If you plan to worship with us in-person, please be mindful of our COVID care strategies:
- Please stay home if you have a fever or are feeling ill
- Please enter into the worship space with a mask worn securely over your nose and chin
- Please sign-in at our welcome table in case there is an exposure in our community and we need to notify you
- At this time, we are communing by individually sealed communion cups. These are available at our welcome table and the pastor will share when to open these during the worship service.
In case there is an exposure of COVID-19 in our community, we will initiate the following protocol:
Council Policy on Covid-Related Decisions about Holding In-Person Services (February 8, 2022)
When a circumstance where one congregant tests positive for Covid after attending the previous worship service, the other congregants present in worship will be informed of the positive test. The following regular Sunday or other special worship will be continued as scheduled, including a videotaped or streamed version of the service.
When two or more positive tests are reported, in-person worship for the following regular Sunday or other special worship service will be canceled and the worship service will be exclusively on videotape or streamed at the discretion of the Pastor and Church Council and in-person worship service resumed when the appropriate self-isolation period for persons with positive tests has been observed.
Masking Policy related to in-person worship (April 5, 2022)
New Journey Lutheran Church COVID-19 Masking Policy will be based upon the COVID-19 data in the Fountain Hills 85268 Zip Code as shown on the Maricopa County Health website. When this site shows a “low” transmission rate for the 85268 Zip Code, the following worship service will be “mask optional”. When the site shows “moderate” or “high” transmission rate, the following service will be “masks mandatory.” The COVID-19 transmission rate will be monitored weekly and the mask status will be communicated by email each Friday.
Practice of Communing by Intinction (April 5, 2022)
In addition to this update on New Journey Lutheran Church’s Masking Policy, the Congregational Council voted to resume the practice of communing by intinction (i.e. placing bread into hands and dipping it into wine or grape juice) as an option for worshippers beginning April 14.
The procedure for safely resuming Holy Communion by intinction is below:
- The usher will invite worshippers to come forward one row at a time to avoid crowding and will provide a pump of hand sanitizer to all who come forward to receive communion.
- Pastor Beth and all communion assistants will use hand sanitizer before serving communion and will wear masks.
- Individually sealed communion cups will be made available for those who do not wish to receive communion by intinction.