06 October 2020
Dear Salem Members and Friends:
It has been almost 7 months since we were able to meet in person for worship. Initially we thought we would be out of the building a few weeks at most. This has proved not to be the case and there is no end in sight for the pandemic.
Council and Worship and Music have been discussing what to do each month. We talked about doing outdoor worship, but don’t have the space to physically distance at Salem. We also don’t have the equipment needed to provide outdoor worship. And then with weather and having to find a place to meet, we decided outdoor worship was not feasible for us at this time.
We will continue with our Online Services for the foreseeable future. We would like to try to have indoor services, but in order to do so, we need your help!
Services will be at 9am and last about 30 minutes. These will be spoken services. Masks and social distancing will be required. If you are unable to wear a mask, we ask that you continue to worship at home.
Participants must pre-register by calling Pastor Erica, Vicki or signing up online. 30 people will be allowed at the service. (Pastor Erica, 2 guides, 2 ushers, and 25 participants)
In order to open the building, we need volunteers. For every service we need 4 ushers/guides to help with the service. These people will be responsible for opening the doors, helping direct people, and making sure people are safe during the service.
Greeter – This person will be responsible for opening the door for every person who comes in or out. This will eliminate multiple people needing to touch the door handles. This person will also take your temperature upon entering.
Check-in person – this person will collect the names and phone numbers of every person who is in the building. This is for the purpose of contact tracing in case an exposure happens at Salem.
Guide – This person will stand in the Gathering space to encourage people to be seated and not gather in groups.
Usher – this person will stand in the narthex by the offering plates. They will remind people to leave their offerings and help direct people as needed.
During the service, the guide and usher will remain in the Narthex (socially distanced) and be available to help people as needed. If you display COVID 19 symptoms during the service, they will assist you in leaving quietly and also getting help if needed.
During the service, the doors, handrails, elevator buttons, etc will be sanitized by an usher/guide. This should be sufficient to allow us to enter and exit the same doors.
Once the service is over, the Usher will dismiss people by pews. Please remain in your pew until you are dismissed. The door guide will again open the door for you to depart.
Pews are blocked off so you may sit six feet apart. Only one household per pew. Bulletins will be on your seats. Please take your bulletin when you leave and dispose of it at home. There will be no coffee hour or fellowship allowed in the building. Children’s bags have been removed, so please bring things from home to occupy your children.
The only restrooms open on Sunday mornings will be the ones in the Fellowship Hall. These may be accessed via the elevator or main stairs.
Much of the building will be closed on Sunday Mornings. Please do not enter closed rooms/offices. If you need access to something, please contact Pastor Erica or Vicki and we will make arrangements.
Our custodian is out on medical leave. We do not know when he will return. This means we need people to help clean. We are looking at hiring temporary help, but will also need volunteers.
We need the following volunteers in order to safely reopen:
Volunteer Coordinator: This person will find the ushers and guides each week. If we do not have enough ushers/guides, we cannot safely hold worship in the building.
Greeter
Check-in person
Guide
Usher
Cleaning Coordinator: This person will be responsible for finding people to clean following any service or event in the building. Cleaning supplies will be provided. Cleaning does not have to be done on Sundays. The crew can wait to clean, as long as cleaning occurs before the building/room is used again.
If you are willing to volunteer for any of these positions, please call/text/email Pastor Erica or Vicki.
To read our Preparedness Plan, please go to: www.salemalbertlea.org/preparedness-plan.html
Once we have our volunteers in place, we will begin the reopening process. Please watch your mail for updates!
Thank you all for your support for myself and Salem during this time. Who ever would have thought this is how this year would go?
Pastor Erica Cunningham
Dear Salem Members and Friends:
It has been almost 7 months since we were able to meet in person for worship. Initially we thought we would be out of the building a few weeks at most. This has proved not to be the case and there is no end in sight for the pandemic.
