Neighbor News
Lehman Memorial UMC returns to inside, in-person worship
The church has held outdoor services the last few weeks but now has safety protocols in place to allow a return to indoor worship.
Lehman Memorial United Methodist Church will return to indoor, in-person worship this Sunday, October 11.
The church suspended its three-service in-person worship schedule in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and moved to two livestream services (contemporary and traditional). In recent weeks, it has blended those styles into a single service held in the church parking lot following public health guidelines including masks and appropriate social distancing.
Senior pastor Andy Krpata said that he and pastor Nancy Ludwig worked closely with the Methodist church's bishop and district superintendent, as well as staff and volunteer leadership to gain alignment on a return to the church's sanctuary for worship (You can read the basics of the church's plan here and an extensive FAQ is also available).
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He said that offering two services - a contemporary style at 9:15 a.m. and a traditional style at 10:45 a.m. - would allow enough time for people to enter and exit while maintaining social distancing as well as provide sufficient time to disinfect high-touch areas between services. Lehman's plan requires everyone to wear a mask while in the church and maintain appropriate distance between individuals. The plan also includes a modified entrance protocol with all attendees entering through the back of the sanctuary and being administered a temperature check.
Lehman will continue to offer both services via livestream both on the church's website as well as its Facebook page. The church is advising anyone who is not feeling well or considers themselves to be part of a vulnerable population to participate in the services via the livestream.
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The church has remained active throughout the pandemic. Recently, it restarted its Sunday School program with virtual lessons. But even when the pandemic restrictions were implemented, its Loaves & Fishes food pantry continued to collect donations and distribute food to those in need and its prayer chapel remained open. Pastor Krpata and Pastor Ludwig continued to offer Bible studies via Zoom and also offered pastoral care as did parish nurse Karen Douglass, who also helped implement an outreach program to contact members of the congregation via telephone.
If you'd like to know more about Lehman's worship services and other community outreach programs, you can call the church office at 215-675-2110.