Update on LUC’s Step 3
Starting the week of June 15th, 2021, the COVID-19 Task Group has recommended that we, as a congregation, move to our Step 3 in the LUC Steps of Re-Opening:
“Small-group church ministry (e.g. a book study) and small group church meetings (e.g. a committee meeting) may begin in the building, adhering to the capacity requirements for each space within the church as well as following safety practices and guidelines.”
This is, of course, conditional on BC’s Restart Plan moving forward as announced to Step 2 when small in-person meetings are allowed.
Small Groups
A letter was sent out this week to small group leaders about each group’s preference for meeting in-person, staying on Zoom, or exploring a combination of both. This is to help us plan, schedule, and organize for our Step 3 re-opening. If you are a small group leader and have not received a letter, please email the office at office@ladnerunited.org or call (604) 946-6254.
Midweek Worship
In addition to small-group meetings, we will also begin small, indoor midweek worship services. These will begin on Thursday, June 17th at 3pm. A few things to be aware of for these services:
– there will be a maximum attendance capacity of 20 people
– mask wearing is mandatory
– everyone will need to follow physical distancing protocols
– no hugging (unfortunately!)
– there will be no coffee time or gathering after the service
– no singing, except for Marcus and a soloist
– pre-registration is mandatory (see below for more information)
– washroom access will be limited to the front washroom
These services will be different from Sunday mornings, about a half hour in length and a bit more contemplative in style. Of course, we’ll be experimenting with a few different things too 😉
Pre-Registration
Pre-registration is required to attend these services. To pre-register, you’ll need to call (please don’t e-mail) the office at (604) 946-6254 in the week leading up to the Thursday worship service. Please pre-register before Wednesday at 3pm. We’ll need your first and last name, as well as a phone number for contact tracing purposes.
We do want to prioritize, at this time, those who cannot attend Sunday morning Zoom services online. So, if you can attend Zoom worship, we ask that you wait to pre-register each week until Wednesday (so for the first service, wait to call until June 16th). For those who cannot attend Zoom worship, you can call to pre-register on Mondays and Tuesdays (June 14th and 15th for the first week). We want all to attend, we just want to make sure we’re giving those who can’t worship in other ways a priority to start.
Volunteer Assistance
In order to actually be able to have midweek worship services, we’re in need of some volunteers! We are looking for both Welcome Hosts as well as Tech Hosts so worship can go as smoothly as possible.
Welcome Hosts — will welcome people as they come in, check them off the pre-registration list, make sure each person understands the guidelines and restrictions in the church building, and help with sanization after the service. Training on COVID-19 sanitization procedures will be necessary prior to the first worship service.
Tech Hosts — will set-up the sound in the sanctuary, help with microphone volumes, and be in charge of the PowerPoint slides during the service. If you haven’t been a tech host in the sanctuary before, training on the equipment can be provided.
If you’re able to volunteer for one or both of these roles (don’t worry, you won’t be a welcome host and a tech host the same week!), please contact the office at office@ladnerunited.org or (604) 946-6254.