are welcome to remain outside to greet one another. Please continue to observe appropriate social distancing.
March 28 Update from St. Paul
To join in from your computer or other device follow this link:
https://zoom.us/j/3881486941
That will take you to “Zoom”, an online meeting platform. It’ll ask you to install a small app and then you’ll be able to join the meeting or enter a “waiting room.”
Services and Activiites are Suspended
Beloved in the Lord,
Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Effective immediately, all activities and services at St. Paul are suspended and the building is closed. Lord-willing we will resume worship on Palm Sunday, April 5. Please monitor the news channels for up-to-date closing information as well at www.spvc.org or our Facebook page where you will also find resources to help you navigate these challenging days.
The Elders and Pastor Zielinski arrived at this decision based on the most recent recommendations to halt the spread and severity of the COVID-19 outbreak. Several weeks of very limited contact among our communities will have a tremendous impact on slowing the spread of the virus and allow medical resources to reach those most critical.
Should you desire pastoral care during this time, please contact the church office (330)483-3883 or (330)483-4119 and leave a message for Pastor Zielinski.
SERVICES AND BIBLE STUDY WILL BE AVAILBLE to view live or on-demand. Visit www.spvc.org – on the homepage is a viewer for the livestream (when active) and for the most recent service. Bulletins are available via the link. Select the bulletin for the date of the service you are watching. Livestreams will typically be at normal service times.
REQUEST A DVD if you would prefer.
SHARE THIS INFORMATION with others connected to St. Paul and around our community. We are blessed to be able to bring God’s Word in this way during these difficult times.
Pastor will be posting and updating links to resources available to you to enrich your spiritual care both during these days and always.
God is gracious and will see us through these days. Whether we become ill or not, whether the virus is halted quickly or lingers, we face these earthly challenges with the peace and confidence of faith that surely Jesus has borne our griefs and carried our sicknesses in Himself to the cross where He has won for us an eternal healing and delight for all eternity.
Please direct any questions you may have to the Elders or Pastor Zielinski. We are available to you.
In Christ,
Board of Elders and
Pastor Zielinski pastor@spvc.org