Church of the Pines Re-opens for Limited Sunday Morning Worship Services
April 8, 2021
Greetings Church of the Pines family,
On March 25, 2021, the Ministry Council voted to approve the Infection Control Team's plan to resume in-person worship in a limited manner on Sunday, April 25, 2021. The health and safety of our congregation, volunteers, and staff are of the utmost importance and have been our guiding principles as to when to open for worship. Therefore, we are taking our time and have implemented the following safety precautions and procedures:
We are asking that only fully vaccinated (2 weeks after your final vaccination) people attend worship. Adjustments to the procedures may be required. We ask for your understanding as we work through this process. We know this is not easy. We do not want to exclude anyone from worship, but we want to make sure it is as safe as possible for those attending worship.
We ask that you worship at home if you have any CDC indicated symptoms or if you have been in close contact with someone who had COVID-19 within the past 14 days. We will continue to stream our services online so please consider at-home worship the first few weeks if you find it meaningful as we have limited seating.
We will only have approximately 40 seats available for people to register for each Sunday. This is an approximate number because it is based on how many family units and individuals have registered for any given Sunday. Yes, if you want to attend worship, you will need to register. We are opening registration for the April 25th Worship on Sunday, April 18, 2021, and you will need to sign up no later than 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. If you have an email, you will register online. An upcoming electronic communication containing this link will be sent to you soon. If you do not have an email, you will call the Church Office to register. Only people who have registered will be allowed to attend worship. When you register for a worship service, you will receive detailed instructions about what to expect on Sunday morning.
Safety precautions will need to be maintained, including social distancing, wearing face coverings, and using hand sanitizer. Signs will direct you to which entrances to use and which parts of the building are closed. Face coverings are to always be worn while in the church building, even during worship. No one will be allowed in the building without wearing a face covering. If you do not have a face covering, we have a cloth face covering that you can have or a disposable one for you to use. There will also be several touchless hand sanitizing stations for use throughout the church to minimize the chance of spreading germs. Also, we will need to verify your contact information to provide it to the health department if someone at the service tests positive for COVID-19. We will disinfect the worship area and traffic areas before and after the worship service with a fast-acting disinfectant.
During the service, we will not sing as a congregation nor do any unison readings. There will be music and songs for the Livestream service. If you attend during a communion service, a prepackaged communion kit will be provided to you at the beginning of the service. There will also be a place for you to drop off your offering as you enter the worship space.
We acknowledge that this is all very new and different and that it may seem uncomfortable at times. Still, we remind you that our guiding principle is the health and safety of our entire congregation. We ask you to continue to pray for our world as we all deal with this pandemic. Please be patient as we begin this process and ask for your understanding when things change.
Blessings to you, and we look forward to the coming weeks as we can begin to come back together in worship.
Pastor Mark, the Infection Control Team, and Ministry Council
Church of the Pines Building to Remain Closed Until Further Notice
September 18, 2020
Greetings!
I trust you are doing well and staying safe during this time.
As you know, we continue to see an increase in cases of COVID-19 in our area. Our Ministry Council recently met and made a decision to adhere to our Bishop’s recommendation to keep our church building closed for the remainder of 2020. This means that there will be no in-person worship services, church-related meetings, or programs held in the church until further notice. This also includes use of church space by outside groups. Our Ministry Council and Infection Control Team will monitor the situation by utilizing medical and local health department expertise, and we will continue to follow guidelines set forth by the UMC Wisconsin Annual Conference in determining the best plan for our church as we approach the new year.
We will continue to livestream our Wednesday Prayer Services and Sunday Worship Services on our church Facebook page. Bible studies, meetings, and other programs will be available using Zoom during this time.
While this is no doubt disappointing to many people, we are trusting that these measures will be temporary, and we will look forward to getting back to some semblance of “normal” in the future.
It has been encouraging to know that so many of you continue to remain faithful in your giving, as the levels of giving have remained steady through all of this. Thank you for financially supporting Church of the Pines during this difficult and challenging time.
Let's do our best to continue to stay united in Christ during this time, pray, and look forward to the time when we can be back together again. If there is anything we can do to minister to you, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
Blessings in Christ,
Blessings to you.
