In light of new COVID guidance from the CDC and Larimer County, your COVID committee met to discuss changes to our OSLC policies and procedures. The changes outlined below arise from the philosophy that, because vaccinated people can participate fully in virtually all pre-COVID type activities we do in our church, we will be transitioning over time back to “normal.” In order to protect their own health and thereby allow them to better serve us, our staff have all taken the opportunity to be fully vaccinated. Having said that, we are fully aware that there are those who are not vaccinated, not the least of whom are our children, and those who are more cautious generally, even though they are vaccinated, and we will continue to find ways to be supportive of them.
Here are the new policies effective immediately (unless noted otherwise):
- Attendance at Sunday services will no longer be capped.
- Vaccinated individuals will not be required to wear masks, though anyone is welcome to do so and the unvaccinated will be encouraged to do so. We will not be checking vaccination status nor will we be forcing anyone to wear a mask.
- Attendees will no longer need to sign up in advance or at the door.
- We will reintegrate singing and live music into our services.
- A section of the sanctuary will continue to have markers for social distancing but the remainder will not. Those who feel more comfortable with social distancing can sit in the section set aside for that.
- We will begin coming up front for communion again, though we may start with “walk-by” communion as we do at major holidays. We will also have individual communion servings for use at your seat for those who feel safer with that or would simply prefer it.
- We will continue broadcasting one of our Sunday services as we are now.
- We will look to open the nursery again and it will be staffed only with vaccinated individuals.
- By mid-June, we look to begin in-person coffee hours again. This is dependent on having volunteers to make the coffee/bring the donuts. While the weather is nice, we will encourage having discussions outdoors with your coffee/donuts by providing a table or two outside.
- We will keep the doors open for fresh air flow as we have been since we have been back in person.
- We anticipate restarting Sunday school and adult Sunday education in the fall.
- We anticipate restarting full Wednesday evening activities, including music groups and dinner in the fall.
- We will be allowing full community use of our building as we did before COVID.
Thank you for your patience and help as we have worked through these difficult months. Let’s all come together in love and support for each other as we open our services and our church up to wider use in God’s love.