Update as of 7/25/2020
Greetings NLECC Congregation,
Most of you will have heard by now Governor Walz has issued an executive order mandating the wearing of masks in all public places including houses of worship. This order goes into effect July 25th. The order is pretty straightforward and in compliance with the Governors mandate masks are required to be worn while inside our Church facility. We encourage you to bring your own masks.
If you do not have one or have forgotten yours please use one of ours available at the main entrance welcome desk or the south entrance door to the sanctuary. Please return them to these areas after use so they can be sanitized and reused. Per the executive order children under 2 must not wear masks, children 2 through 5 are encouraged to wear masks and children age 6 and up must wear masks. Social distancing will also still be practiced and encouraged in our church facility.
The Pastor, speakers, members of the praise team, special music etc. do not need to wear masks if they wish while doing their function. Our Church office will continue to be closed to the public so our staff can work unmasked in their offices. Please call ahead if possible to schedule an appointment with a staff member.
Please be patient, understanding and in prayer as we find our way through these days.
Thank you,
Daniel Johnson
Church Chairman
JUNE 7th, 9:30AM Re-Gathering Plan for Onsite Services at Evangelical Covenant Church of NL
Our commitment to our church family is to do a safe and well-thought-out re-gathering plan where we re-enter for on-site services re-gaining worship and fellowship normalcy incrementally over time. We long to protect the most vulnerable, giving them good reason to worship with us as soon as possible, while protecting one another’s preference serving one another as done unto the Lord!
We have formed an ECC ‘Covid-19’ Task Force of some of our own doctors and nurses and we are listening to them for sound advice informed by science and reality. So here we go…
OUR COVID-19 CONSCIOUS SEATING SPECTRUM
THE CAREFUL … MASKS REQUIRED (FAR SOUTH SECTION OF SANCTUARY)
THE CAREFREE … ‘WHAT IS A MASK?’ (FAR NORTH SIDE OF FELLOWSHIP HALL)
ANYWHERE BETWEEN FOR ALL OTHERS AS YOU CHOOSE!
CHRIST CALLS US TO ALL CARE FOR EACH OTHER!
Greetings NLECC Congregation,
Most of you will have heard by now Governor Walz has issued an executive order mandating the wearing of masks in all public places including houses of worship. This order goes into effect July 25th. The order is pretty straightforward and in compliance with the Governors mandate masks are required to be worn while inside our Church facility. We encourage you to bring your own masks.
If you do not have one or have forgotten yours please use one of ours available at the main entrance welcome desk or the south entrance door to the sanctuary. Please return them to these areas after use so they can be sanitized and reused. Per the executive order children under 2 must not wear masks, children 2 through 5 are encouraged to wear masks and children age 6 and up must wear masks. Social distancing will also still be practiced and encouraged in our church facility.
The Pastor, speakers, members of the praise team, special music etc. do not need to wear masks if they wish while doing their function. Our Church office will continue to be closed to the public so our staff can work unmasked in their offices. Please call ahead if possible to schedule an appointment with a staff member.
Please be patient, understanding and in prayer as we find our way through these days.
Thank you,
Daniel Johnson
Church Chairman
JUNE 7th, 9:30AM Re-Gathering Plan for Onsite Services at Evangelical Covenant Church of NL
Our commitment to our church family is to do a safe and well-thought-out re-gathering plan where we re-enter for on-site services re-gaining worship and fellowship normalcy incrementally over time. We long to protect the most vulnerable, giving them good reason to worship with us as soon as possible, while protecting one another’s preference serving one another as done unto the Lord!
We have formed an ECC ‘Covid-19’ Task Force of some of our own doctors and nurses and we are listening to them for sound advice informed by science and reality. So here we go…
- Any person with sickness or symptoms should stay home! That means … (See ECC Covid-19 Task Force document below)
- For a time, we urge those most ‘at risk’ to Covid-19 to stay safe and worship online at home. (See ECC Covid-19 Task Force document below) We are working hard to create a ‘live stream worship’ experience on our church website with the necessary links (the link to the live stream will be posted to our Online Worship page once available) so all can have some semblance of being ‘with us’ in worship each Sunday at 9:30AM. We pray you can join us safely soon!
- Come early and find your seating quickly THEN visit safely with our social distance seating!!
- Our warm fellowship will replace hugs and handshakes with waves and loving words of welcome and encouragement! Please do so out of respect for each other in this time.
- Greeters will have doors wide open for all so there is less touching of surfaces. Hand sanitizer and wipes stations will be at every entrance. Please wash hands both coming and going from worship!
- We will now use the entrance on the south side of the Sanctuary at the foot of the balcony. We urge the most sensitive and at risk to use this door. This will eliminate exposure as you enter the sanctuary by staying out of the lobby. Our south side of our sanctuary is being reserved for those most vulnerable and sensitive for Covid-19 precautions (masks required here please!) All who are not seeking this should sit elsewhere and come through main doors and lobby.
- We will ‘social distance’ in our sanctuary by taping off every other pew. We will seat one family at each end of the open pews only. We will limit two families in the overflow section. First come first serve for all seating. Come early and visit once seated. (Governor guidelines limit us to 25% capacity seating)
- We are opening two new worship areas. These will help spread people out and accommodate unique family needs.
- One will be in the lobby designated as a ‘family nursery worship area’ where we are placing a large screen TV allowing for the added movement and noise of young children along with proximity to bathrooms and the nursery. Because we will have no nursery or seedlings children’s church for a time, we are going to scatter chairs in the lobby for proper social distancing. The nursery will remain open for parents use and for nursing mothers as needed. Children’s ministry leaders will act as hosts helping families worship successfully and safely.
- Secondly, we are reserving the front fellowship hall for our families and those wanting a more relaxed Covid-19 conscious environment. We will have a big screen projector to experience live worship. This setting allows for more movement and the tables will offer a younger set greater activity/interaction during worship. The tables also provide that natural social distancing barrier built-in for the younger set. Seating is one family per table.
- We will have a ‘retiring offering’ so people will not pass a common plate but use baskets in the lobby for this purpose. We have a safe and sanitary communion option and those tuning in from home should have the element ready to join us at the table.
- Knowing this is a virus that is passed by breathing, especially during singing, we will adjust incrementally on this issue as we move along together.
- We recommend masks for the safety of others… especially consider being masked coming in and out of services and during any congregational singing! Thank you! (See ECC Covid-19 Task Force document below) We will have masks of all sizes available onsite as supply lasts. Masks are a great expression of biblical care and servanthood protecting others if you are asymptomatic for Covid-19.
- The whole basement is closed to the public to help our mid-week Covid-19 cleaning protocol which is substantial!
- Following worship, we will release with the most vulnerable sections first, back rows to the front rows. Heading outside, weather permitting, will provide the safest fellowship possible. Yet, please still be conscious of social distancing during post-service fellowship outdoors. Thank you for worshiping with us again!!
OUR COVID-19 CONSCIOUS SEATING SPECTRUM
THE CAREFUL … MASKS REQUIRED (FAR SOUTH SECTION OF SANCTUARY)
THE CAREFREE … ‘WHAT IS A MASK?’ (FAR NORTH SIDE OF FELLOWSHIP HALL)
ANYWHERE BETWEEN FOR ALL OTHERS AS YOU CHOOSE!
CHRIST CALLS US TO ALL CARE FOR EACH OTHER!
| ECC Covid Task Force Recommendations for Return of Onsite Worship 5.20.20 |
| Updated ECC Covid Task Force Recommendations 7.25.20 |