Hello, beloved Saguaro!!
We pray that this finds you healthy and well. We miss y’all.
Your In-Person Return Task Force (IPR TF) and church staff have been hard at work researching and processing lots of information around COVID-19. While it’s true. we know more now than we did back in February. It’s also true that we will know more in December than we do today. So, we continue to trust scientists as we make decisions regarding COVID-19.
Recognizing that we are created for relationships, and COVID-fatigue and loneliness are real, we thought it would be important for us, now that the weather is cooling off, to find ways to gather safely outside. We feel gathering outside for worship is the safest option to create an in-person worship service that is safe, smart and sacred.
In-Person worship will return November 8 at 10 am in the grassy area on campus.
We will be physically on campus with each other, as we watch the online worship service. This way we can be together, and worship together with less risk. This service will be an opportunity to gather outside, share in communion, sing with masks on, pray with one another and be in each other’s presence as we worship together.We can always adapt and shift in the future, if necessary.
What to bring:
Please bring with you a camping/ folding/bag chair.
Masks are required, so find your favorite one, and wear it properly (covering your nose and mouth) to worship. We encourage you to bring your own communion elements, but recognize that it is 1 more thing to bring, so we will have some available, regardless. We will also have a place for you to place your offering if you wish to bring it with you.
What to expect:
Give yourself an additional 20-30 minutes to be seated. When you arrive on campus, you will be greeted warmly by one of our greeters. The greeter will ask you to fill out a contact tracing card and then seat you 6 feet from others to maintain physical distance. We have made some changes to our campus (inside and outside) so that we can begin to provide in-person opportunities and maintain our virtual offerings as well. There will be hand sanitizer stations available. We will show the worship service outside so we can all share in worship safely together in-person, while still maintaining our online worship. Please use the restroom before you arrive, they will not be available. We will also not have a nursery available.
Covenant: Recognizing the risks of being in person and because we care about each other we ask the following:
* If you (or anyone in your home) is not feeling well, please stay home and worship with us online.
* If you are higher risk, please make a wise decision for yourself
* You must wear a mask properly with your nose and mouth covered at all times.
* Please use the bathroom before you come to campus. They will not be available.
* No hugging. (We are bummed, too.)
* Respect each others’ space.
* If anything changes (weather, illness) etc we will communicate the change through email and social media.
With everything these days, there are risks so we trust that you will make the best decision for you and your family and we really look forward to being with y’all soon.
God’s Peace to y'all,
IPR-TF: Cathy Stubbs, Dave Coatsworth, Doug Peterson, Kerry Swindle, Michal Griffin, Merle Jensen. Patricia Casey, Susan Keenan and Wende Gonzales
Church Staff: Fran Johnson, Keith Koster, Kelley Dick and Owen Chandler