Worship Service Update | November 24, 2020

Dear Christ Church Family,

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoy a peaceful and restful holiday this week.

During the months of the pandemic, we have offered two services on Sunday mornings in order to provide a safe environment for our congregation. Out of concern for the spread of contagions, our Session chose to operate in a conservative manner, asking attendees to wear face masks and to observe six feet of social distance while indoors. Thus far, we have been able to successfully negotiate the pandemic without incident. However, the division of our community into two services has been less than ideal.

With the season of Advent beginning this Sunday, November 29th, we plan to return to one morning worship service at 10:30 AM. We are eager to have our entire community gathered to offer thanks and praise to God with one voice this Sunday!

The arrival of additional chairs this week enabled us to create a new seating arrangement in the sanctuary that extends our capacity significantly. In accord with our mayor’s order, we will continue to require all attendees over six years of age to wear a facial covering when inside. Though uncomfortable and inconvenient, facemasks have proven to be a help in slowing down the spread of the virus, especially in circumstances in which social distance cannot be maintained.

Our new seating arrangement allows for fifty-two socially distanced seats in the front of the sanctuary. Priority will be given in this section to elderly and at-risk populations within our community. A large aisle divides the front section from a rear section where larger family units will be seated. In this section, along with the balcony, we are providing distance from other family units by not seating attendees immediately behind one another. Per normal, bulletins will be laid out to provide a seating guide. This operational procedure enables us to function at 50% capacity—a conservative capacity load that respects all local protocols.

Please make note of this change and tell your friends! We are excited about this development and will continue to operate with the greatest care and concern possible for the health of our community. For those unable to attend, the service will continue to be available on the livestream at 10:30 AM.

So, grab your facemask and let’s go up to the house of God together this Sunday!

Grace and Peace in Jesus,

Chuck Colson
Pastor, Christ Church