All of us have been through a lot these past months and the future is uncertain as well. But what is certain is that Resurrection Lutheran Church has been led by God's call for us to seek Vibrant Life. Yes, our building has been closed but our church has never been closed. Resurrection is people, wherever we live, learn, work and play. That is Resurrection.
After much prayer and thoughtful planning, we will be eagerly returning to indoor worship on November 8th at our normal worship times at 9am and 10:30am. You may be asking, "Why now?" We have been extremely cautious and careful with your health and we will continue to do so. However, there are benefits for some of us in our community to gather; physically distant, but still gathered together. Having adjusted to our new reality with the confidence in our ability to provide a safe and welcoming worship environment, it is time. We also recognize that there are benefits for those in our community to continue to worship online with us. Yes, both are true.
What you can expect
What will not be changing? Our online worship will continue as is for the foreseeable future. We are working to create an online experience that matches our live worship as well. Our online worship will continue to premiere at 10am Sundays on YouTube, 11am on Facebook, and be available on YouTube throughout the week. You can also find online worship links on our website.
What will be changing? While we will be returning to indoor worship it will look a bit different. Here is how...
Physical Distancing will be observed. Our chairs have been arranged to help us comply with the health directives of both the Minnesota Department of Health and the CDC. This means our seating will be limited and each week worship attendees will need to RSVP online or you may contact the church office Monday - Thursday to reserve seats.
Masks or face shields will be required while in the building. These are critical tools in keeping all of us healthy. The only exceptions are children under the age of 5 although they are encouraged to wear a mask as well.
Traffic flow measures will be provided for entering and exiting the building. Restrooms will be available. Please follow appropriate distancing.
Refreshments will not be provided. We will not be able to linger after worship as we will need time to sanitize the space for the next service.
Child-care will not be provided at this time but children are welcomed.
Worship practices will be similar to our regular worship routine including communion observance and the practice of giving. There will be giving stations as you enter and leave worship and our communion practice will resume once a month with self-contained communion elements (gluten-free available).
Health checks are encouraged before you leave home. Thank you for self-checking for any of the following symptoms before entering the building: Fever, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, muscle pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, chills, cough, runny nose, sinus congestion, sore throat, headache, fatigue. If you are experiencing those symptoms you are encouraged to reach out to a health care provider and worship with us online.
Groups are meeting at Resurrection including our youth ministries and some small group adult ministries. These gatherings have been carefully designed under our Covid-19 preparedness plan. Resurrection is not approving any additional outside group use of the space at this time. Our preparedness plan is available on our website and in the church office.