Dear friends,

Beginning June 6, we are making some changes to our Sunday worship schedule and our safety protocols. We hope that these changes are a step toward something closer to normal on Sunday mornings, while also remaining responsible as we care for each other.

Safety Procedures
Following updated guidance from the CDC and our Bishop, masks are no longer required indoors for people who have been fully vaccinated. However, because of our small worship spaces, we still recommend them strongly. This helps us to gather more people together while taking care of those who cannot be vaccinated yet.  

We are still asking all those who haven’t been vaccinated, including children 5 and up, to wear masks indoors. And we will keep using our online RSVP and social distancing inside our worship spaces.


Sanctuary Worship - 8, 9, 10:05, and 11:10 Sunday Mornings
We are resuming our 8 and 11:10 Sanctuary services, in order to keep crowding low and help as many people worship as we can. This also means we are stopping our Outdoor service for the summer.

Wellspring Worship - 10:05 and 11:10 Sunday Mornings
We are reopening our 11:10 service and pausing our 9 o'clock Wellspring service. We think these times are what work best for our community, so come join us!

Online Worship - Sanctuary at 10:05, Wellspring at 11:10. 
Our online services will be live at their regular times on our website and Facebook, and they always will be!

Keep reading below for more detailed information on what’s changing and why. Your church staff and leadership has worked hard and put lots of thought into these decisions. We think this is a responsible next step. Come worship with us, online or in person. Let us help your small group find a place and time to meet. And if you can get vaccinated, please do so.

Thank you for your faithfulness.


Blessings,
Pastor Tommy

Why are we still highly encouraging masks in worship?

Space and crowding. We don’t have any large, open worship areas, and the CDC is still urging caution in crowded indoor spaces. We are continuing to limit our seating and work on air circulation indoors, but keeping masks on allows more people to gather safely in our unique worship spaces.

Singing. Singing indoors is one of the most effective ways to spread airborne diseases. John Bush has been following recommendations from professional choral organizations, which all say that masks should still be worn when large numbers of folks are singing. Our choir and song leaders will continue wearing masks for this reason.

Special populations. There are many groups that cannot yet get vaccinated but are still at risk, such as our kids and our immunocompromised neighbors. Keeping our masks on and distancing supports them and keeps them safe.
First United Methodist Church of McKinney |