We are eager and excited to have people return to on-campus worship! We have created this guide to help families prepare to participate in one of our three new worship gatherings on Sundays: 8:00 am, 9:30 am, and 11:00 am. We want this to be the best worship experience possible during these unusual days. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the church office.

Prepare Your Heart

Before attending any worship gathering, it is a good practice to ready your heart for interacting with God and with His people. Ask the Lord in prayer for His blessing on your participation in worship and fellowship. Choose a passage of Scripture to meditate upon such as Psalm 23, Psalm 100, Ephesians 1, or Hebrews 1. Prepare any children you are bringing for what to expect. Ask the Lord to make your family a blessing to others as you come on campus, clothing yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience (Colossians 3:12).

Choose A Worship Time

We currently have three on-campus worship times on Sundays: 8:00 am, 9:30 am, and 11:00 am. The 8:00 am worship gathering is especially designed for people with more health concerns, and everyone who participates is committed to being extra careful in observing all health precautions. The 9:30 am and 11:00 am worship gatherings are designed for people with fewer health concerns, yet all present are also asked to follow the PA Health Department’s mandates to the best of their abilities.

When the weather allows, we have an outdoor seating section with a sound system transmitting the words and music to those in the tent. While outdoors, protective face coverings are optional.

**Note: The entire 11:00 am gathering is currently meeting outdoors in favorable weather.

Inform Yourself of Risks

Before attending a gathering of people during this outbreak, it is wise to learn about COVID-19. You can find good and current information at the Centers for Disease Control and the PA Department of Health. An excellent one-page factsheet is “What You Should Know About COVID-19.”

Before You Leave Home on Sunday

Make sure you are healthy. If you are feeling sick, have a fever, or have been around others who are sick, please stay home and utilize the Worship at Home resources provided online.

Please bring a clean protective face covering (mask or shield) for each member of your group ages 2 and up. Disposable masks will be provided for anyone who needs one. You can bring your own hand sanitizer, but it will also be available in the foyer. The restrooms will have an ample supply of soap and paper towels. The building will have been thoroughly cleaned before the 8:00 am worship time.

Wear appropriate clothing. The windows and doors of the church building will remain open throughout both worship gatherings. Early mornings may be chilly, requiring extra layers, especially outdoors. Autumn days can also warm up, and masks often cause you to feel even warmer. Think ahead about how to dress yourself and any children you are bringing for the expected conditions.

As You Arrive

The doors will open approximately 15 minutes before the worship gathering. In between services, the Clean Team will disinfect frequently-touched surfaces and do a light cleaning of the facility.

Before entering the building, put on your protective face covering (mask or shield) in compliance with the orders of the Pennsylvania Secretary of Health. Masks are not required or recommended for children under 2 or for people with conditions that prohibit their safe wearing.

**When the PA Health Department order is lifted, we plan to make face coverings optional again during the 9:30 am and 11:00 am gatherings.

As you walk in, you will be greeted by the Welcome Team and encouraged to pick up a printed Worship Guide, Hymnal, and a Pew Bible if needed. The offering plates will be available near the entrance to the auditorium and will not be passed during the service.

Our Welcome Team will help seat your group immediately upon arrival. Please sit on the end of the pew you enter. While in the building, we ask that everyone maintain a 6' space around your group (often referred to as a “bubble”). To make this easier for all, we have marked off appropriately spaced seating in the auditorium.

During the Worship Gathering

Enjoy being with your church family worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ! Pray for the rest of the church family who may attend another worship time or be worshiping at home.

NOTE: No nursery ministry is offered at on-campus gatherings at this time. A Children’s Church (ages 3̀-3rd grade) is offered during the second half of the 9:30 am service.

**We are glad to have families with young children participating in on-campus worship. We know that kids will struggle to consistently wear a face covering and may not understand social distancing. We ask that parents do their best to help their kids comply and that everyone extend as much patience with and kindness to each other as possible.

As the Worship Time Ends

The Welcome Team will dismiss participants by rows from the back to the front. Please leave any hymnals or Pew Bibles where you sat so that the Clean Team knows which sections were used and can remove those items to be used the next week. Exit the pew by the route you entered it.

We have an outdoor fellowship area by the Ark Park with shaded and spaced seating for people to visit after and between worship times.

Everyone is invited to join the LEFC Family Fellowship Meeting on Zoom at 6:30 pm. Connection details are available in your church email.

See you Sunday!

*Revised September 10, 2020