St. Anne’s is committed to charting a responsible return to in-person worship within the guidelines provided by state and local government, the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and Bishop Rodman. Our primary concern is the health and well-being of our community and parish family. To that end, we make the following recommendations and practices for in-person worship.
1. Public spaces in the church will be cleaned according to CDC guidelines.
2. Keep a social distance of 6 feet between you and individuals outside your household.
3. Masks should be worn by all who attend any outdoor worship services or any parish meetings.
4. Wash hands thoroughly (for 20 seconds or more) with soap and warm water before coming to St. Anne’s. If soap is unavailable, hand sanitizer is an effective alternative and will be provided on campus.
5. Parishioners—adults and children— who are high risk for hospitalizations and death from COVID-19 should consult with their personal physician for guidance before attending a public worship service at St. Anne’s.
6. Parishioners who plan to attend worship will answer a series of health screening questions online when they register. Registered participants who have exhibited signs of illness within 48 hours of Sunday’s service such as a fever, cough, aches, or other symptoms of Covid-19 should stay home. For an updated list of Covid-19 symptoms visit cdc.gov.
7. Parishioners who have been exposed to someone with Covid-19 within the last 14 days should stay home.
8. Children over 2 who are unable to reliably wear a mask and maintain distancing should stay at home.
How to Register for Worship (Wednesday-Friday)
Though this is not St. Anne’s “style,” the best way to comply with the attendance limitation is to use a registration system; links will arrive in an email each Wednesday for folks to sign up to attend. Registration also enhances public health: if someone who attends a service subsequently tests positive for the virus, we can inform all who attended that they may have been exposed.
1. Your registration is NOT transferable because at registration you will answer questions about your health before being allowed to register. So, please be relatively certain of your intention to attend before registering. Registration for Sunday’s service opens at noon on the Wednesday before the service. It will remain open until Friday at 4:00 pm.
2. Parishioners can register online or by phone.
3. A link for online reservations will be emailed to the parish on Wednesdays.
4. Phone registrations will be managed by Ginny Wilder (336) 997-2663
5. Parishioners are asked to only reserve seating for themselves with each family member making a separate reservation.
6. Parishioners are asked to only reserve a place every other week so we can accommodate demand. This may change, however, if demand changes.
Assisting with Sunday’s Worship
Because the usher, greeter, and altar party are included in the 25 participants total, we need a few volunteers to make this happen. An email will go out to those who have registered for the coming Sunday’s service on Friday to solicit from that group four volunteers for the following positions:
1. One person to set up liturgical components (a table or two for the altar). Please arrive by 3:30 pm.
2. One greeter who will set up the Welcome Table, greet arriving parishioners, and put away the Welcome Table. Please arrive by 3:30 pm.
3. One usher who will help folks find socially distant places to sit, monitor access to the building for bathroom use, and direct household units during Eucharist. Please arrive by 3:30 pm.
4. One reader to read the lessons, lead the psalm, and offer the Prayers of the People. Please arrive by 3:30 pm.
What to do at home and what to bring to worship:
- Everyone must take their temperature at home before coming to church. Please thoroughly wash your hands (for 20 seconds or more) with soap and warm water before leaving home.
- Print out a bulletin or have it on your smart phone; we won’t have paper copies.
- Bring a clean mask and put it on when you get out of the car.
- If desired, bring a chair you can carry and water and a sunbrella ; no chairs or water are provided.
- Park in the main lot off of Fairlawn Dr. Please do not park in the lot off of Oakland as those doors will be locked.
- Household groups should be kept 6 ft. apart.
- Check-in at the Welcome Table before walking onto the lawn. A volunteer will confirm your reservation and masks and hand sanitizer will be provided at the registration table for any who need them.
- Hand sanitizer is located throughout in worship space for your use.
- No nursery or childcare will be available.
- Parishioners are encouraged to arrive early to allow plenty of time for check-in and seating.
What to expect upon arrival:
1. You will check in at the table by the Fairlawn Dr. parking lot, where a volunteer will ask you the standard COVID screening questions.
2. An usher will suggest areas for seating. Members of the same household will sit together; each household (be it one or many members) must maintain a circle 6’ in diameter from all other household unit s. A high tech measuring device (a PVC pipe) will be available to assist you in this determination. Please maintain this 6’ distance at all times, including during Eucharist.
3. We will not collect an offertory, but on the Welcome Table you will find a sanitized container in which you may place your offering.
4. We love to sing collectively, but right now we can’t. Our gifted minister of music and organist are working on ways to provide music and perhaps a solo from a safe distance.
5. The building will be closed, but members may access the large handicapped stalls in the bathrooms. (No individual stalls may be used.)
After Worship
1. No coffee or water will be available.
2. Parishioners are asked to maintain social distancing as they leave the worship area.
