Worship During COVID-19
August 2nd Outdoor Worship at Grace – 9:30am
We are excited to offer an opportunity for worship at Grace United Methodist Church. After over four months of closing the building and conducting online worship services only, we are eager for August 2nd when we will have outdoor worship at the church. We recognize some people are not ready to gather to worship with others, either because of concerns for safety or because of the restrictions imposed at this time for gathered worship, but for those that are, below is our plan for how worship will change as we gather together during this pandemic.
Here is what you need to know:
Outdoor worship will begin at 9:30am August 2nd and continue until further notice
Worship will take place at the FRONT of Grace UMC at 555 Russell Avenue
Please bring and wear a mask. If you forget yours one will be provided
An usher will review the six essential practices with you before entering the worship area
Bring a chair and umbrella – there is limited seating and shade available
No Sunday School or Coffee Hour will be provided at these services
The service will be recorded and broadcast online at 11am for those who prefer to stay home
There are six essential practices that will help keep our congregation safe from the spread of disease.
Members of the Church Council reviewed the Greater New Jersey Annual Conference guidelines for reopening churches, applicable state guidelines and CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines. After synthesizing this information we created a proposal that was approved by the Church Council. You can see the whole document here. The section pertaining to outdoor worship is here:
We know many are eager to gather together again. We will do our best to accommodate everyone, but we remain committed to the bishop’s directive that no transmissions of COVID-19 occur through United Methodist congregations. If a single case is found among our worshiping congregation, we will need to return to offering online worship only. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to work toward a safe and appropriate worship experience for all.