Back in the Building!
It’s the time that everyone has been waiting for! After processing the CDC’s announcement last week and recommendations from the state of Illinois we are heading into Phase II (phases below for reference) at St. Mark’s...which means that we are heading back inside!
Here’s the low-down on Phase II: (I will add FAQs below, but here are the basics if you don’t want to read that much)
FAQs:
What are the Phases? Our hope is to progress thoughtfully through each phase throughout the summer with a goal of a fully open worship environment before the weather turns again.
We are currently in Phase I from a document that went out early this year.
Phase I began on Easter, where we moved back to having in-person parking lot services. It includes simultaneous online videos, bringing your own communion, and singing is possible.
Phase II is detailed above, but starts our movement into the building, every other week. Singing and liturgical speaking is limited, and led by one speaker or singer at a distance or behind a barrier. Community life like Sunday school, youth groups, and small groups remain online or outside.
Phase III is similar to the above, but we begin to add in community life indoors. Small groups can come indoors with a several day buffer between room uses. Communion will also be added into the service at this time.
Phase IV will begin our phase of indoor services occurring each week. Online services will continue simultaneously, but may be shortened slightly. Sunday school and Youth Group will begin to meet indoors with the appropriate precautions.
It may not happen quite as neatly as this layout, but these are the overall goals.
The CDC’s order just lifted mask and physical distancing restrictions, why are they still in place at church?
This is a good question. I just sat in on a whole meeting about this particular thing having to do with Lake County, Faith Centers, and Masking. Essentially, there is some really good news. If you are fully vaccinated (defined as having received both shots of Pfizer/Moderna or one Johnson&Johnson shot, and are past the two week immune-building process), you can basically return to life as normal with other fully vaccinated people. However, we are a group of people with mixed vaccination status. Some people had to wait to get their shots, some people just received their second shot, kids ages 12+ have only had the opportunity to get their first shot starting this week, and our youngest kids and immunocompromised people do not have vaccinations available to them. Adding to this complexity, we cannot ask or confirm people’s vaccination status.
Religious places of worship are encouraged to still provide protective measures for non-vaccinated people. Morally, we are called to protect the least protected. So essentially, when you’re not at services, you can follow the precautious that make sense in your life. At services, precautions are in place for everyone. We anticipate that masks can come off as Lake County reaches higher levels of vaccinated people. So please encourage your friends and family to get vaccinated so that we can all return to normal together!
Why can’t we sing?
This one pains me too. Singing is such a vital part of church life. As much as we are hearing about this church or that church that is singing, the reality is: Singing and wind instruments produce aerosols similar to what is produced through coughing or sneezing, except sustained through a 3-4 minute song. To make it safer, you need extremely well-fitting masks, extra distance, increased air-exchange, and people conscious of all of these things. It’s hard to police. For fully vaccinated people, singing is defined as safe. For non-vaccinated people, singing is considered a “red-level” activity, one of the least safe activities.
Because Lake County is only at 35% vaccinated, we have to assume that our multi-generation congregation continues to be of varying vaccination status. As this number rises and more people can join the ranks of fully vaccinated, we will reassess.
Why 14 days in between services?
This is mostly to allow us time to assess and shift anything that needs shifting as we begin to return to indoor activities. This also allows for the room, surfaces, and air to experience natural die-off of any viral particles and saves us some very expensive cleaning fees.
What if I’m not comfortable yet?
We will continue our online services throughout the duration of these Phases, and presumably beyond. Online service has been an excellent way for people to feel connected at St. Mark’s, regardless of vacations, wintering elsewhere, being homebound, or simply feeling uncomfortable in a building at this time. We anticipate that it will be needed for the long-haul. Past that, we will do everything we can to ensure that St. Mark’s is safe for all to the fullest extent of our control. However, we understand that everyone has different risk-levels and will do our best to maintain connection and care for all our members.
How can I help?
St. Mark’s has already demonstrated the key qualities to make this work: a good attitude and a willingness to pitch in. That has been the key to our success so far and it will continue to be needed! Everyone’s patience, encouragement, and support is cherished as we slog through this mess. Below is also a list of volunteer positions like ushers, greeters, etc. Because everyone has different risk tolerance levels, we can’t be certain that people who “always did such and such” will be willing and available and we want everyone to feel like they can make that choice without guilt! But it will leave some gaps. If you are willing to volunteer in a building, please fill in the below form, so that we can connect you with the team head. Thank you again!
https://www.stmarkslutheran.us/volunteer-opportunities-for-in-person-services.html
Here’s the low-down on Phase II: (I will add FAQs below, but here are the basics if you don’t want to read that much)
- We will enter this Phase on June 13th, 2021.
- It will begin a time of services inside, twice a month. This will replace our twice a month parking lot services.
