Trinity has been worshiping inside our sanctuary since October 4th. The reopening committee has reviewed the practices of other congregations, ELCA recommendations, businesses, state, local, and federal governments, and considered the health statistics of Washington County to make decisions and provide a physically safe environment.
Currently, churches are allowed to have 75% capacity. Trinity can accommodate about 45-48 people in the sanctuary and maintain an appropriate distance.
With that said, no one can guarantee zero risk. It is important that each member make their decision to return to indoor worship based on their personal health and comfort level with the procedures we have put in place. We cannot emphasize this enough.
There are two services for the month of October 9:00am and 10:30am.
People that sign-up for the 9:00 a.m. service will use the downstairs bathrooms. The upstairs will be closed at this time. People that attend the 10:30 a.m. service will use the wheelchair accessible bathroom upstairs. The downstairs will be closed at that time. With the number of people who have attended the outdoor services, we do not believe we can accommodate everyone in the sanctuary at one time. Having two services in the upstairs sanctuary becomes a problem with cleaning between services.
Those who participate at the 9:00 a.m. service will enter and exit through the side doors along Cemetery Lane. Those who participate in the 10:30 a.m. service will enter and exit through the front entrance with the ramp.
On Monday, a thorough cleaning of both floors will take place.
The cleaning of the church will include all possible touch points: door handles, railings, faucets, pews, toilets, sinks, etc. Seat cushions, hymnals, and the provided Bibles will be removed.
The air conditioners are designed to take in a specific amount of outdoor air at all times and it recirculates air like all other commercial units.
Here’s what we need you to know:
- Agree to wear a mask over your nose and mouth. At this point in time, it is something that is mandated by the state. Age 5 and up for now.
- Sign-up for the service you wish to attend. We realize this is an inconvenience and is not something that we want to do. It is necessary at this time to make sure we can accommodate everyone and not be placed in an awkward situation in having to turn someone away because there is not enough space.
- Sign up by either e-mailing Trinityboonsborosecretary@gmail.com , or calling the church 301-432-2226 and leave message on the answering machine. Include how many people will be coming with you, and who will sit in your group. Also, if you are flexible with coming to either service, please leave that information in your voicemail or email. It might help in planning. Please do this before 5:00 p.m. on the Saturday before the service.
- If you feel the least bit under the weather, please do not attend. You will be able to join us online.
- Ushers will escort you to your seats and will excuse everyone by rows.
- For now, please understand that the pew you are used to sitting in probably won’t be available, so no giving our overpaid ushers a hard time.
- Automatic soap dispensers will be installed in all bathrooms and two hand sanitizing stations will be upstairs and downstairs.
- Sanitary wipes will be available in the bathroom. Please wipe down any surface that you touch when finished.
- Doors will open 20 minutes before worship and close 10 minutes after the services begin. Since people won’t be passing each other, we will use the same doors for entrance and exit.
- At present there is no requirement for taking temperatures. We will not be taking temperatures unless we must. We encourage you to do so at home.
- An offering station will be set up similar to the outdoor worship services.
- Singing, for now, is on hold.
- Please be sure and notify Pastor Ron, or Kim Nally, or call the church office (301-432-22260 if you test positive for the Covid virus. We will continue to take attendance at each service and will be able to notify people who were in attendance, if they might possibly have been exposed.
- The service will continue to be available online.
- Sunday school classes on Sunday morning are temporarily on hold.
This is a plan to start and will change as time progresses.
Communion
Holy Communion will be celebrated according to our regular communion schedule first and third Sundays of the month and Christmas, Palm Sunday and Easter. Worshipers will not come forward to the altar rail for communion. We will remain in our pews.
- The bread and wine (or grape juice if desired) will be given to each individual, couple, or family (as the case may be) as they arrive in their pew. The bread will be in wafer form. You will receive the bread in a baggie, two wafers per baggie. The wine or grape juice will be in prefilled plastic cups. Each cup will have a lid.
- At the appointed time in the service, Pastor Ron will ask all worshipers to remove the wafers from the bags and open their cups of wine or grape juice. He will then say the Words of Institution (“Our Lord Jesus Christ, the same night on which………..”).
- After all of us pray the Lord’s Prayer together, Pastor Ron will invite us to consume the bread by saying the words, “The body of Christ, given for you.” He will then invite us to drink the wine or grape juice by saying, “The blood of Christ,
shed for you”. - If you have an extra wafer, eat it along with the first wafer.
- Ushers will collect all waste as they dismiss the congregation by rows.
- The bread and wine (or grape juice) will always be prepared ten days in advance by Pastor Ron and/or Karen Cunningham and/or Kim Nally. Those who prepare the bread and wine will be wearing plastic gloves and masks throughout the preparation.