Pastor Mark
A Message About Re-opening of Church of the Pines
July 15, 2020
It was with the highest hopes that we were planning to reopen the church for in-person worship on Sunday, August 2, 2020. Unfortunately, we need to delay this plan.
At the July 7, 2020 meeting of the Ministry Council, it was decided to postpone the reopening of in-person worship until after Labor Day Weekend. This decision was made due to the significant increase in the spread of COVID-19 in our state and community. Council members also decided to keep the church building and ministries closed through September. This will be re-evaluated in September.
This news may relieve some anxiety for you, or it may make you upset, which would be perfectly normal. Know that we have a good plan in place and have secured the needed resources so that we can reopen when it is safe to do so. We will continue to Livestream our services and distribute DVDs to those who do not have internet access.
The Infection Control Team, in consultation with the Ministry Council, will continue to monitor the situation to determine when to begin the reopening process. We will continue to use the recommendations and gating criteria described in the Badger Bounce Back Plan and the Wisconsin Council of Churches. In brief, these criteria include a consecutive 14-day downtrend of symptoms, cases, test positivity rates, and adequate testing resources and hospital capacity.
We are all encouraged to look for what we can do individually and collectively during this time to share hope with one another and the world.
Blessings to you.
Pastor Mark and the Infection Control Team
Update on Reopening of Church Worship Services and Activities
May 10, 2020
Dear Church of the Pines family,
I am writing to let you know about the work that your Ministry Council is doing to ensure your safety and health during this ongoing pandemic. On May 5, 2020, the Ministry Council met via a conference call to discuss how the Church would safely reopen when doing so is appropriate. We received guidance from the State of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Conference of the UMC. The Conference provided guidelines that were researched and put together by the Wisconsin Council of Churches to assist churches just like ours.
These guidelines recommend a phased reopening of churches based upon some key factors of how the virus outbreak is trending in Wisconsin. We have included these guidelines in this mailing for your review.
Our Ministry Council, after considerable discussion, decided to adopt these guidelines for the reopening of the Church of the Pines, with the understanding that we may need to adapt them as needed. The key factors for starting the phased reopening are the same as described by the State of Wisconsin, which includes 14 days of continuous decline in symptoms and cases, and available testing and tracking resources.
We know that we all want to be back together for worship as soon as possible. Ministry Council members and I want to assure you that the health of our congregation and community is our top priority. We are committed to a careful reopening of our Church when it is safe to do so. We have also created an Infection Prevention Team, made up of people with experience in minimizing the spread of infectious diseases. This team will be working to develop appropriate plans and procedures to minimize risk when we can come back together in person. We will share the plans and timing when we can. We may also ask you to share your preferences with us about different options we may have. To facilitate this process, if you have an email address and have not shared it with us, would please send an email to Merry Jorgensen at office@umchurchofthepines.org to share it with us. Thank you.
On a slightly different note, I also want to tell you, after discussion with Ascension Lutheran Church, a decision was made not to have a Vacation Bible School program this summer. There are a variety of things we can do over the summer for families with young children. For example, we could do a virtual campfire time or an online VBS. Please let me know if you would be interested in something like this.
We are all doing our part to care for one another during this health crisis. I am thankful for the wonderful people in our Church of the Pines family, and I miss you all. Continue to stay safe and healthy, and please continue to keep one another in prayer.
We look forward to the time we can be together again. Until then, we will trust in God’s amazing grace and power.
Even while socially distancing, we can and are Living Christ’s Love together.
Pastor Mark
Statement on Reopening the Church
April 17, 2020
On April 16, 2020, the governor extended the safer at home order for the State of Wisconsin to May 26, 2020. The extended order does not mean that on May 26th or 27th, everything returns to as it was before the pandemic began. We do not yet know what guidelines and procedures the Oneida Health Department and the State will provide for us when we reopen. We have also seen the federal guidelines which suggest phases for reopening and anticipate something similar for our area. What this means for us at the Church of the Pines is this; the church will not automatically open back up on May 26, 2020. There will be no in-person worship services, meetings, gatherings for the entire month of May. When we receive guidance for the proper reopening of the church, we will share the process and timeline with you.
