Updates on In-Person Worship
Dear Trinity Family,
I have some exciting updates for you about our return to in-person activities at Trinity. At our meeting this month your Trinity Session adopted updated masking policies and set a timeline for our return to in-person worship services.
Our updated masking policies.
After reviewing updated guidance from the CDC and our local health department on masking, along with discussions with our facility partners at Brentwood, the Session approved an updated set of masking policies for all Trinity activities. These policies are summarized in the graphic below:
Masking is always welcomed at Trinity events. However, we realize there are times when masking is now less critical than in earlier stages of the pandemic. Effective immediately, masking is now optional at all outdoor events. Additionally, starting on Friday, May 28, 2021, masking will be optional for small groups (25 or fewer individuals) meeting indoors where all individuals present are fully vaccinated. Masking remains required for all large group, indoor gatherings such as worship.
Our timeline for returning to in-person worship.
Our return to in-person worship in the sanctuary is going to take place in two phases. During the first phase we will have limited in-person attendance paired with a livestream broadcast of the service via the internet. We are inviting those individuals who have difficulty engaging with our online services to attend in-person during this first phase. If you can watch the livestream broadcast, we ask you to do so during the first phase. This first phase of hybrid worship will begin Sunday, June 13, 2021, with worship at 11:30am in the sanctuary. This phase will continue for at least three weeks.
After three weeks of phase one we will take a two-week break (July 4 & 11) from in-person worship while I am at a professional development event. On these two Sundays, we will have pre-recorded services available as we have for the past year. During this time our staff will debrief from our initial three weeks of hybrid services and determine any adjustments or adaptations that may be necessary.
We plan to enter phase two of our return to in-person worship no later than Sunday, July 25, 2021. During phase two we will continue livestream broadcast of our services via the internet while anyone who wishes to attend services in-person will be most welcome to do so.
We anticipate the hybrid model of worship, where some are present in the sanctuary while some join via livestream broadcast, will be a long-term element of our worship life at Trinity. Over the coming months we will be working hard behind the scenes to make this a positive experience for everyone, no matter how you participate in worship.
You will notice two big differences in our online worship services starting June 13:
We will be doing worship in “real-time” in the sanctuary. There will be no editing; you will see what happens in the sanctuary.
Worship won’t be available until 11:30am since it is a live broadcast. However, you will be able to watch the service later if you can’t join us at 11:30am.
We have coordinated with our facility partners at Brentwood to make this return to in-person worship as safe as possible. To help minimize risk from various sources, including crowding between worship services, the following procedures will be put in place:
The Brentwood service will end with sufficient time for all Brentwood congregation members to exit the building by 11:00am and worship leadership to exit the sanctuary by 11:15am. Trinity members not involved in worship leadership are asked to not arrive at the church until at least 11:15am to allow time for individuals associated with Brentwood to exit the building. This means Sunday School will remain online via Zoom for now.
Brentwood members are asked to enter and exit through the East Doors (by the Sanctuary) and Trinity members are asked to enter and exit through the West Doors (by the Chapel). Individuals with mobility issues may use whichever entrance is best for their situation.
Following the Brentwood service all high-touch surfaces in the sanctuary will be wiped down and air filtration systems will be turned on for at least 15 minutes.
All common items such as hymnals, Psalters, and Bibles will be removed from the sanctuary until further notice.
Masking will remain required at indoor, large-group events such as worship except for individuals leading worship while they are actively speaking. We also encourage everyone to be mindful in giving sufficient space between you and others.
There are additional elements of our common worship life that we will be reviewing before they return to in-person worship (congregational singing, the choir, and communion, for example) because we take seriously the charge to care for both the physical and spiritual health of our congregation. I ask for your patience and grace as we walk this road together. If you have any questions, please reach out.
I am excited to welcome you back to the sanctuary in the coming weeks, whether in-person or via our livestream broadcast. While the pandemic is certainly not over, I am grateful we are entering a new phase where we may be more physically present with one another – and in this I find hope.
Grace and Peace,
Rev. Christopher Miller
Pastor
