Dear Trinity Family and Friends,
IT’S BEEN A YEAR. This past week marked the one year anniversary of our last “in-person” worship experience inside Trinity. None of us expected last March 7th/8th would be different from any other weekend. Had we known, perhaps we would have said a few extra prayers, given a few more hugs or simply took time to appreciate the moment a little more. While we had no sense of what was coming, the truth is, we’ve never known what the future holds.
Circumstances beyond our control challenged us to re-think how to be a faith community outside our building. We had to figure out how we would worship, how we would continue our ministries and care for each other. If the past year taught us anything, it is how to be present in the moment, how to get more creative, how to be resilient, grace-filled, hold future plans loosely and most of all—trust.
After 12 months and more than 525,000 lives lost to this tragedy we look ahead with a perspective we may not have possessed a year ago. We now see hope in the images of shots being delivered into arms and improving numbers of new COVID cases and hospitalizations. At the same time, we are hearing about new variants and there are renewed calls to be cautious around large in-person gatherings. One thing we do know is that we need to remain vigilant in maintaining practices that are intended to keep each other as safe and healthy as we can. These include social distancing, wearing masks and getting vaccinated when it is our turn. Our Pastors will have received their second vaccination shot before the end of March.
With all the information shared in the IT’S BEEN A YEAR section (lower left column) in mind, your Church Council leadership has been working with our Worship and Music team and staff to develop a plan for how we might begin to gather for in-person worship in the weeks and months ahead. For some this plan may seem aggressive and fast, for others it may seem slow. Not knowing what is around the next corner in this ongoing, unpredictable pandemic journey, this is a place to start:
BEGINNING APRIL 10/11 |In-person* Worship resumes | ONLINE WORSHIP will continue to be part of our ministry
5:00 PM – Saturday evening* | 9:30 AM – Sunday morning* | *NOTE TRINITY POLICY for IN-HOUSE ACTIVITIES/WORSHIP BELOW
*TRINITY’S POLICY for in-house activities and worship
1. MASKS ARE REQUIRED (covering nose & mouth). Following guidance from health professionals and taking responsibility for one another’s sake and safety, it is Trinity’s policy that MASKS ARE REQUIRED for all in-person activities, including worship. This is a small gesture on each of our parts for the privilege of being able to gather.If you are opposed to mask wearing, we invite you to continue to worship with us ONLINE until such time that the threat to others well-being has passed.
2. PLEASE CALL or EMAIL AHEAD | by THURSDAY, each week 262-334-2125 | sbeekman@trinitywestbend.com | 8 AM-3 PM To help us adequately plan to safely accommodate as many people as we can, while still maintaining social distancing, we ask that you call or Email Sue Beekman in the church office the Thursday before each weekend that you wish to attend in-house worship. Please indicate how many (family members) you expect and at which service: Saturday evening or Sunday morning.
Ultimately, things will look different than they did a year ago. We cannot go backward any more than we can live in the future; however, we can walk forward together into a new reality here and now. For the time being we will conduct a blended service (traditional/contemporary combination) for all three worship experiences: Online, Saturday night and Sunday morning. Because we intend to maintain best practices for all concerned, while music will be part of our worship, we ask that you refrain from singing and to further help us maintain social distancing practices, we will not host a coffee hour after worship for the time being.
We are extremely thankful and look forward with anticipation to moving forward together and gathering in our building again. Thank you for your ongoing prayers, service, and care for one another. May God continue to bless the journey as we head into this new year together.