A Letter from Our Pastor Concerning In-Person Worship

 

Mt. Zion Family,

Before sharing our plans for transitioning back into the sanctuary for worship, I want to first express gratitude to Mt. Zion’s worship committee, Church Council Chairperson (Ed Martin), Lay Leader (Benji Cumbie), and Staff-Parish Chairperson (Kathy O’Brien). Throughout these past months, this amazing team has worked with me to map out plans for when, where, and how to both connect people through worship and protect the health and wellbeing of everyone. Time and time again, we have made plans and adapted those plans as new information and circumstances arose. I am grateful that no single person has had to make these decisions on their own, but that we have been able to prayerfully work through them together as a team.

Below is our plan for the next few weeks for transitioning into the sanctuary. As we have throughout this process, our team will meet again on October 26 to evaluate how this plan has gone and how it can be improved moving forward. Please note that all these services will also be live streamed at facebook.com/mtzioncentral.

In Christ,

Pastor Jonathan
——————–

September 27:

Worship outdoors at 10 a.m. with Bethel and Central UMCs at Central UMC. Children’s and youth Sunday school at 4 p.m. Please plan to be present as we thank our brothers and sisters in Christ for their kindness and hospitality toward us!

October 4 and 11: 
Worship outdoors at Mt. Zion at 11 a.m. Children’s and youth Sunday school on Zoom at 9:30 a.m.

October 18 and moving forward: 
Worship indoors at Mt. Zion at 11 a.m. Children’s and youth Sunday school on Zoom at 9:30.

Below are more in-depth protocols and procedures for October 4 and 11:

• Where do I park? 
  Park in any of the parking spots in Mt. Zion’s parking lot or along the street.
• Do I need to bring something to sit on? 
  Please bring a chair or picnic blanket to sit on. We will put some chairs out ahead of time in case there are people who do not have a chair or blanket to bring. Wherever you sit, please make sure you are at least 6 feet from other families.
• Do I need to wear a mask? 
  Yes. If you do not have one, a hospitality team member can provide one for you.
• Do we get to sing together? 
  Unfortunately, no. Even outdoors, group singing increases the chance of spreading the virus. We’ll still have keyboard and solos.
• How will we give our offering? 
  You may continue giving online or by mailing a check to PO Box 186, Central, SC 29630. There will also be an offering box where you may place your offering at the designated time.
• What if I have to go to the bathroom? 
  The downstairs door will be unlocked so that you can use the restroom. Our “Potty Patrol” volunteers will make sure the bathroom gets cleaned between each user.
• Is there a nursery? 
  No. We encourage families to worship together!
• What if I don’t yet feel comfortable being around other people? 
  It is perfectly okay to continue worshiping from home! We will continue posting the service online at facebook.com/mtzioncentral.
• What if it rains? 
  In the event of rain, a message will be sent out on the One Call Now app, emailed, and posted to Facebook. The service will be available online only.

Below are more in-depth protocols and procedures for October 18 and beyond:

• Who can attend the indoors service? 
  We will not turn anyone away. However, based on guidance from the conference and CDC that people 65 and older, along with those with preexisting medical conditions, are more at risk for illness and death, we encourage people in those groups to continue participating in church activities virtually rather than in-person, indoors. We ask that those who think they may be sick or have a fever stay home.
• Do I need to register before coming? 
  Yes. A registration link will be included in the bulletin email each week for the coming Sunday. If you know someone in the church who does not use email, please reach out to them and offer to sign up for them. Pre-registration will allow us to ensure there is enough space for everyone and will help in the event that we need to do contact tracing.
• Do I need to wear a mask? 
  Yes. If you do not have one, a hospitality team member can provide one for you.
• How do I enter and exit? 
  There will be a greeter on the front steps to open the door for you. Another greeter near the altar rail will direct you where to sit. We will fill the sanctuary from the front pew to the back, leaving at least 6 feet between people who do not reside together. At the conclusion of the service, we will dismiss the back pews first and work our way to the front.
• What if there is no room left in the sanctuary when I arrive? 
  We will have overflow seating downstairs in the fellowship hall for 20 people, where the service will be live-streamed on a screen. A greeter will be able to show you to that area.
• Do we get to sing together? 
  Unfortunately, no. Group singing increases the chance of spreading the virus. We’ll still have piano music and pre-recorded solos.
• How will we give our offering? 
  You may continue giving online or by mailing a check to PO Box 186, Central, SC 29630. There will also be an offering box where you may place your offering as you enter or exit the service.
• What if I have to go to the bathroom?
  Please use the upstairs restroom that can be reached through the door at the top of the ramp on the right side of the sanctuary. Our “Potty Patrol” volunteers will make sure the bathroom gets cleaned between each user.
• Is there a nursery? 
  No. We encourage families to worship together!
• What if I don’t yet feel comfortable being around other people? 
  It is perfectly okay to continue worshiping from home! We will continue posting the service online at facebook.com/mtzioncentral.
• What if I learn I have COVID-19? 
  If you attended a service, and you learn that you may have had COVID-19, please let Pastor Jonathan know immediately at 843-251-3279 or mtzion@nctv.com. Your identity will be kept confidential. There are conference protocols that require the church to notify others who attended that service that someone may have had COVID-19 (without sharing who it was) and that we shut down our indoor worship service for two weeks. In the event that we need to shut down the indoor worship service, alternative worship plans will be communicated via Facebook, email, and One Call Now.

 

Looking for our online worship service?  Click here:
https://www.facebook.com/MtZionCentral

Looking for our YouTube channel containing previous worship services?  Click here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGBw66kvhCKW5g46-HW_gTQ/playlists?view_as=subscriber

Some Basic Information About Our Church

The Mount Zion Family extends a cordial invitation to you to attend our church here in the little town of Central, South Carolina. Yes, that is the name of our town. Our town may be small and our congregation may be small, but as a congregation of God’s people, we are full of love and acceptance. We are very much like a large family. We will welcome you for who you are and accept you with Christian love and friendship. You will feel like you belong to our Mount Zion Family after your very first visit.

• The church is located at 310 Church Street in downtown Central, SC, near the intersection of SC Highway 93 and Church Street. If you are traveling from Clemson, take a right at the main intersection in Central, and we will be on the right, just past the bank, firestation, and old school. 

                                    Map/Directions