As our state and country begin the process of reopening, our staff and church council are preparing a phased reopening plan that mirrors the strategy outlined by the government. We are in Phase 1 of this plan now and plan to progress responsibly through the other phases in accordance with the guidance from local officials and the CDC.
When will in-person gatherings resume?
As soon as possible. While we expect our phased approach to open to line up with the phases that have been laid out by the government, everything hinges on the health of our community and the CDC’s recommendations. We have to be more cautious about how we reopen due to the size of our gatherings and vulnerable population, so we may open a little later than other local businesses and churches.
Will regular activities look different?
While we hope that our in-person gatherings will feel the same when we reach the New Normal, we expect the way we interact with each other will look at little different for a while. We will modify the parts of the worship services that require physical contact. We will discontinue food service for the time being. We will do everything we can to keep our facilities clean and safe. You will see more face coverings and hand sanitizer. Even with these changes, we hope that you will feel like you're coming home when we gather together in person.
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What will the outdoor service look like starting June 21?
The service will be a simple outdoor service that will frequently offer Holy Communion. People are invited to bring their own seating and shade. We ask you to wear face coverings when you come to the outdoor service and we will direct you where to be seated to maintain physical distancing.
In inclement weather, the outdoor service will be canceled. We will get the word out quickly on our Facebook page as well as send text messages using a free service called Remind. You can sign up for these messages by texting @72a9h8 to 81010. If you already use the free Remind app, our class is St. Luke Columbus.
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What about regular yearly events?
In the near term, some of our events will gather online-only and some will still meet in-person but look a little different this year. Camps have been canceled, however, VBS (Very Best Summer) will take place online.
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How can we gather together right now?
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In-person gatherings may be on-hold for a little while longer, but St Luke Online has several great ways to gather digitally on a weekly basis. Many of our life groups are meeting online and we encourage you to connect on our St. Luke Community Facebook page.