Council and Worship and Music have been discussing what to do each month. We talked about doing outdoor worship, but don’t have the space to physically distance at Salem. We also don’t have the equipment needed to provide outdoor worship. And then with weather and having to find a place to meet, we decided outdoor worship was not feasible for us at this time.
We will continue with our Online Services for the foreseeable future. We would like to try to have indoor services, but in order to do so, we need your help!
Services will be at 9am and last about 30 minutes. These will be spoken services. Masks and social distancing will be required. If you are unable to wear a mask, we ask that you continue to worship at home.
Participants must pre-register by calling Pastor Erica, Vicki or signing up online. 30 people will be allowed at the service. (Pastor Erica, 2 guides, 2 ushers, and 25 participants)
In order to open the building, we need volunteers. For every service we need 4 ushers/guides to help with the service. These people will be responsible for opening the doors, helping direct people, and making sure people are safe during the service.
Greeter – This person will be responsible for opening the door for every person who comes in or out. This will eliminate multiple people needing to touch the door handles. This person will also take your temperature upon entering.
Check-in person – this person will collect the names and phone numbers of every person who is in the building. This is for the purpose of contact tracing in case an exposure happens at Salem.
Guide – This person will stand in the Gathering space to encourage people to be seated and not gather in groups.
Usher – this person will stand in the narthex by the offering plates. They will remind people to leave their offerings and help direct people as needed.
During the service, the guide and usher will remain in the Narthex (socially distanced) and be available to help people as needed. If you display COVID 19 symptoms during the service, they will assist you in leaving quietly and also getting help if needed.
During the service, the doors, handrails, elevator buttons, etc will be sanitized by an usher/guide. This should be sufficient to allow us to enter and exit the same doors.
Once the service is over, the Usher will dismiss people by pews. Please remain in your pew until you are dismissed. The door guide will again open the door for you to depart.
Pews are blocked off so you may sit six feet apart. Only one household per pew. Bulletins will be on your seats. Please take your bulletin when you leave and dispose of it at home. There will be no coffee hour or fellowship allowed in the building. Children’s bags have been removed, so please bring things from home to occupy your children.
The only restrooms open on Sunday mornings will be the ones in the Fellowship Hall. These may be accessed via the elevator or main stairs.
Much of the building will be closed on Sunday Mornings. Please do not enter closed rooms/offices. If you need access to something, please contact Pastor Erica or Vicki and we will make arrangements.
Our custodian is out on medical leave. We do not know when he will return. This means we need people to help clean. We are looking at hiring temporary help, but will also need volunteers.
We need the following volunteers in order to safely reopen:
Volunteer Coordinator: This person will find the ushers and guides each week. If we do not have enough ushers/guides, we cannot safely hold worship in the building.
Greeter
Check-in person
Guide
Usher
Cleaning Coordinator: This person will be responsible for finding people to clean following any service or event in the building. Cleaning supplies will be provided. Cleaning does not have to be done on Sundays. The crew can wait to clean, as long as cleaning occurs before the building/room is used again.
If you are willing to volunteer for any of these positions, please call/text/email Pastor Erica or Vicki.
To read our Preparedness Plan, please go to: www.salemalbertlea.org/preparedness-plan.html
Once we have our volunteers in place, we will begin the reopening process. Please watch your mail for updates!
Thank you all for your support for myself and Salem during this time. Who ever would have thought this is how this year would go?
Pastor Erica Cunningham
March 18, 2020
Beloved Salem Family:
After much prayerful deliberation and upon the recommendation of the President, Governor, and our Bishop, we are suspending all activities and worship services at Salem until further notice. We have no timeline to go by, so please watch carefully for updates.
This is all new territory for us. Worship will look different. For those who have email, you will receive at least two online worship services for you to do at home. These will be sent out on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For those who do not have email, we will be mailing these. If you have not been receiving our emails, please email Pastor Erica so you can be added to our list. The newsletter will still be mailed out. We are looking at other ways for us to remain connected even in isolation.
