Dear Cornerstone Family,
As more and more people receive COVID-19 vaccines and the number of active cases in our area and across the country continues to drop, Cornerstone, like many other churches, has been scaling back towards normal. Back in March, we started increasing our capacity and ceased with designated seating. Three weeks ago, we conducted our last mask-required service as registrants for that service moved to our earlier services after vaccination. And this week we ceased requiring registration for worship. Each Sunday things are looking a bit more normal.
Another area where we want to start moving back to normal is communion. For those of you who have joined Cornerstone in the last year, a little history might be in order. Pre-COVID, the bread for communion was sliced into small pieces and placed in two silver trays on the middle communion table. As you came forward, you would stop by the middle table and partake of the bread and then move toward the side tables to partake of the cup. For health concerns, we augmented that practice and went to stackable cups with bread on the bottom and wine/juice on the top.
Starting today, we are returning the bread to the center table, but not exactly in pre-COVID form. Instead of a tray of bread, an individual piece of bread will be in a cup. As you come forward today, please stop by the middle table and partake of the bread. After receiving the bread, you’ll carry your plastic cup with you and move to the outer tables where you’ll partake of the wine/juice. You will then throw both cups away. Though not all the way back to normal, this is closer to our ordinary practice and (hopefully) a move in the right direction.
Also, for those of you who are new to Cornerstone, we did not have ushers leading us row by row to communion before COVID. Over the next few weeks, our plan is to phase out the use of ushers during communion and invite the congregation to come on their own, row by row, filling the aisle on the way to the table as was our custom previous to COVID. For this morning, however, ushers will once again be present to help us, but please note they will be moving you to communion more quickly since the need for social distance during communion has passed.
In closing, I want to thank Todd Russell, David Steffens, Martha Brooks, and the whole Reopening Team for the way they’ve served so faithfully behind the scenes this last year. From registration for worship, to socially distant seating charts, to additional cleaning measures, to communion preparation and a dozen other details; the brothers and sisters on this team have served the church tirelessly and without complaint. I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am for them. We owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude for their service, and I want to encourage you to make it a point to thank them personally for their loving care of us.
Your servant,