- Everyone will have to wear true masks over the nose (i.e. no bandanas, gaiters, masking your chin, etc), and please stay home if feeling unwell. Masks can be provided as necessary if someone forgets.
- There will be no communal singing at this time.
- We will probably do a parking lot service here and there so people can sing!
- There will still be a simultaneous online video as normal.
- We will visit outside after the service.
- 14 days in between indoor services, reduces our cleaning costs and helps us continue to grow our processes during this new phase.
- We will continue to watch the numbers, variants, vaccine-effectiveness, cases, etc. All of us sincerely hope that we march progressively forward, I do want to mention that there is a possibility of a back and forth if we get a strange spike of something unexpected.
FAQs:
What are the Phases? Our hope is to progress thoughtfully through each phase throughout the summer with a goal of a fully open worship environment before the weather turns again.
We are currently in Phase I from a document that went out early this year.
Phase I began on Easter, where we moved back to having in-person parking lot services. It includes simultaneous online videos, bringing your own communion, and singing is possible.
Phase II is detailed above, but starts our movement into the building, every other week. Singing and liturgical speaking is limited, and led by one speaker or singer at a distance or behind a barrier. Community life like Sunday school, youth groups, and small groups remain online or outside.
Phase III is similar to the above, but we begin to add in community life indoors. Small groups can come indoors with a several day buffer between room uses. Communion will also be added into the service at this time.
Phase IV will begin our phase of indoor services occurring each week. Online services will continue simultaneously, but may be shortened slightly. Sunday school and Youth Group will begin to meet indoors with the appropriate precautions.
It may not happen quite as neatly as this layout, but these are the overall goals.
The CDC’s order just lifted mask and physical distancing restrictions, why are they still in place at church?
This is a good question. I just sat in on a whole meeting about this particular thing having to do with Lake County, Faith Centers, and Masking. Essentially, there is some really good news. If you are fully vaccinated (defined as having received both shots of Pfizer/Moderna or one Johnson&Johnson shot, and are past the two week immune-building process), you can basically return to life as normal with other fully vaccinated people. However, we are a group of people with mixed vaccination status. Some people had to wait to get their shots, some people just received their second shot, kids ages 12+ have only had the opportunity to get their first shot starting this week, and our youngest kids and immunocompromised people do not have vaccinations available to them. Adding to this complexity, we cannot ask or confirm people’s vaccination status.
Religious places of worship are encouraged to still provide protective measures for non-vaccinated people. Morally, we are called to protect the least protected. So essentially, when you’re not at services, you can follow the precautious that make sense in your life. At services, precautions are in place for everyone. We anticipate that masks can come off as Lake County reaches higher levels of vaccinated people. So please encourage your friends and family to get vaccinated so that we can all return to normal together!
Why can’t we sing?
This one pains me too. Singing is such a vital part of church life. As much as we are hearing about this church or that church that is singing, the reality is: Singing and wind instruments produce aerosols similar to what is produced through coughing or sneezing, except sustained through a 3-4 minute song. To make it safer, you need extremely well-fitting masks, extra distance, increased air-exchange, and people conscious of all of these things. It’s hard to police. For fully vaccinated people, singing is defined as safe. For non-vaccinated people, singing is considered a “red-level” activity, one of the least safe activities.
Because Lake County is only at 35% vaccinated, we have to assume that our multi-generation congregation continues to be of varying vaccination status. As this number rises and more people can join the ranks of fully vaccinated, we will reassess.
Why 14 days in between services?
This is mostly to allow us time to assess and shift anything that needs shifting as we begin to return to indoor activities. This also allows for the room, surfaces, and air to experience natural die-off of any viral particles and saves us some very expensive cleaning fees.
What if I’m not comfortable yet?
We will continue our online services throughout the duration of these Phases, and presumably beyond. Online service has been an excellent way for people to feel connected at St. Mark’s, regardless of vacations, wintering elsewhere, being homebound, or simply feeling uncomfortable in a building at this time. We anticipate that it will be needed for the long-haul. Past that, we will do everything we can to ensure that St. Mark’s is safe for all to the fullest extent of our control. However, we understand that everyone has different risk-levels and will do our best to maintain connection and care for all our members.
How can I help?
St. Mark’s has already demonstrated the key qualities to make this work: a good attitude and a willingness to pitch in. That has been the key to our success so far and it will continue to be needed! Everyone’s patience, encouragement, and support is cherished as we slog through this mess. Below is also a list of volunteer positions like ushers, greeters, etc. Because everyone has different risk tolerance levels, we can’t be certain that people who “always did such and such” will be willing and available and we want everyone to feel like they can make that choice without guilt! But it will leave some gaps. If you are willing to volunteer in a building, please fill in the below form, so that we can connect you with the team head. Thank you again!
https://www.stmarkslutheran.us/volunteer-opportunities-for-in-person-services.html