Copper Hill Church to Reopen
We are happy to announce the reopening of Copper Hill Church for in-person services on Easter Sunday April 4, 2021 for our 9:30 AM service. We will be following the COVID-19 safety guidelines for all Methodist churches which Bishop Bickerton has established. Online broadcasting will continue at the same time. We are greatly looking forward to taking this step toward reestablishing worship in our historic sanctuary while continuing to serve our online constituency. We invite as many as feel comfortable to come out and worship with us. And we invite others to tune in online via our live Facebook feed or Zoom link. Weather permitting, on April 4 we will first gather outside for our traditional Easter declaration and then sing an Easter hymn. After that we will process inside for prayer and an Easter message. Afterward, we are also planning an Easter Egg hunt for the children, which will be more socially distanced by using one color of egg for each child.
COVID safety plans
To keep everyone safe, we will be following COVID-19 protocols established by our Annual Conference. We will all be required to wear masks (except very small children) and to social distance from those who are not in the same family unit. To facilitate this, for now, we will have a one-way traffic pattern, coming in the handicapped entrance (as at tag sale) and leaving by the front door. We will use only every other pew (except family units). Some pews will be roped off. We will also refrain from hugging and hand-shaking (use elbow bumps) and postpone coffee hour. Since singing likely spreads droplets further than speaking, only Pastor will sing. He will be at least 12 feet from anyone when doing so. The congregation can hum if desired. Appropriate surfaces at church will be sprayed or wiped down each week to disinfect. Hand sanitizer is also available on a stand in the fellowship hall and in the restroom. While we all hope that these restrictions are soon lifted, we realize that there is a continuing need to be vigilant until such time.
Service Adjustments
More than a year of experience with online worship and the continuing need to be online as well as safety measures will create some adjustments in the flow of our worship service. We have all gotten used to a shorter service and that will continue. This will mean a tighter format with less music than pre-COVID and changes in offering and prayer time. We will continue to rely on online and mail-in gifts, so we will not be passing the plate at church. Prayer time will be conducted as it has during the online service as well as this avoids dead-air time. Pastor Kelvin and JoAnne will keep on sharing in leading the service so we will be experimenting with a different type of pulpit. But overall, we will still be worshiping together with song, God’s Word, prayers, preaching, sacraments and blessing. I hope you will be able to participate in-person soon.