UPDATED: UMC Red Bank Reopening Plan Information
As you are aware, there have been rapid changes in the CDC and state guidelines regarding COVID safety measures. After much prayer and conversation, we have adapted our safety protocols to some of the changes in the CDC and NJ State guidelines, but not all, in order to take into account that we are a multi-age congregation and neither state guidelines for religious services or state guidelines for schools fits our environment 100% for every occasion.
The policy changes that affect Sunday morning worship are described below:
- For all church activities, health assessments and sign in procedures will be eliminated.
- Registration for Sunday worship will not be required.
- For our multi-age, large group, in-person worship, everyone will be required to wear masks, regardless of vaccination status.
- The majority of the Sanctuary will be open seating with a section in the back set up for socially distanced seating for those who feel more comfortable there.
- There will be no congregational singing at this time, as none of the recommendations regarding singing have changed. You can expect wonderful music throughout the service from musicians and/or soloists from the balcony, who will be masked whenever possible.
- Live streaming of our in-person worship services will be available through the church website or our YouTube channel.
For in-person day to day activities at the church, including adult small group gatherings, anyone can wear a mask, but masks are strongly encouraged for those who are not vaccinated.
For children and youth small group gatherings of all types, masks and social distancing will be required regardless of vaccination status, in keeping with state guidelines for schools and summer camps.
We know that some will be discouraged that we are still requiring masks to be worn for large group worship and children's ministry gatherings, but we urge you to think of masks as our outward and visible sign of our love for one another. Jesus taught us to care for the vulnerable among us, and to love our neighbors as our selves. Wearing a mask for an hour is a small sacrifice if it helps to keep one another safe and enables us to care for one another as the Body of Christ.
