Church Phased Reopening – June 8, 2020
Member of East Alton First United Methodist Church:
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. We hope that this letter finds you happy and healthy. As you know, we have been living in very unprecedented times for the past several months. We have been working together, as a committee, to help us safely return to some type of “in person” worship. For the safety of our pastor, we will be following
the directive set forth by Bishop Beard. We are also required to follow directives from our insurance company, Church Mutual, which also recommends that we follow what has been set forth by the bishop.
Please know that we are working tirelessly to provide worship for our members. Under guidance of Bishop Beard and the cabinet, we will be allowed to have a drive-in worship service. In order for us to be able to do this, all members must adhere to the following
guidelines:
All members will be required to stay in their vehicles at all times
No sitting in lawn chairs outside of your vehicle
Church doors will be locked, restrooms will not be available, and no persons should enter the church as to not interrupt the live transmission of our worship service by Pastor Ed, Sue, Angela, and Jon.
To ensure vehicles won’t be running for too long, service will be kept to 45 minutes
The bus will not be running until there is a vaccine or no new cases are reported
There will be no Sunday School classes until we are in Phase 5 of the
Bishop’s directive.
Members are encouraged to bring their own masks and hand sanitizers for your own safety precautions
Bulletins will be available online only for you to print from home. We will not be able to distribute them due to the contact it creates
We continue to encourage you to mail, drop off at our church mailbox, or use EGiving for your tithing.
Please keep in mind that we do not have a professional cleaning crew. Cleaning will have to be conducted by members and it is not economical to pay a commercial cleaning crew with so many members having keys to the church.
Please be mindful when you enter the church building, wipe down surfaces you may touch, wash your hands frequently, and avoid entering the church if you are experiencing any symptoms of illness Please know that as we continue to work with the COVID-19 pandemic, we will be
working to phase back into a new normal. This will include three services with times to be determined by the pastor. The three services will be held in the sanctuary, fellowship hall, and chapel- these services will be determined as we approach Phase 5. In addition, masks will be required, as well as temperature checks.
Members are asked to comply with the following safety precautions:
There will be only one entrance open. We ask that you do not use your key to enter any other location.
No one will be permitted in the areas that are marked CLOSED.
A tithing box will be located in the entry, we will not pass an offering plate.
Seating will be marked in all places
The use of hymnals, Bibles, pens, or papers will be prohibited.
Restrooms will be required to be cleaned after each use.
Livestream worship will continue when church resumes.
Please realize that the situation of the COVID-19 pandemic and guidelines continue to remain fluid. There is a likelihood that even as we have planned thus far, we still may have to alter or adapt to safely gather as a congregation. Please have patience and understanding as we navigate into a new normal. We are cautiously planning with the best interest and safety of our church family close at heart. Pastor Ed has done a phenomenal job keeping us together, safe and healthy, during this trying time. He has a tremendous weight on his shoulder, and we commend him for putting our members first while keeping us close to Christ. We ask that you continue to
pray for Pastor Ed and our church.
In Christ’s Love,
Committee Chairs of East Alton First United Methodist Church