An Update from the PoP Smart and Worship Planning Teams
Guidance from the Smart Team:
Throughout the past year, we have been grateful that this church has been patient with this process and acted with kindness towards one another, both foundational components to the love we share in Jesus and with one another. Indeed, the Apostle Paul reinforces that “love is patient, love is kind.” He goes on to write that love “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (read 1 Corinthians 13:4-8) As a community of faith, we will continue to trust in this promise from God and let love guide our pathway forward.
The Smart Team has again reviewed our status and considered updated guidance from the CDC and State of Minnesota regarding continuing safety precautions related to the on-going Covid-19 pandemic. We are also learning from the experiences and best practices of our neighboring churches throughout the metro. With the dramatic progress being made with respect to vaccination rates in our community, we are proposing some additional adjustments to our safety protocols.
Effective Monday, June 21:
- Continued availability of remote connectivity for ministry activities whenever feasible.
- Continued preference for outdoor gatherings.
- Social distancing between different households.
- Hospitality including individually served beverages and packaged food may be served outdoors.
- Daycare entry doors are for the exclusive use of the Caterpillar Learning Center 6am-6pm, Monday thru Friday. PoP Ministry activities should be accessed through the main entry during these times.
- Music ensembles rehearsal/recording time limits: 60 minutes indoors, no limit outdoors.
- Capacity limits:
- Sanctuary & Gym – 80
- Reception Room – 20
- Library & Choir Room – 12
- Classrooms – 8
- Note: Required social distancing between households may limit actual occupancy limits.
Regarding Masking, Distancing & Singing:
- If you are fully vaccinated, you do not need to wear a mask indoors at Prince of Peace but you might be in a situation that dictates such – please be prepared.
- For those who are not yet fully vaccinated, who’ve chosen not to be vaccinated or who cannot be vaccinated, and for children and youth not yet eligible for vaccinations, we ask that you wear a mask indoors for your safety and the safety of others that are not vaccinated. Your efforts will be received as an act of love.
- Many of us will have varying levels of comfort about being in public without a mask, despite our vaccination status. Please follow your comfort level if you wish to continue wearing your mask now and into the future. We will show love and respect for each other’s decisions.
- We will continue to practice physical distancing inside the buildings so the worship capacities will remain in place for the near future.
- Because we will practice physical distancing in worship, singing along with the songs/hymns is permissible. As new medical information becomes available, this practice could change.
- As groups meet together, accommodations including spacing, moving outdoors, or potentially group masking should be made to ensure the entire group is comfortable with the heath and safety protocols for participation. Here again, we will let our love for one another lead the way.
- Ministries with a majority of participants who will not be vaccinated or will be more difficult to maintain distance with participants (ex. Vacation Bible School) will require masks indoors for the foreseeable future.
As before, we will continue to hold somewhat loosely onto the permanence of this guidance and will continue to monitor the direction of our federal and state public health officials. Please direct any questions to the office or contact Pastor Peter directly.