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 Public Health and Diocese Resources

Diocese of Nebraska COVID-19 Messages & Resources
Messages & Resources from The Episcopal Church
Episcopal Relief & Development
U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Douglas County Health Department Recommendations and Exposures

Resources for prayer and worship at home​
Morning Prayer
Compline
Additional resources from the Diocese of Nebraska

Worship

• In-Person Services (with Virtual Option) to Carefully Return:
  
  Masked Services at 8:30 and 10:30 am, – details below.
  
  Virus rates have dropped below the diocesan guideline that allows for in-person worship on Sundays: https://public.tableau.com/shared/46GYFCCZB?:display_count=y&:origin=viz_share_link
  
  As a reminder, the 7-day average needs to remain below 20, but we are in the orange on it for now, which is very heartening news. We are going to offer the following initial plan for returning to worship.
  
  Safety Practices
  Masks, will continue to be required, even for those who are vaccinated until our 12 and under members are able to be vaccinated. Vaccination is strongly encouraged for all members; please ask Fr Ben if you have questions about the church’s practices or the moral questions around vaccines. 
  
  We are now holding 2 in-person worship opportunities on Sundays.
  
  8:30 am: a service with Praise Band music. This service will not be broadcast via Facebook Live.
  
  9:30 am: a prep and cleaning time; we will be asking people to depart from the sanctuary after the previous service.
  
  10:30 am: a service with Organ music & Choir. This service will be broadcast via Facebook live.
  

Holy Communion
We are celebrating weekly Eucharistic services again, rather than Morning Prayer. These involve only the hosts (bread) and not, at present, a common cup. I will reiterate a call for people who would like to receive communion at home, and if needed, train Lay Eucharistic Ministers to make those visits. We will continue to have safety practices around preparing communion.

Acolytes, Lectors, Altar Guild
We have begun carefully adapting and returning these elements of our worship as we think through issues of care, safety, and the ministry of each.

Communications
While our hope is that transmission rates continue to decline and vaccines make everyone safer, a sudden surge in transmission or cases or other medical realities may require us to return to virtual worship in the future. If we do, we will attempt to make that call by the preceding Thursday so that the news can be shared via the weekly e-mail (sign up by contacting Jay Hammond at parish@sainta.net), as well as on our website and Facebook page.
The staff is back to our normal office hours(M-Th 9 a.m.-1 p.m.).  We will be updating the parish regularly about our schedule and activities.

If you need to be in contact with Fr. Ben or Kate outside of regular office hours, please use their cell phone numbers located in the directory.  If you do not have a directory, please email them or the parish office if you need their information.