Category: Covid-19 Updates

Dear Church Family,

We are thrilled that COVID numbers continue to improve! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and closer, but we are not there quite yet. We are, however, ready to move forward, especially in light of the new recommendations that have come from the CDC.

At the same time, we acknowledge that we are all in different places when it comes to feeling safe in the midst of a pandemic. Things are heading in the right direction…..but we feel that it is prudent to continue reopening the church in a phased approach. 

The next phase in our reopening protocol will begin THIS SUNDAY, June 27! So you know what to expect, here is what has changed:

• Every major door of the church will be open and available for you to enter. Sign-ins will still be required and each major entrance will have a sign in sheet.
• Starting this Sunday you will no longer be required to wear masks when you are seated in your pod if you are fully vaccinated. We will continue to have social distancing, but people in the same pod may sit together without masks on. If you are moving around the building or singing (except for choir leaders) please do still wear masks. Children have not been able to get the vaccine and we want to make young families feel comfortable in our space. 
• We can begin to share meals and drink coffee together again! We do ask that in this phase you stay socially distanced when you are eating together.

Grace and Peace!

Tab Protocol Team

We are thrilled that COVID numbers continue to improve! The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer and closer, but we are not there quite yet. We are, however, ready to move forward, especially in light of the new recommendations that have come from the CDC.

At the same time, we acknowledge that we are all in different places when it comes to feeling safe in the midst of a pandemic. We are excited that in May, we were able to successfully reopen Sunday Morning worship and this past Sunday we opened our doors to small groups that wanted to meet back in the building. Things are heading in the right direction…..but we feel that it is prudent to continue reopening the church in a phased approach. 

Phase One

Begins no earlier than June 20th. This phase will start when the state positivity rate is under 3.0 for two weeks.

In this phase we will no longer:

• Have to enter through specific doors. All major doors to the church will be open. Sign-ins will still be required, but the doors will no longer be manned by a protocol team member. 
• Wear masks when we are seated in our pods. We will continue to have social distancing, but people in the same pod may sit together without masks on. If you are moving around the building or singing (except for choir leaders) please do still wear masks. Children have not been able to get the vaccine and we want to make young families feel comfortable in our space. 
• Restrict eating together indoors as long as you are socially distanced from one another. 

Phase 2

This phase will start when the state positivity rate is under 2.0 for two weeks.
In this phase we will no longer:

• Require social distancing. We will keep a section in the balcony open for the most vulnerable among us so that they do have a safe space. 
• Wear masks in small groups IF the group comes to a consensus that all are comfortable doing so. 
• Require social distancing in small groups or Sunday School classes that meet within the doors of the church. 
• Require social distancing when eating together. 

Phase 3

This phase will start when the state positivity rate is under 1.5 for two weeks.  
In this phase, we will go back to pre pandemic church and will no longer require masks or social distancing. This day is coming! 

Dear Tabernacle Family,

The time has come! Next Sunday Tabernacle will open its doors wide and welcome people back into the sanctuary for the first time in over a year. You can RSVP to attend our in person gathering here.

We know that some are not ready to return. We see you and fully recognize that you are a vital part of our congregation. We fully acknowledge that the church is not the building and that God moves in virtual spaces.

For those who are ready to return… as the safety protocol team, our promise to you is this: We will do everything we can to make sure that people have a safe space to worship God.

On Sunday Mornings, the Safety Protocol Team will:

1. Make sure everyone has a mask and is wearing it correctly. Masks are required for anyone over the age of 5 even if you are fully vaccinated. 
2. Make sure that every “family unit or party” is spaced six feet apart from one another.
3. Make sure that our original protocol, as voted on by the church, is followed. You can read this protocol and updates here.

We want to be clear. When someone is leading in worship, they will lead with masks off. When they are finished leading, they will put their masks back on. This includes members of the choir. Members of the choir will sing without masks on. All choir members will be appropriately distanced from both one another and the audience in the pews. 

The safety protocol team will work as hard as we can to earn your trust.  With that said, the protocol team will act as the “monitors” on Sunday morning to make sure everyone is following the rules, even guests. While we want to show hospitality to everyone that enters our building, we will ask that guests and members alike are masked and are socially distanced. 

We know that God is still calling us to be Church. May we seek God’s presence as we move forward into what God has in store for us next. We are excited to once again share sacred space.  

As we move forward we acknowledge that things will not be perfect. When things do go awry, we ask for grace. We also ask that you contact Mark Snipes at marksnipes1@gmail.com so that we can deal with issues that arise as we move back into the sanctuary together. 

In Christ,

Mark Snipes and the Safety Protocol Team

Dear Tabernacle Staff and Church Family,

During the last few months, you have tasked our committee to come up with protocols that would help keep our congregation safe in the face of COVID-19. We have gone through a long year of not being able to be face-to-face! Now, however, we are approaching the metrics originally set, and voted on, for returning to in-person worship. Thus, we propose that we re-start in person worship on May 2nd, at 30 percent capacity of the overall sanctuary. 

As we approach that week, we suggest that the church: 

Open up an online registration to help limit the amount of people in the sanctuary on any given Sunday. When registering, congregants would be asked these three questions::     

• Have you or anyone in your family had a fever, sore throat, cough, or shortness of breath in the past week?
• Have you or anyone in your family been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 in the past 2 weeks?
• Have you tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 10 days?

If there is a “yes” answer to any of those questions, that congregant would be asked not to attend. We would suggest that registration would begin on the Monday before that weekly service and end on Thursday (or when capacity is reached).

Then, on Sunday morning :

We have a team check-in through one main door asking the same three questions. Again, if the answer to any three of these questions is “yes”, that congregant would be asked to leave the premises until they can answer no. Since congregants sign up online, the church will have access to a roster in case there is a need to notify others of a positive exposure. 

We also suggest: 

1. We provide hand sanitizer stations upon entry.
2. We ask that all family units stay distanced from one another. 
3. Congregants would be asked to leave after worship without prolonged gathering and chatting.
4. Face coverings required for anyone over 5.
5. Guests should be encouraged to report to staff if anyone tests positive within 5 days after being in worship.

We are so excited that things are trending the right way! If this trend begins to trend back to over a positivity rate of 7.5 percent, we will have to shut down again until that specific spike subsides. Thanks to vaccines, good mediation efforts and the grace of God, we see the light at the end of this long tunnel.  As we navigate our way back into the building, we recognize the need for holy space while acknowledging that, even without the building, we have been God’s church throughout this pandemic year. As we move forward, may we do so with grace and understanding while cheering one another on as we live out God’s unique call in our lives. 

Your Covid Protocol Team
Mark Snipes, Jessica Corbitt, Lugene Fernald, Anita McCarty and Jerry Jones