The staff and leadership at Prince of Peace wanted to reach out regarding our response and attention to the needs of our community and site regarding the COVID19, or coronavirus. Our approach to the virus is two-fold: sanitation and emotional/spiritual care.
Sanitation
- We have developed new policies and protocol to make sure that our site gets extra disinfectant attention: the pews will be disinfected on Wednesdays by our amazing Wednesday Work Crew, and in-between services by our ushers. The toys in the nursery and joy room will be cleaned and disinfected weekly. All main doorknobs and handles will be sanitized at church before any PoP group events.
- Shifting how we do Passing of the Peace and other physical interactions during worship. We have begun lovingly and respectfully teaching ways to pass the peace with one another without hand-shakes or hugs. Be creative, friends!
- We will be doing individual cups for communion instead of dipping the bread into juice or wine.
- Coffee hour will include a simple shift in how we get coffee and snacks; use utensils or napkins (no fingers) to pick up food and, if need be, we will move to pre-wrapped single serve items.
Spiritual & Emotional Care
1. In places where the virus has been more prevalent, health officials have encouraged people to stay away from public gatherings. We respect and understand that this may need to be a choice we make as a congregation and as individuals.
But we also want to ensure that we all have the access to the love of this community and the ways that it shows up for one another
. If you find yourselves in need of someone to talk to, someone to pray with, and/or physical needs such as groceries, etc, please call the office (or the pastors’ cell phones during non-office hours).
2.
Live-streaming worship:
As a church and community of people who care deeply about our ability to connect with one another, we will also begin live-streaming/posting our worship services online. We want folks who have been isolated or who are afraid to be in public gatherings to still feel part of our community. Links and information coming in Peace Notes soon.
3.
Reach out to one another via telephone
As a community of people, too, we encourage each of you to be aware of and on the look-out for members and friends who have not been at worship in a while. Call one another, check on one another. A voice on the other end of the phone can do much to alleviate our sense of isolation and loneliness.
Friends, living in a constant state of awareness and care about germs and sickness can be exhausting and add to our already high-stress lives. By communicating what we are doing as a staff and community, we hope this helps you feel more safe in coming to church events and gatherings. And, by opening this communication about the virus and its effects on our emotional and spiritual health, we hope you will join in helping us to address these concerns together. As the situation evolves, we will continue to be in consultation with our well-trained nurses who are members and follow appropriate protocol while also NOT giving into undue fear. We will get through this as a nation and as a church.
We will continue to evaluate the situation and keep you informed.
In Christ,
Pastor Sara & Pastor Nate
402-990-9973 (Sara) 510-292-9331 (Nate)
