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St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Erbsville

To St Paul’s Members and Friends,

We are excited to invite you to join us as we resume in-person worship on Sunday September 19, 2021 at 11:00 a.m.  

Thereafter, we will continue with our usual rotation of service by worshipping at 9:30 am on Sunday, September 26.

Our time at church will look and feel much different as we become accustomed to new ways of gathering. While we look forward to hosting in-person worship, it’s unrealistic to expect things to be as they were before the pandemic. We will also continue to offer on-line services for those who don’t feel comfortable at in-person worship and it will air the following week on our website: stpaulserbsville.ca

We ask you to follow these practices when you join us for worship:

1.     You are asked to self-screen before making your way to church. If you feel unwell, you have travelled in the last 14 days, or have been exposed to someone with Covid 19, please do not attend the service.

2.     We will need to register your name and phone number for Public Health contact tracing. Sanitized pencils will be available, and please print legibly.

3.     Maintain a 2 meter distance from people who are not in your family bubble.

4.     Wear a mask at all times through-out the service (in accordance with the Waterloo Region Bylaw). Masks will be available for those who need one.

5.     There will be hand sanitizer available at the front door. You must use the hand sanitizer upon entering the vestibule of the church.

6.     As you enter the church itself an usher will direct you to suitable seating. We will be using every 2^nd pew to satisfy our need of physical distancing. Pews not in use will be roped-off. Members of family bubbles will sit as a group, of course.

7.     Communion will not be included in our service in the foreseeable future.

8.     There will be music in our worship along with soft singing and spoken responses with masks on.

9.     Do not gather in the vestibule before or after worship as this will make it difficult for others to enter or exit the building. We are blessed with 2 large grassed areas and a parking lot outside in the fresh air to enjoy the company of others.

10.  At the end of the service Pastor Olaf will ask members to leave by the last pews first and then the rest follow one pew at a time.

11.  The Offering plate will be at the inside entrance of the church where you are greeted – not passed from person to person.

12.  Hymnals will be used and are to be left on your bench after service so they may be sanitized.

If you have any questions please contact Pastor Olaf at 519-725-3023 or David Kachik at 519-746-5661 or Craig Bailey at 519-2600-0812.

Blessings,

St. Paul’s Church Council

                                                                                                                         August 29, 2021

On Tuesday July 6, 2021 the following communication was sent by the Eastern Synod ELCIC’s Bishop Michael Pryse to all of our congregations. Your Council is heeding their warning.

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Dear colleagues,

In some ways, these early days of July have left me feeling the same as I felt last summer. Once again, many of our congregations are in the process of discerning how, when and if they should plan to resume in-person worship; and what exactly such a resumption ought to look like. Undoubtedly, we engage these questions with a healthy dose of both uncertainty and optimism as we watch case numbers across the territory of our Eastern Synod continue to drop.

First and foremost, allow me to express my deepest gratitude to our Rostered Leaders, Lay Leaders, Musicians, Volunteers and congregations for your continued and faithful commitment to the health, safety, and wellbeing of your neighbours. This has been, is, and will continue to be an act of love and service. I am so proud of our church, and the resilience, creativity and faithfulness with which each of you have navigated this long period of pandemic.

A few weeks ago I, along with members of the Task Force for the Resumption of In-Person Worship joined the Ontario House of Bishops in a conversation with Rev. Michael Garner. Michael is an epidemiological consultant who has been advising the leadership of the Ecclesiastical Province of Ontario throughout the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Michael took time to review current modelling numbers, offered interpretation, and answered our many questions. His recommendation to us, and one that I would echo to each of you, is the need to exercise patience and caution as we make plans to resume in-person worship; even if permitted by our provincial governments to move things along more quickly. This is especially important as we see the Delta variant become dominant in many parts of our synod.

I know that we are tired of masks and distancing. I ache with you to sing our favourite hymns in a building filled to overflowing! That time is coming – but it’s not here yet.

To that end, I must ask for your continued adherence to the safety protocols which have helped us navigate these turbulent waters thus far. Please continue to follow increased sanitization protocols, maintain physical distance, wear a three-layer mask when indoors or when physical distancing is not possible outdoors, refrain from singing, and continue to limit social events such as coffee hours or potlucks where food is shared. When possible, outdoor visits on patios or front lawns are preferable. As always, please also refer to the most current public health directives which can be viewed at the links below……

….. So let us journey forward with patience and caution.

Let us continue the best practices we have followed throughout the pandemic; encourage, those who are able, to get vaccinated as early as possible; and make good use of outdoor opportunities to responsibly gather in God’s good creation.

You are in our prayers. Please let us know if we can be of assistance in the days to come.

Peace to you as you discern, pray, plan and prepare.
Bishop Michael J. Pryse