Finding Faith ... in gearing up for a comeback

I think it’s safe to say that this year’s Rally Sunday will be like any other in memory.

And I also think it’s safe to say that when we do hold Rally Sunday, it will look something more like “Rally Sundays,” as many of the celebrations (such as Senior Sunday, First Communion, commissioning our teachers, new member Sunday, etc.) we were thinking might take place on Rally Sunday likely will have to be interspersed among multiple Sundays this fall to ensure that we can conduct them safely and with as much joy as possible.

As I write this column on Tuesday, July 28, our Faith Lutheran Church Smart Restart Committee has compiled a draft proposal that guides us through how we will reopen our church for in-person services on Sunday, Sept. 13. That plan will be formally voted on by the Faith Lutheran Church Council on Wednesday, Aug. 12, it’s next available council session.

But as you know, our plans are just that, “plans.” We will continue to monitor the current pandemic situation, in accordance with guidance from our synod, the national ELCA, our state government and the latest from the Centers for Disease Control, and we’ll adapt our plans as quickly and as often as necessary.

We are including in this newsletter the entire draft reopening proposal that was created by our FLC Smart Restart Committee. It will be the same proposal that our council will review and vote on in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile, we want to begin sharing as much information with the entire congregation as possible so that we can have as successful of a return to in-person service as possible.

Council President Debi Byars and I want to give a big shout out to Pat Freitag and Gen Poehls, who volunteered to serve on our Smart Restart Committee with us. Their expertise in their fields was key to helping us craft as detailed and knowledgeable of a plan as possible. And Gen even volunteered to serve as the plan administrator, a requirement necessary for a restart. Thank you both, Pat and Gen, for your time and your commitment to serving throughout this restart and beyond! We are deeply grateful!

So, just what does this five-page reopening plan cover? … Well, in short, it provides guidance as to how we will conduct in-person services: What we can and can’t do; how we will handle entering and exiting the church; necessary cleaning protocols; and the volunteers that we will need to help us conduct these unique new services.

I know that not everyone wants to wade through five pages of details, so I’ll cover a few highlights here, and for those who are interested, you can read through the rest of the proposed plan, also included in this newsletter.

In general, the plan contains five sections: 1.) the number of volunteers we need each Sunday. 2.) the material resources necessary to carry out our plan. 3.) guidance on how the in-person services will take place. 4.) how our communion ritual will change. 5.) and a few reminders.

In short, we’ll need at least a handful of volunteers each Sunday to help with working our front door, pre-service cleaning, ushering, assisting with communion, reading the scripture and leading the crew each Sunday. More information will be coming on these volunteer needs, but just know that it will take a team effort to hold a service each week.

As for the new in-person Sunday protocol: We will be entering as family groups only, one at a time; registering attendance so that we can keep track if the need for contact tracing arises; and sitting only in designated pews with six foot distancing between family groups. And we will have orderly seating from the front to the back, and in reverse when we exit the church.

The sanctuary is also going to take on a new look with no Bibles, hymnals, or seat cushions around. We’ve removed any extra surface so that we do not have to clean them every week.

The congregation also will not be singing out loud, nor reciting any of the prayers out loud. We’ll have one designated reader, and the reader and the pastor will share the duties responding to each other when called for.

Finally, everyone will be required to wear masks, and there will be a ton of sanitizer available.

As for communion, let’s just say that it’s going to look a lot different. We will be using pre-packaged, single-serve communion cups that contain a wafer and the wine. As family groups come up for communion, again one group at a time, they will take a cup from the communion assistant, who will then direct family groups to the altar. If we can safely fit more than one family group at the altar at a time, we will, but our focus will be on safety, not expediency.

Additionally, our services will be very short. There will be no lingering in the church for fellowship before or after the service. We will reserve that special time for outside the church. Our focus during the worship time will be to conduct an efficient service that balances our desire to return to in-person worship with the health and safety of our parishioners.

Finally, we are committed, no matter what, to continue providing our services “live” on Facebook no matter when they are held. And we will continue to post them to our YouTube account for you to watch at your convenience. The past few months has shown us how valuable these digital tools are, and we are not going back now.

So, if you choose to stay home and attend church by joining us online, that is perfectly OK as well. I trust the Holy Spirit will find you there just as well as she would in church! … Simply put: We are committed to providing you with a service that fits into your current spiritual, physical, social, emotional and mental needs.

Again, all of this information is spelled out in more detail in the reopening plan. And I would highly encourage you to read through it. If you have any questions, you are welcome to reach out to me or Debi. We’d be happy to hear your questions.

Faith Family … This is a time like none of us remembers. We are rewriting the playbook every week we gather together, whether it is digitally or in person, and I suspect it will be this way for some time to come. We thank you for your patience, your passion for and your dedication to our church. We continue to provide effective ministry because of your generous support, and we thank you for that.

We will be releasing more information as it comes available. Meanwhile, I look forward to worshipping with you “live” on Facebook every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. for the next month or so. Blessings to you all! … May you stay safe, healthy and secure!

By Intern Pastor Devlyn Brooks