Dear Liberty Church,
It is exciting to announce that we are moving forward with in-person Sunday morning worship services starting (hopefully) June 7th at 10:45am. This is long-awaited, and though there are still serious concerns regarding COVID-19 in our area, we must balance this with another serious concern, which is the spiritual health of our congregation. In that vein, as we anticipate reopening, the Session has approved the following guidelines in order to protect the physical health of those who attend our church. Some of these guidelines may change as the situation changes; but for now, the Session has determined that this is the best course of action so that the maximum number of people will feel safe in coming back to worship together.
These guidelines are in line with Baltimore County’s recent announcement that churches may open to 50% sanctuary capacity. We are working on an overflow room in the Fellowship Hall should we exceed this, which will include the sound of the service, and eventually, video.
Sunday School will continue on line using Zoom during the initial weeks of reopening the church. Sunday School will be held using Zoom starting at 9 AM and will complete by 10 AM to allow sufficient time for Sunday School participants to travel to Church for the worship service. Your patience in these matters is greatly appreciated. Below are the guidelines:
- Please do not attend Sunday morning worship, if you are feeling ill, have been sick in the past few days, or have a temperature, or if you know you have been in contact with someone feeling ill.
- The Elders fully understand the need for some to remain at home, and nobody should ever feel pressured to attend in person, especially those with underlying health conditions.
- Upon arrival, please maintain social distancing and proceed directly from your car to a pew. Please refrain from hugging, shaking hands, or any other physical contact. We strongly encourage you to remain at least six feet from others, except for your immediate family.
- Face masks should be worn when entering the church building and during the service. (Some participating in the service (pastors, elders, vocalists, etc.) will remove their masks when up front; however, the congregation should continue to wear their mask during the service.) We plan to have extra masks in case anyone forgets theirs.
- Doors will be propped open (to limit physical contact on door handles) and there will be ushers at each entrance/exit of the church, for several weeks, to help explain new policies and provide guidance.
- Hand sanitizer will be available, and an infrared thermometer will be available at the main entrance, if a member would like to use it.
- There will be no children’s Sunday School, nursery, or Wonders of Worship until further notice
- Bulletins will not be handed out by ushers—but will be made available for members to pick-up at conspicuous locations within the sanctuary.
- Members may print and bring their own bulletins, if they would prefer to further limit exposure.
- Seating will be every-other pew. Please make notice of which pews to sit in. They will be marked. Families should sit together. All others should maintain 6’ social distancing.
- The items in the pews, including hymnals and visitor cards, have been removed.
- All music for the service will be in the bulletin.
- The offering will not be collected by passing the offering plate, but there will be two locked boxes – one in the front of the old sanctuary and one near the back of the primary sanctuary. Members may also continue to give online.
- A section of the Fellowship Hall will be open as the “cry room” for any families that need to remove their children from the sanctuary during the service. Please be aware that no children’s toys or baby supplies will be provided.
- At the end of the service, in order to facilitate an orderly dismissal and limit inside congregating, — the ushers will dismiss members a pew at a time to each of the three exits. Rows will be dismissed, one at a time, from the back to the front of the church. Please maintain social distancing as you exit. Members should feel free to fellowship in the parking lot or lawn areas.
- Parents are encouraged to keep their children close at hand during the entire time at church.
- Please be aware that water fountains will be shut off. Rest rooms will be available if needed