From the Pastor - June 11
Greetings to the Ebenezer Community and Friends!
As I am sure you are aware, Chicago is now moving to Full Phase 5 of the reopening process. This is an exciting, and for some, daunting time of change. Now that we have received new guidance from the Metropolitan Chicago Synod, your leadership team will review our options more fully next week. For this Sunday, the worshipping community can expect just a few changes. More will certainly come in the next couple of weeks. For now, here is summary of how we will proceed this week:
Worship at Ebenezer
The 10 a.m. liturgy will use recorded hymns and live speaking.
Masks will be required for all attendees.
Pews will no longer be marked, but we ask you to be mindful of keeping distance from those not in your household.
Pre-signup, temperature check, and the health questionnaire are no longer required; however, signing in on arrival with a telephone number will still be required.
A bulletin will be provided to worshippers, and spoken responses from the congregation will resume.
An online liturgy will continue to be provided. Some aspects of that online liturgy may be changing soon, but we will continue to offer the opportunity for a rich online experience. 11:30 a.m. communion on Zoom will also continue for the time being.
In the next couple of weeks, we will be singing more! We are seeking further guidance on whether that should occur indoors or outdoors. Look for more news on that front soon.
Groups sharing space at Ebenezer
We ask that groups that meet at Ebenezer continue to keep an attendance log.
Masks should remain in use at this time, as other groups that may include unvaccinated children are occuring at the church.
Capacity limits put in place early in the pandemic are now relaxed. Mindful social distancing is still encouraged.
Gatherings of more that 50 people should seek guidance from the Building Coordinator or Pastor Michael to ensure reasonable precautions are in place.
This guidance will be updated again very soon. Again, we've only had a day to digest the new Synod guidance. Your leaders and staff want to make these transitions are handled well and with intentionality.
Thank you all again for being such a faithful and resilient community. We continue to keep ourselves and our neighbors safe, even as we will continue to celebrate more and more opportunities to sing a new song to God.
Peace,
Pastor Michael