In addition to the service sent out by Salem, you can also do your own meditation. Listen to hymns. Read Scripture. Pray. We may not be physically gathered together, but we still worship the same God. And we are still all part of Salem’s family. Everyday at noon, I invite you to stop wherever you are and join me for a time of prayer. We can all come together and pray as one family.
If you need to contact Pastor Erica, she is available by phone or email. Her contact information is at the end of this letter. Please keep it handy. We will be checking the church voicemail regularly, but it is best to contact Pastor Erica directly.
Our faithful staff will continue to serve, while we plan for congregational needs and maintain the building. Staff may work from home, and we ask you to stay home as well. As much as we love seeing you, it is best to practice social distancing at this time. We ask those who have keys to the building to not access it during this time. The restricted access to the building will help keep our building clean.
One of the implications of canceling Sunday morning is that our regular offering will not be collected. It’s essential to support our church to maintain our responsibilities to our staff and building. We should find ways to be generous even while we’re not together. Please mail your offering to the church. You may also use online bill pay through your bank. Knowing that our income will be impacted, we invite those with extra resources to consider making a special gift.
In times of anxiety and crisis, the church finds its true mission to be a beacon of love and peace in the world. Let’s commit to praying for one another, for the church and for the world in this time of global pandemic. We know that it is often the most vulnerable that are more deeply affected by crisis.
Reach out to those who may be isolated. Send a card to encourage a neighbor. Pray for your pastors, our musicians, and all staff. Breathe deeply into God’s grace to calm your fear. We have hope because Christ is on this journey with us. New doors will be opened, and new possibilities created. Watch for their emergence, even as winter gives way to spring. Life can’t be stopped, and Easter always comes!
Pastor Erica Cunningham & the Congregation Council
Beloved Salem Family:
After much prayerful deliberation and upon the recommendation of the President, Governor, and our Bishop, we are suspending all activities and worship services at Salem until further notice. We have no timeline to go by, so please watch carefully for updates.
This is all new territory for us. Worship will look different. For those who have email, you will receive at least two online worship services for you to do at home. These will be sent out on Wednesdays and Saturdays. For those who do not have email, we will be mailing these. If you have not been receiving our emails, please email Pastor Erica so you can be added to our list. The newsletter will still be mailed out. We are looking at other ways for us to remain connected even in isolation.
In addition to the service sent out by Salem, you can also do your own meditation. Listen to hymns. Read Scripture. Pray. We may not be physically gathered together, but we still worship the same God. And we are still all part of Salem’s family. Everyday at noon, I invite you to stop wherever you are and join me for a time of prayer. We can all come together and pray as one family.
If you need to contact Pastor Erica, she is available by phone or email. Her contact information is at the end of this letter. Please keep it handy. We will be checking the church voicemail regularly, but it is best to contact Pastor Erica directly.
Our faithful staff will continue to serve, while we plan for congregational needs and maintain the building. Staff may work from home, and we ask you to stay home as well. As much as we love seeing you, it is best to practice social distancing at this time. We ask those who have keys to the building to not access it during this time. The restricted access to the building will help keep our building clean.
One of the implications of canceling Sunday morning is that our regular offering will not be collected. It’s essential to support our church to maintain our responsibilities to our staff and building. We should find ways to be generous even while we’re not together. Please mail your offering to the church. You may also use online bill pay through your bank. Knowing that our income will be impacted, we invite those with extra resources to consider making a special gift.
In times of anxiety and crisis, the church finds its true mission to be a beacon of love and peace in the world. Let’s commit to praying for one another, for the church and for the world in this time of global pandemic. We know that it is often the most vulnerable that are more deeply affected by crisis.
Reach out to those who may be isolated. Send a card to encourage a neighbor. Pray for your pastors, our musicians, and all staff. Breathe deeply into God’s grace to calm your fear. We have hope because Christ is on this journey with us. New doors will be opened, and new possibilities created. Watch for their emergence, even as winter gives way to spring. Life can’t be stopped, and Easter always comes!
Pastor Erica Cunningham & the Congregation Council