August 2021 UPDATE
July 27, 2021
This note serves as our update for the
month of August at Grace.
As the King County Health Department has
recommended masks for indoor settings, due to increase in cases, along with the
variants and breakthrough cases, we proceed with safety measures to ensure the
safety of all.
Attending worship
in person:
- Masks are still required at Grace.
- Please maintain physical distance in the pews.
- The pews are clearly marked for where to sit and where to leave vacant.
- You can
visit both inside and outside after worship.
- For coffee hour or fellowship times with
food and drink, you can remove your mask for eating and drinking only.
- We will
continue to wipe down surfaces between services.
Music:
- Our music
ministries are taking place and all are welcome to sing out in praise to
God.
Communion:
We offer
communion on the 2nd and 4th Sundays at in-person worship
services. Upon arriving, please pick up
a communion kit and napkin next to the Welcome Center, and take to your seat
with you. For those needing Gluten Free,
those wafers will be in a plastic bag and clearly marked. We invite you to also take a pre-sealed
communion cup so that you can partake of the grape juice. After the communion liturgy portion of
worship, you will be invited to open those and partake. After communion, please put your facemask
back on. At the end of worship, and upon
exit from the worship enter, please place the remaining plastic container in
one of the trash bins. If the communion kit is difficult to open in worship,
you are welcome to take it home and partake there. You are also welcome to take additional
communion kits with you to share with those who were not able to be at
worship. Starting after Labor Day, we
will host communion every weekend for all in-person worship services.
What additionally are we doing to stay safe
during this time?
- All services
will be as touchless as possible, and all high-volume areas will be
sanitized between services.
- To minimize
touchpoints; We
will not be passing out programs, Bibles, or pens.
- Offering
baskets will not be passed. We will place one in the front of the worship
area where you can place an offering after worship – and there will be an
offering plate at the Welcome Center, but we do encourage to online
giving if possible.
- No
water fountains will be available.
- There are
posted signs reminding of proper hygiene practices and to join us online
if you have experienced symptoms or are at risk of COVID-19.
- Additional
hand-sanitizing stations will be available throughout the building.
- Our air
ventilation units will be continually circulating air and have been
outfitted with new air filters.
- Worship
center doors will be propped open during all worship services.
PLEASE REVIEW THE
FOLLOWING PRIOR TO ATTENDING IN-PERSON WORSHIP
Health Precautions and Guidelines for Attending an On-Campus
Event
As a community led by Christ, we lean into the wisdom in 1
Corinthians 16:14, that whatever we do, be done in love.
We ask that you do not attend on-campus worship if you answer
“yes” to any of these questions:
- Have
you been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last month?
- Have
you had close contact with someone diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 2
weeks?
- Have
you developed any of the following symptoms in the last 2 weeks?
New or worsening cough or shortness of breath? Sore throat? New loss of sense of smell or taste? Do you have a fever of 100.4 degrees or more and/or
have you taken medication to reduce a fever in the last 24 hours? Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea?
FAQ
How does physical distancing
work in GLC buildings for worship?
When you enter the
Sanctuary or Lobby area, you should proceed directly to a physically distanced
seating area by household. Rows in the
sanctuary will be clearly marked with leaving a row open between each sitting
section.
Are masks required?
Yes. As a campus that includes a child care center, school, and
church community, we will require masks in all GLC buildings. Children under
the age of 2 do not need to wear a mask. As the accessibility of vaccines for
children and youth increase, and the vaccination rate overall increases for the
general population, we will adapt. Upon
arrival, there will be hand-sanitizing stations along with face coverings
available for those who don’t have one.
Will childcare be provided during worship?
No. We will not
have childcare or children’s programming. As always, your children can participate
in worship by sitting with you.
What are your cleaning
procedures, and what does “Limited Building Access” mean?
Following every worship
service, our cleaning team will be sanitizing areas of the building in
preparation for the next worship service. There will be limited building
access. The nursery, and other gathering rooms, along with the kitchen and
fellowship spaces will be closed. If you would like to assist in cleaning after worship, please let an user know and you can jump in to assist.
What should I bring to
the worship service?
Simple is better –
but you will also need to wear a mask. We will not be handing out paper items for worship – all information will
be on the media screens.