Pastor Mark
April 8, 2021
Greetings Church of the Pines family,
On March 25, 2021, the Ministry Council voted to approve the Infection Control Team's plan to resume in-person worship in a limited manner on Sunday, April 25, 2021. The health and safety of our congregation, volunteers, and staff are of the utmost importance and have been our guiding principles as to when to open for worship. Therefore, we are taking our time and have implemented the following safety precautions and procedures:
We are asking that only fully vaccinated (2 weeks after your final vaccination) people attend worship. Adjustments to the procedures may be required. We ask for your understanding as we work through this process. We know this is not easy. We do not want to exclude anyone from worship, but we want to make sure it is as safe as possible for those attending worship.
We ask that you worship at home if you have any CDC indicated symptoms or if you have been in close contact with someone who had COVID-19 within the past 14 days. We will continue to stream our services online so please consider at-home worship the first few weeks if you find it meaningful as we have limited seating.
We will only have approximately 40 seats available for people to register for each Sunday. This is an approximate number because it is based on how many family units and individuals have registered for any given Sunday. Yes, if you want to attend worship, you will need to register. We are opening registration for the April 25th Worship on Sunday, April 18, 2021, and you will need to sign up no later than 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, April 21, 2021. If you have an email, you will register online. An upcoming electronic communication containing this link will be sent to you soon. If you do not have an email, you will call the Church Office to register. Only people who have registered will be allowed to attend worship. When you register for a worship service, you will receive detailed instructions about what to expect on Sunday morning.
Safety precautions will need to be maintained, including social distancing, wearing face coverings, and using hand sanitizer. Signs will direct you to which entrances to use and which parts of the building are closed. Face coverings are to always be worn while in the church building, even during worship. No one will be allowed in the building without wearing a face covering. If you do not have a face covering, we have a cloth face covering that you can have or a disposable one for you to use. There will also be several touchless hand sanitizing stations for use throughout the church to minimize the chance of spreading germs. Also, we will need to verify your contact information to provide it to the health department if someone at the service tests positive for COVID-19. We will disinfect the worship area and traffic areas before and after the worship service with a fast-acting disinfectant.
During the service, we will not sing as a congregation nor do any unison readings. There will be music and songs for the Livestream service. If you attend during a communion service, a prepackaged communion kit will be provided to you at the beginning of the service. There will also be a place for you to drop off your offering as you enter the worship space.
We acknowledge that this is all very new and different and that it may seem uncomfortable at times. Still, we remind you that our guiding principle is the health and safety of our entire congregation. We ask you to continue to pray for our world as we all deal with this pandemic. Please be patient as we begin this process and ask for your understanding when things change.
Blessings to you, and we look forward to the coming weeks as we can begin to come back together in worship.
Pastor Mark, the Infection Control Team, and Ministry Council
Church of the Pines Building to Remain Closed Until Further Notice
September 18, 2020
Greetings!
I trust you are doing well and staying safe during this time.
As you know, we continue to see an increase in cases of COVID-19 in our area. Our Ministry Council recently met and made a decision to adhere to our Bishop’s recommendation to keep our church building closed for the remainder of 2020. This means that there will be no in-person worship services, church-related meetings, or programs held in the church until further notice. This also includes use of church space by outside groups. Our Ministry Council and Infection Control Team will monitor the situation by utilizing medical and local health department expertise, and we will continue to follow guidelines set forth by the UMC Wisconsin Annual Conference in determining the best plan for our church as we approach the new year.
We will continue to livestream our Wednesday Prayer Services and Sunday Worship Services on our church Facebook page. Bible studies, meetings, and other programs will be available using Zoom during this time.
While this is no doubt disappointing to many people, we are trusting that these measures will be temporary, and we will look forward to getting back to some semblance of “normal” in the future.
It has been encouraging to know that so many of you continue to remain faithful in your giving, as the levels of giving have remained steady through all of this. Thank you for financially supporting Church of the Pines during this difficult and challenging time.
Let's do our best to continue to stay united in Christ during this time, pray, and look forward to the time when we can be back together again. If there is anything we can do to minister to you, please don't hesitate to reach out to us.
Blessings in Christ,
Blessings to you.
