This is it—our trial indoor worship service, Sunday, October 17!

 

Even though our dear pastor constantly reminds us that “being the church has nothing to do with the building,” many of us have a special place in our hearts for the sanctuary of Guilford Community Church. We have been married there; we have baptized our children there; we have mourned the loss of loved ones there; we have prayed, sung, worshipped joyfully there. So it has been difficult not to have enjoyed the familiar surroundings of the sanctuary for the last 19 months.

 

This coming Sunday, we are ready to try indoor worship once again—hallelujah!

 

But please be prepared for some significant changes:

 

1.   The most obvious will be in seating. We have roped off half of the pews so that we can have appropriate distancing. Ushers will seat you and your family/pod so as to maximize the number of people that can be in the sanctuary. Please be prepared to enjoy the church from a new perspective in a location that is “not your regular pew.”


2.   Singing hymns should happen in a soft voice—humming is also a good option. The latest information about indoor group singing says that, if the level of your voice is similar to speaking in a soft voice, we will be able to sing together as safely as possible. When the small choir sings, they will stand on the chancel as far from the congregation as possible.



3.   Zeller Hall option: A new, extra-large TV screen will be installed this week to allow more space for seating downstairs. We have learned that some people may prefer to be in comfortable chairs with easier access to the restrooms. There will be ongoing alterations to the space to make it feel more like another sanctuary. We hope that everyone will be willing to alternate worshipping in Zeller Hall and in the sanctuary as the weeks unfold.

 

Finally, please review the list of requests we have distributed earlier.

Please:

 be vaccinated. 

• wear a face covering. 

 refrain from attending if you are sick. 

• get a COVID test three to five days after returning from travel to a low-vaccinated area or being exposed to someone with COVID. 

 contact the church office for contact tracing if you test positive for COVID-19 within two weeks of attending worship. 

 check in with ushers to make sure that your presence is recorded in case contact tracing is required. 

 gracefully follow directions from ushers to seats in the sanctuary or Zeller Hall. 

 exit the sanctuary following worship and gather on the south side of the church for socializing with others outdoors.

 

See you on Sunday!

 

Relaunch: Peter Amidon, Fred Breunig, Dwayne Johnson, Rev. Elisa Lucozzi, Austin Rice, Lucy Spahr-Blazej, Debra Zagaeski