Guidelines for Sacraments & Special Services

While we will not gather in the sanctuary for weekly worship, there are still opportunities for special services to occur.
​The following guidelines will be followed:
Sunday Communion Service at 8:30am via Zoom.
Sunday Worship available live at 11:00am via "The Wellstream"
Services will be livestreamed using Facebook Live and YouTube.  View the archive of our services by visiting either Facebook or YouTube, or at the bottom of this page.

Baptism

  • Limit participants to 1 pastor, parents and sponsors/godparents properly spaced around font
  • Additional participants, totalling no more than 10 (including pastor, parents, and sponsors), spaced 6ft apart, for both indoor or outdoor baptisms.
  • Observe all safety protocols mentioned in “Rules for Groups” and/or “Meeting Outside…” outlined in THIS DOCUMENT
  • Scheduled on a Saturday or Sunday to limit interaction with weekday staff/kids
  • The baptismal liturgy will be recorded and the video added to the next Sunday service for the community to affirm the promises of baptism
  • Font to be sanitized before and after baptism
  • No indoor “reception” gathering after baptism is complete

Eucharist

While we all long for a return to our sanctuary for worship together in person, refraining from this is still the most loving thing we can do for our neighbor.  However, that doesn’t mean we can’t have meaningful encounters with the living God through our online, phone-in, and parking lot worship experiences.
 
Our 8:30 am service will be a simple, spoken word service that follows the outline of the liturgy.  We invite you to have bread and wine/grape juice ready before the service, as we will share in communion together.  We will connect with each other through Zoom, which can be accessed by a computer, tablet, or simply through a regular phone.
 
Our 11:00 am service will continue in the same format, with full liturgy, hymns and special music, preaching, prayers, and Thanksgiving for the Word.  It will continue to be available on YouTube, Facebook, and Wellstream Phone (audio only – see The Chimes for details).  We plan to have this service available online indefinitely, even once we’re back to in-person worship in the sanctuary.

Second Sundays:  Parking Lot Worship, 4:00 pm
On the second Sunday of each month, we will gather at 4:00 pm in the Muhlenberg parking lot for a brief worship service.  The audio of the service will be broadcast through a radio transmitter, allowing participants to stay in their cars for the entirety of the service.  Bring your own bread with you, as we’ll be sharing communion at this service. 

Weddings

  • Limit participants to 10, spaced 6 feet apart, for both indoor and outdoor weddings
  • Observe all safety protocols mentioned in “Rules for Groups…” and/or “Meeting Outside…” outlined in THIS DOCUMENT
  • Congregation’s participation will be limited to spoken responses, with no congregational singing
  • Communion will not be offered
  • Scheduled on a Saturday or Sunday to limit interaction with weekday staff/kids
    • For Sat wedding, Fri rehearsals to be held after both daycares have left campus
  • No indoor “reception” gathering after ceremony is complete
  • Live-streaming or recording the ceremony may be done to share the service with family and friends unable to attend

Funerals

  • Limit participants to 1 pastor and 10 total participants, spaced 6 feet apart, for both inside and outside/graveside services​
  • In order to use sanctuary, obituary must state funeral service will be private (no details)
  • All participants to be spaced properly in every other pew
  • Congregation’s participation will be limited to spoken responses, with no congregational singing
  • Communion will not be offered
  • No indoor “reception” gathering after ceremony is complete
  • Live-streaming or recording the ceremony may be done to share the service with family and friends unable to attend