LCUMC COVID-19 Worship Guidelines Update

Greetings Church!

Today I’d like to share with you important updates with regards to recent public health developments in our world and what it means for our worshipping life together here at Lewis Center United Methodist Church. It was announced by Governor Dewine that the state of Ohio would be lifting all COVID-19 related health orders on June 2nd. Additionally, the CDC has published new guidance that vaccinated individuals are safe to be unmasked in indoor settings, even in large gatherings.

Throughout the last 14 months, we have leaned upon the best public health guidance and the state’s health orders to keep our congregation safe as we have gathered together for indoor worship. LCUMC's Lead Team met on Monday evening and in light of these developments and the encouraging trends in vaccinations and case numbers, we will also be updating our guidelines for worship.

Beginning Sunday June 6th, we will be removing our COVID-19 worship restrictions for indoor worship. This means that masks and social distancing will no longer be required for worship in the sanctuary. We have already removed our attendance cap and registration process for indoor worship as well.

We have selected June 6th to remove our restrictions to align with the expiration of the state’s health orders on June 2nd and to give our congregation a few weeks to prepare for what will be a different worship environment. Please know that you still may wear a mask if you are more comfortable doing so after June 6th or if you are not yet vaccinated in accordance with CDC guidelines. Specific updates as to how this change in protocol will affect our children’s and youth ministry on Sunday mornings will follow separately in the days and weeks ahead.

LCUMC will maintain our current worship schedule with Online Worship at 8:30 AM, Indoor Worship at 9:30 AM, and Outdoor Worship at 11 AM. Our hope is to continue to enjoy the blessing of outdoor worship (and great weather!) through the summer and return both in-person services indoors for the fall. This fall we are planning to pivot to traditional and contemporary Sunday morning worship services when we return both of our in-person services indoors.

We are so thankful for your care and compassion for one another in following our public health guidelines throughout the last year and we celebrate the progress of our improving world. Your grace, flexibility, and thoughtfulness as a congregation has allowed us to worship at different times, locations, and platforms throughout the last year in safe and meaningful ways.

We give thanks and praise to God for helping us as a church navigate this pandemic and we look forward to the new ways in which we will continue to feel God’s presence and God’s spirit move in the weeks ahead.

As Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17, “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.”

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Matt