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CONTACT: Phone: 636-528-4999 Rev. Garry A. McCracken Cell #: 314-348-2474 (in case of emergency) Address: 1307 Boone Street Troy, Missouri 63379 Email: TrinityTroyMO@gmail.com |
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WELCOME To TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH |
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Worship Services on Sunday, May 31, 2020 — 8 am, 9:30 am & 11 am Please read Pastor McCracken’s letter of Policies and Procedures below. |
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Return to Worship Policies & Procedures
To: The Members of Trinity Lutheran Church, Troy, MO. From: Pastor Garry A. McCracken Date: May 6, 2020 Re: Re-Opening of Trinity Lutheran Church
“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
I pray that this church update finds you well and keeping safe in these unprecedented times. It is with joy and excitement that I announce to you that we will be opening up the sanctuary of Trinity Lutheran Church on Sunday, May 17, 2020.
However, there are a number of safety precautions and procedures that we will be taking in order to ensure that we will have a worshipful yet safe and secure environment.
On May 4, 2020, Governor Mike Parson opened up the state of Missouri with his “Show Me Strong Recovery – Phase I.” In his announcement, Governor Parson said, “There will be no limitations on social gatherings as long as ‘necessary precautions’ are taken and people stay 6 feet apart.” Governor Parson further said that people can go back to church and “worship in whatever environment they wish.”
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services is enforcing a limit of 25% of an entity’s seating capacity for venues of less than 10,000 square feet. This applies to our worship sanctuary at Trinity Lutheran Church. Therefore, our seating capacity per service is 45 worshippers.
In preparation for Sunday Worship...if you wish to attend Sunday Worship May 31st at Trinity Lutheran Church, please call Pastor Garry directly at 314-348-2474 and ask for a seating arrangement to be included on the list of those participating. Our worship services will be at 8 AM, 9:30 AM, and 11 AM. We will do our best to register you for the service nearest the one you normally attend, as well as assign you a seat closest to where you typically sit. Do not call and leave a message, as you must speak to Pastor Garry directly. Seating will be on a first come and first served basis. If one Divine Service is full, and there is room in another service, we will offer that service to you. When we have reached capacity, the services for that Sunday are complete.
Following the 11 am Worship, May 31st will be our Congregational Assembly in the sanctuary. We hope you will plan to attend. Safe distancing will be in place.
We also are making arrangements to broadcast our worship services on Facebook and our YouTube channel as well.
When you arrive at Trinity Lutheran Church:
Please maintain safe social distancing in the parking lot. You may enter the narthex doors on either the west side or east side of the parking lot. There will be taped spots on the carpet. Please stand there until called forward. You will enter the church, as well as exit the church from the right side of the narthex. An entire family may stand on a taped spot as long as they are safely distanced from other worshippers. You are encouraged, but not mandated to wear facial masks.
As you enter the Trinity sanctuary.
One usher (wearing a mask and gloves) will hand you a worship bulletin. Another usher (wearing a mask and gloves) will hand you an individual communion cup. Sealed in at the top of this cup is a communion wafer. These will serve as your elements for the Rite of Holy Communion. An usher will take you to your assigned seat (pew) in the sanctuary. Please stay in your seat (pew) until the Divine Service has started. An offering plate will be on a stand if you desire to place your tithe and/or offering there. There will be no sharing of the Peace of Christ, passing of the attendance clipboards, or passing of the offering plates during the Divine Service. Once everybody is seated, the worship service will begin. Should you need to leave, please walk down the middle of the aisle and an usher will hold the door open for you.
When the Divine Service is over.
Please leave your Lutheran Service Book on the pew. Since they need to be disinfected between services, this will make it easier on the ushers. Please take your individual communion cups and worship bulletin with you. There will be a trash can for you to dispose of them. An usher will dismiss you from your pew. Please maintain safe distancing as you exit the sanctuary. You will need to leave and immediately go to your car. There is to be no loitering in the narthex. Our ushers and elders need to be preparing the sanctuary for the next service.
Other considerations.
At the direction of our Missouri District of the LCMS, at this time Sundays are to be for the Divine Service only. There will be no Sunday School, Adult Bible Class, or Multiply Student Ministry at this time. The Rite of Junior Confirmation will be held on Sunday, June 7, 2020 at 11:00 am.
· If you still do not feel comfortable coming to Trinity for in-house worship at this time, we respect your concerns. We want you to return when you feel comfortable. · If you have come into any contact with someone who has been diagnosed with the Coronavirus, or if you feel sick on the day of the day of our re-opening, please stay home! · If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me at either (636) 528-4999 or (314) 3482474.
In Christ, Rev. Garry A. McCracken |