Easter Sunday In-Person Worship
Sunday, April 04, 2021
Dear Members and Friends of Hope,
How are you? It’s been too long since I’ve seen many of you in person or even on Zoom. I hope and pray you are well! I’m writing to share some exciting news: after more than a year of worshipping together online only, we are offering two in-person worship services on Easter Sunday, April 4th! The following is a partial list of important information:
- The services will require you to register in advance online. If online registration is difficult for you, you may contact the church office for assistance.
- Upon arrival, your temperature will be taken with a no-touch, infrared thermometer, and you will be asked a series of COVID-19 screening questions.
- After screening, you will be escorted to a pre-assigned seat that will help us ensure that households are seated six feet apart.
- You will be required to wear a three-layer cloth or surgical mask while being screened (NO neck gaiters or bandanas), during, and after the service. If you forget your mask, we will supply you with one.
- The service will be about 45 minutes in duration and will not include the Lord’s Supper or passing of the offering plate. For those who do not give online, there will be locations in the Commons to place any offering you may choose to bring. Congregational singing will also be permitted.
- We will still offer an online video service for those who choose not to attend in person.
- Please do not feel any pressure to attend in person if you do not feel comfortable doing so.
On March 22nd, King County entered Phase 3, which also permits congregational singing so long as three-layer cloth or surgical masks are universally worn, people are seated six feet apart, and various other precautions are taken. Therefore, our two Sunday in-person Easter services will include several songs for the congregation to sing, unless the Washington State or King County health departments change the regulation. The survey that was sent out recently asked about indoor services with no singing because, at that time, congregational singing was not permitted.
Does this mean we will be offering in-person worship every week going forward? No, not yet. Our staff is working hard on preparing for weekly in-person worship and will announce the start date of weekly in-person worship after Easter. Even when we begin weekly in-person worship, we will continue to provide a live-streamed video worship service that will also be available to watch on-demand at any time thereafter. Finally, depending on what happens with COVID-19 infection rates in our area, it is possible that we may begin in-person worship only to move back to online-only at any time (even though we hope and pray this won’t be necessary).
To register for the 9:30 AM service, click HERE.
To register for the 11:00 AM service, click HERE.
If you are willing to serve at upcoming in-person worship services, please contact Jen Rice at . Please contact the church office if you have any questions.
In His Strength and Peace,
Pastor Peter