Pastor Mark
A Message About Re-opening of Church of the Pines
July 15, 2020
It was with the highest hopes that we were planning to reopen the church for in-person worship on Sunday, August 2, 2020. Unfortunately, we need to delay this plan.
At the July 7, 2020 meeting of the Ministry Council, it was decided to postpone the reopening of in-person worship until after Labor Day Weekend. This decision was made due to the significant increase in the spread of COVID-19 in our state and community. Council members also decided to keep the church building and ministries closed through September. This will be re-evaluated in September.
This news may relieve some anxiety for you, or it may make you upset, which would be perfectly normal. Know that we have a good plan in place and have secured the needed resources so that we can reopen when it is safe to do so. We will continue to Livestream our services and distribute DVDs to those who do not have internet access.
The Infection Control Team, in consultation with the Ministry Council, will continue to monitor the situation to determine when to begin the reopening process. We will continue to use the recommendations and gating criteria described in the Badger Bounce Back Plan and the Wisconsin Council of Churches. In brief, these criteria include a consecutive 14-day downtrend of symptoms, cases, test positivity rates, and adequate testing resources and hospital capacity.
We are all encouraged to look for what we can do individually and collectively during this time to share hope with one another and the world.
Blessings to you.
Pastor Mark and the Infection Control Team
Update on Reopening of Church Worship Services and Activities
May 10, 2020
Dear Church of the Pines family,
I am writing to let you know about the work that your Ministry Council is doing to ensure your safety and health during this ongoing pandemic. On May 5, 2020, the Ministry Council met via a conference call to discuss how the Church would safely reopen when doing so is appropriate. We received guidance from the State of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Conference of the UMC. The Conference provided guidelines that were researched and put together by the Wisconsin Council of Churches to assist churches just like ours.
These guidelines recommend a phased reopening of churches based upon some key factors of how the virus outbreak is trending in Wisconsin. We have included these guidelines in this mailing for your review.
Our Ministry Council, after considerable discussion, decided to adopt these guidelines for the reopening of the Church of the Pines, with the understanding that we may need to adapt them as needed. The key factors for starting the phased reopening are the same as described by the State of Wisconsin, which includes 14 days of continuous decline in symptoms and cases, and available testing and tracking resources.
We know that we all want to be back together for worship as soon as possible. Ministry Council members and I want to assure you that the health of our congregation and community is our top priority. We are committed to a careful reopening of our Church when it is safe to do so. We have also created an Infection Prevention Team, made up of people with experience in minimizing the spread of infectious diseases. This team will be working to develop appropriate plans and procedures to minimize risk when we can come back together in person. We will share the plans and timing when we can. We may also ask you to share your preferences with us about different options we may have. To facilitate this process, if you have an email address and have not shared it with us, would please send an email to Merry Jorgensen at office@umchurchofthepines.org to share it with us. Thank you.
On a slightly different note, I also want to tell you, after discussion with Ascension Lutheran Church, a decision was made not to have a Vacation Bible School program this summer. There are a variety of things we can do over the summer for families with young children. For example, we could do a virtual campfire time or an online VBS. Please let me know if you would be interested in something like this.
We are all doing our part to care for one another during this health crisis. I am thankful for the wonderful people in our Church of the Pines family, and I miss you all. Continue to stay safe and healthy, and please continue to keep one another in prayer.
We look forward to the time we can be together again. Until then, we will trust in God’s amazing grace and power.
Even while socially distancing, we can and are Living Christ’s Love together.
Pastor Mark
Statement on Reopening the Church
April 17, 2020
On April 16, 2020, the governor extended the safer at home order for the State of Wisconsin to May 26, 2020. The extended order does not mean that on May 26th or 27th, everything returns to as it was before the pandemic began. We do not yet know what guidelines and procedures the Oneida Health Department and the State will provide for us when we reopen. We have also seen the federal guidelines which suggest phases for reopening and anticipate something similar for our area. What this means for us at the Church of the Pines is this; the church will not automatically open back up on May 26, 2020. There will be no in-person worship services, meetings, gatherings for the entire month of May. When we receive guidance for the proper reopening of the church, we will share the process and timeline with you.
Pastor Mark