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Because of you, this Church changes lives!
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Worship matters at Christ Lutheran
Sunday online and in-person worship, midweek outdoor worship,
resources for children and families and updates to our COVID planning
Worship for Sunday, June 27
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Livestream worship at 9:00am
In-person worship at 10:30am
We are updating our COVID precautions (see below), and so this week you will notice:
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We are no longer requiring pre-registration, and we are retiring the sign-in sheets at our entrances. The Sanctuary will open at 10:20 to allow the livestream service to finish.
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We have returned to receiving our Gifts & Offerings by passing the plates, and will return to offering them to God on the altar.
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We will be passing the Peace, although in non-contact ways.
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We will receive Communion at the altar rail, appropriately distanced.
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We will have coffee available on the patio by the Memorial Garden.
For Children and Families
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Summer Outdoor Worship at CLC
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Our midweek outdoor worship services are Thursdays at 7:00pm, when we gather around the Memorial Garden and Cross for Holy Communion. Come prepared to sing, because this is the chance we’ve been waiting for! We’ve learned that outdoor worship is even safer than we’d hoped:
- Masks are not required, but please honor proper distancing
- Preregistration is not needed and we don’t need to limit capacity: we have a big backyard
- We can and will sing with gusto!
- Bring a lawnchair or other form of comfortable seating; folding chairs will also be available
- Consider bringing sunglasses in case the setting sun gets in your eyes
- We are learning a new liturgy, Unfailing Light by Marty Haugen (same composer as our beloved Holden Evening Prayer)
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Updating our COVID planning
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Over the past weeks Porter County’s infection rate, number of cases, and advisory level continue to look increasingly promising. Vaccination levels continue to improve (although the rate of improvement has slowed - please join us in encouraging friends and neighbors to receive the vaccine!), and news from the medical community continues to indicate vaccinations are incredibly effective at stopping the spread of COVID-19. As we continue into our
summer months, we are again adjusting our COVID response planning, especially around worship.
Starting this week (6/27) you can expect at our in-person services:
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We are no longer requiring pre-registration, and we are retiring the sign-in sheets at our entrances.
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We have returned to receiving our Gifts & Offerings by passing the plates, and will return to offering them to God on the altar.
-
We will be passing the Peace, although in non-contact ways.
-
We will receive Communion at the altar rail, appropriately distanced.
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We will have coffee available on the patio by the Memorial Garden.
Starting July 1, we are changing our expectations regarding masks:
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Because vaccines are so effective, those who are vaccinated may attend worship without masks. (Of course, vaccinated folks are welcome to wear masks for protection or solidarity with those who cannot yet be vaccinated.)
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Those who are not vaccinated are expected to wear masks while in the building.
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We are asking everyone to bring a mask to wear while we sing our final hymn. (Masks will continue to be available at all entrances of the building for those who wish or need them.)
Please note this important trade-off: research continues to show that singing together remains a concern for COVID transmission, and that masks are an effective way to mitigate that transmission. By no longer requiring masks, we are making it more difficult to sing more often; however at this time it seems a reasonable trade-off that we may revisit in the future. Asking for masks while we sing gives us a way to do so now, safely.
As always, we hold our planning lightly: developments in infection rates and relevant guidance will mean we revisit our protocols and will update as we go along.
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While we keep ourselves separate to steward each others' health, we are including Holy Communion during our livestream on Sundays. Our goal is to experience Communion
together, even while apart; immediate, not something available as a recording that someone might use later; organic, not something prepackaged or purchased; safe and accessible, so people don't need to travel/have contact with others to pick things up. Please note: extraordinary times like these require us to depart from our usual practices. We all eagerly look forward to the time when we can leave these extraordinary measures behind and return to
safely gathering in person on Sundays, as is our norm.
Here's what you need to prepare in advance: Before Sunday's service, choose a plate and cup that you will use for Communion in your space. Find some bread (whatever kind works for you; even a cracker can do in a pinch) and, if you have it, grape juice or wine. Note that if you don't have grape juice or wine, that's perfectly OK; our theology teaches that receiving Christ in one element (i.e. just bread or just wine) is more than sufficient! You can leave an empty cup ready as a sign of
that overabundance of blessing. We also recommend having a candle handy, which you can light throughout the Sunday service, if that is safe for you, to help create a worshipful space.
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