“A First Step”

Mark your calendars now for an outdoor, in-person worship service on the front lawn of Christ the King Lutheran Church on Sunday, July 19, 2020 at 9:15am! This worship service will also be live-streamed via ZOOM using our normal Sunday morning worship service link, so those who do not wish to participate in person can still access worship from their homes.

Over the past few months, I have been meeting regularly with local pastors, Synod leaders, and other pastors from across the country. (Incidentally, there’s at least one good thing about ZOOM!) These colleagues have been a wonderful source of support, encouragement, and care for me in these extra-ordinary times. We have helped one another in navigating issues that none of us had ever anticipated, and we’ve been a sounding board for each other as we figure out how best to do ministry in this digital environment. Over the last month or two, a dominant topic of discussion has been how best to re-convene for in-person worship when it is deemed safe to do so.

Overwhelmingly, the idea of gathering for in-person, indoor worship services is not gaining a lot of traction nor support. The amount of work and preparation for indoor spaces, much less the necessary disinfection of indoor spaces after and between each event, is incredibly daunting. Additionally, the respiratory nature and transmission of COVID-19 makes gathering inside for a worship service a high-risk activity, making many if not the vast majority of congregation members hesitant to return. Please be assured that we at CtK are working to make this a possibility in the future; but I cannot tell you yet when a worship inside our sanctuary will be possible.

In the meantime, we will take advantage of the beautiful summertime weather in Durango and hold our first in-person worship service in four months on the front lawn of our church building. Holding a worship service outdoors does help to mitigate some of the more difficult issues around worshipping together indoors; but there will still be mandatory precautions in place that will allow us to gather in the safest way possible for all who wish to participate. Please note the following requirements.

  1. Participants must register ahead of time. Please go to https://www.ctkdurango.org/worship and click on the sign-up link for the July 19, 2020 Outdoor Worship Service. That will bring you to a sign-up page. Please enter each worship participant individually. (You can use one email address for multiple sign-ups, if needed.)
  2. Participants must wear a face mask for the duration of the event.
  3. Physical distancing requirements will be in effect. Please maintain at least six feet of distance between households.
  4. Bring your own chair(s) or blanket(s).
  5. Dress appropriately. There is little shade available in our front yard, so be prepared for warm sunshine.
  6. In the case of inclement weather, please check your email on the morning of the event for updated information or news of cancellation.
  7. Bathrooms in the building will be open for emergency purposes, but the rest of the building will remain closed to the public.

We will still offer Holy Communion on the afternoon of Sunday, July 19. Use the appropriate signup to register for that by going to https://www.ctkdurango.org/worship and clicking on the Holy Communion signup link.

At this point, this is the only in-person worship service we have scheduled. If it goes well, however, we hope to be able to offer these in-person, outdoor worship services once a month. Stay tuned for more dates as they are announced.

And finally, thank you to everyone for your flexibility, patience and understanding over these last many months. I know this is a trying time for many, and a regular worship life around the community of your brothers and sisters in Christ is a major aspect of health for all. Having that community taken away so suddenly and for so long is not an easy burden to bear. If you are struggling, or if you are in need of help, or if you just need to talk, please let me know.

Peace,

Pastor Tim