Re-opening News and Information
“And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love.”
July 14, 2021
Dear Covenant Families,
Our Re-Opening Task Force recently met to assess Covenant’s re-opening guidelines in light of current COVID-19 conditions. As we continue to proceed with loving caution, particularly with consideration for the most vulnerable members of our church community and unknowns surrounding new variants of the virus, we’re pleased to recognize some additional opportunities for opening our campus further thanks to improvements in the local case trends and vaccination rates.
Below, please find our current guidelines, which will remain in effect at least until the Re-Opening Task force meets again in August. Meanwhile, we are grateful for your patience, prayers and support, and for your active participation in this exercise in loving our neighbors as Jesus invited us to do.
Worship at Covenant
Seating in the Sanctuary for our 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship services will increase to every other pew, rather than every third pew. For the remainder of the summer months, masks will be required indoors on Sunday mornings as we care for the safety and wellbeing of everyone, including those who remain vulnerable, in our church family. Both services will continue to be streamed live online.
Beginning September 12, we plan to resume our 8:45 a.m. traditional service in the chapel and 11:00 contemporary service in the Fellowship Hall.
Recreation Wing
Reservations are no longer required for our Recreation Wing. Fifty participants are welcome in the building at any given time, with 25 allowed per class on the gym floor. Masks will not be required as long as proof of vaccination is on record at the front desk. Rec Wing hours through the summer months will continue to be Monday – Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., and on Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.
Outside Groups
At this time, we plan to open Covenant’s campus to outside groups beginning in September. Guidelines for these meetings and events will be revisited by the Re-Opening Task force during our August meeting.
Sunday School
Modified summer childcare and Sunday School programs for infants through high-schoolers will continue to be offered at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Outdoor activities will be emphasized, and, in the case of rain, large spaces will be utilized in the Recreation Wind and Fellowship Hall.
Adult Sunday School meetings take place on campus beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
Campus Activities
On-campus outdoor gatherings can be held in the amphitheater, the Circle in front of the Sanctuary, the Dilworth Road entrance plaza, and the Point (the grassy area behind the Sanctuary along Morehead Street).
Sunday School classes, committees and small groups can continue to reserve indoor meeting space in the following rooms. Spaces are available on Sunday mornings from 8:30 a.m. until noon and Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 5 p.m.:
To reserve a meeting space on campus, please complete a facility reservation form.
As we move forward in finding “normal”, we continue to be grateful for the congregation’s support. As Bob Henderson reminded us in his July 4 sermon, The Christian Definition of Freedom:
“Freedom includes love of neighbor.
Freedom includes commitment to the larger community.
Freedom and love of neighbor are part and parcel of the same package in Christian faith.
It is grace and responsibility of God’s love and then our faithful response.”
With gratitude for your grace-filled, faithful response,
Deana Cooper
Re-Opening Task Force, Chair
Dear Covenant Families,
Our Re-Opening Task Force recently met to assess Covenant’s re-opening guidelines in light of current COVID-19 conditions. As we continue to proceed with loving caution, particularly with consideration for the most vulnerable members of our church community and unknowns surrounding new variants of the virus, we’re pleased to recognize some additional opportunities for opening our campus further thanks to improvements in the local case trends and vaccination rates.
Below, please find our current guidelines, which will remain in effect at least until the Re-Opening Task force meets again in August. Meanwhile, we are grateful for your patience, prayers and support, and for your active participation in this exercise in loving our neighbors as Jesus invited us to do.
Worship at Covenant
Seating in the Sanctuary for our 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship services will increase to every other pew, rather than every third pew. For the remainder of the summer months, masks will be required indoors on Sunday mornings as we care for the safety and wellbeing of everyone, including those who remain vulnerable, in our church family. Both services will continue to be streamed live online.
Beginning September 12, we plan to resume our 8:45 a.m. traditional service in the chapel and 11:00 contemporary service in the Fellowship Hall.
Recreation Wing
Reservations are no longer required for our Recreation Wing. Fifty participants are welcome in the building at any given time, with 25 allowed per class on the gym floor. Masks will not be required as long as proof of vaccination is on record at the front desk. Rec Wing hours through the summer months will continue to be Monday – Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., and on Friday from 8 a.m. to noon.
Outside Groups
At this time, we plan to open Covenant’s campus to outside groups beginning in September. Guidelines for these meetings and events will be revisited by the Re-Opening Task force during our August meeting.
Sunday School
Modified summer childcare and Sunday School programs for infants through high-schoolers will continue to be offered at 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Outdoor activities will be emphasized, and, in the case of rain, large spaces will be utilized in the Recreation Wind and Fellowship Hall.
Adult Sunday School meetings take place on campus beginning at 8:30 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
Campus Activities
On-campus outdoor gatherings can be held in the amphitheater, the Circle in front of the Sanctuary, the Dilworth Road entrance plaza, and the Point (the grassy area behind the Sanctuary along Morehead Street).
Sunday School classes, committees and small groups can continue to reserve indoor meeting space in the following rooms. Spaces are available on Sunday mornings from 8:30 a.m. until noon and Monday-Friday from 7:00 a.m. until 5 p.m.:
- Fellowship Hall room 207 A&B
- Fellowship Hall rooms 201, 203 and 205
- Welcome Center conference rooms
- Sanctuary
- Welcome Center
- Chapel and Parlor – Up to 20 participates
- Fellowship Hall main room
To reserve a meeting space on campus, please complete a facility reservation form.
As we move forward in finding “normal”, we continue to be grateful for the congregation’s support. As Bob Henderson reminded us in his July 4 sermon, The Christian Definition of Freedom:
“Freedom includes love of neighbor.
Freedom includes commitment to the larger community.
Freedom and love of neighbor are part and parcel of the same package in Christian faith.
It is grace and responsibility of God’s love and then our faithful response.”
With gratitude for your grace-filled, faithful response,
Deana Cooper
Re-Opening Task Force, Chair
ways to Support one another
Get in touch with a minister
As hospitals and retirement communities limit visitation, we ask that you call or write to us for special needs regarding pastoral care, illness and isolation. You can contact Katherine Kerr or any member of the pastoral staff.
Connect with a friend for the journey
Stephen Ministers are companions on your journey, even if it simply means talking on the phone after a tough day. Click here to learn more.
Pray for people in need
We're building a web of prayer that lifts up our friends, church family and those most vulnerable. Trust that someone in your Covenant family is lifting you up in prayer, too. Sign up here to commit to a specific time to pray.
Ask a volunteer to deliver groceries
A group of volunteers led by Todd Capitano is offering to deliver groceries and essential items for elderly people and those who are confined at home. Click here to contact Todd.