NOTE: To attend in-person worship, you must call or email the office to reserve a spot each week.
Masks and social distancing are required to attend.
Online Worship is still available:
For those who feel safer at home, you may still join with the service with Facebook Live, or at noon on our website: Online Worship
FPCE In-Person COVID-19 Guidelines:
If you have symptoms that are consistent with COVID-19, you must not enter the church building.
If you know you have been exposed to COVID-19, you must not enter the church building.
We ask all who come into our building to practice social distancing and to wear masks, as well as practice good sanitation and hygiene practices.
Worship services are shared online and there is always the possibility that your likeness may be filmed and shared online as well.
We will not be offering nursery care at this time. Parents who opt to bring their children, should be prepared to help them stay seated in their pew for an hour.
Before you get to the church:
You must call or email the church office to reserve a spot for worship each week.
Seats will be reserved on a first come first served basis - from Monday at 9am through noon on Friday.
We will only take reservations for the upcoming Sunday. Your reservation will be confirmed by our office administrator by the end of the day on Friday.
Your registration serves as our attendance record and our means of contacting you if there is a need for follow-up.
People will be seated in household groups. And so, if you live with someone in the same house you can sit together, otherwise we need to adhere to social distancing requirements.
There will be no time of fellowship or gathering before or after worship.
Bathroom use will be limited to rest rooms on the ground floor, only.
Windows and outside doors will be open during the service. Please be prepared for resulting drafts and temperatures fluctuations.
As you enter the building:
We ask that the congregation use the sanctuary door on Spring Garden Street to enter. Please maintain social distance at all times (in parking lot, as you wait to enter, etc.)
We will do a temperature check at the door (before you enter the building).
Seating will begin at 10 am. An usher will seat each party. Seating will close at 10:30am.
The parking lot entrance to the buildings is reserved for worship leadership. If anyone needs use of the elevator, they should request this when they make a reservation. An usher will be at the parking lot door from 10am to 10:15am to facilitate staggered use of the elevator.
When you are ushered to a pew, a bulletin will be at your seat.
The pews will be marked to allow for social distancing.
There will be no hymn books, cards, pencils, etc. in the pews.
Your mask must be worn as you enter and exit the building, as you move about the building and as you sit in the pew. Masks must cover your mouth and nose.
Once you are seated in your pew:
There will be no singing. The hymns will be played. While singing is not allowed, you can hum along.
A soloist will sing each Sunday, but safety precautions will be followed. This includes keeping the singer 20 feet from the congregation.
Masks must continue to be properly worn through worship.
Please remain in your seat.
Worship leaders will remain the front of the sanctuary. They will remove their mask when speaking into a microphone—but will be more than 6 feet from any other person.
If you must use the restroom, please use the disinfectant wipes in the restroom to wipe all surfaces that you touched before leaving the restroom.
We will not be observing the passing of the peace.
After worship and as you leave:
Please wait for an Usher to release you from your pew.
Take the bulletin with you (carry out what you carry in as well, please).
Offerings may be left in the plate by the exit. You are also welcomed to continue the method of giving you are currently using (i.e. mail to church or give online).