Return of In-Person Worship

Greetings in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

Plattville Lutheran Church will resume in person worship on Sunday, June 28, 2020. The state of Illinois will have moved into Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan. In this phase, gatherings of groups of 50 or fewer are permitted while following the guidelines for mitigating exposure to the Covid 19 corona virus. In order to follow these guidelines, the worship experience will be somewhat different than it has been in the past. The changes that are being made are to acknowledge that the Covid 19 virus has not gone away, that there is currently no vaccine or herd immunity for the virus, that the virus spreads primarily through respiratory droplets in person-to-person contact, that risk grows as exposure time increases, and that some activities at places of worship, such as singing and personal contact, pose a heightened risk.

Gathering together as the people of God during this pandemic provides us with the opportunity to demonstrate our love for and trust in one another. As participants in the worship service, you may trust that the congregation will use the best possible practices to mitigate the risk of exposure to the covid virus. The entry ways and worship space will be properly cleaned including the door handles, hand rails, and pews. We will provide you with a one time use bulletin with the order of worship printed in its entirety. We will not “share the peace” with a handshake or other physical contact. We will not pass the offering plate We will seat family groups and individuals in a way to promote proper and safe social distancing. Please be aware that if we reach maximum capacity in the sanctuary you may be seated in the basement. This should allow us to accommodate all who wish to be present for worship. We will eliminate singing during the worship service and use an order of worship that accommodates that practice. We will keep the service as brief as possible. We will dismiss the congregation in a way to minimize congestion and cross-traffic at the exits

What we expect and trust that you will do when you come to worship is to be open to these changes. We trust that you will wear a face covering out of love and concern for one another. Many of our members, myself included, are at higher risk due to age or other medical conditions. Face coverings are necessary for gathering together at this time. We trust that you will use good judgment concerning your own health for the sake of others. If you are ill, or have been exposed to the covid virus please stay home. The services will continue to be made available on the internet. Come early enough to be shown to your seats. Be flexible, just in case you may be sitting in a spot less familiar than you are used to. Please, do not congregate in the entry way. Enter through the front doors, unless you must use the handicap entrance; use hand sanitizer; pick up your bulletin; place your offering in the plate at the entrance to the sanctuary; and wait to be seated. After the service, exit the building as quickly as possible. Always maintain social distancing.

You are encouraged to interact with one another as much as you are comfortable doing once outside the building. Just remember to maintain a safe distance and/or keep your face covering on.

I look forward to worshiping with you all once again, as I hope you are also. Thank you for your support during these many weeks apart from one another physically. It has been a great testimony to the closeness we all feel as the family of God at Plattville Lutheran Church.

God bless you all,

Pastor Bret