Good Shepherd Reopening Plan – June Update
6/1/21

Sunday Services:
• Starting June 6, both the 8am and 10am Sunday Services will include communion.
• The capacity for each Sunday Service will be increased to 39 people per Service, up from the May capacity of 26 people. The capacity in June can be as high as 50 if large households are present (see below for details about this).
• Reservations will no longer be required.
• Face masks, covering the nose and mouth, are still required for all participants. This will allow for vaccination rates to increase further and will allow us to monitor the effects of the lifting of all restrictions in Massachusetts. The mask wearing requirement for vaccinated persons will be lifted beginning July 1, unless the COVID circumstances warrant a revision to this plan.
• Please read carefully the updated In-Person Sunday Services Guidelines below for more information; including information about receiving communion, singing, and the sign of peace.

Mid-Week Services:
Starting June 9, the Wednesday Noon Services will resume in the church. This Service will include Eucharist. Reservations are not required. Face masks, covering of the nose and mouth, will be required of all participants.

Meetings Inside Our Church Building:
Good Shepherd Church Meetings: Beginning June 1, church meetings can resume in the church building. There will be restriction involved, including mask wearing by all participants and physical distancing considerations. Permission must be obtained from Pastor Dan Bernier prior to meeting dates being confirmed. Contact Pastor Dan for more information about meeting restrictions and guidelines.
Support Group Meetings: Beginning June 7, the use of our church building by outside support groups will resume. There will be restriction involved, including mask wearing by all participants and physical distancing considerations. Contact Pastor Dan Bernier for more information about meeting restrictions and guidelines.
Guidelines for Attending In-Person Sunday Services: Beginning June 6
• All who wish to attend a Sunday Service must read and accept these guidelines.
• Reservations will no longer be required.
• Everyone who participates in the in-person Sunday Services is required to wear a face mask that covers the nose and mouth, even those who are fully vaccinated.
• Bathrooms will now be available for those attending the Services. There are disinfecting wipes available for you to use in the bathrooms.
• There continues to be no congregating in the church to socialize either before or after the Services. If you wish to be in conversation with others, please to so outside the church.

FAQs: (Frequently Asked Questions)
Who is not eligible to attend an in-person Sunday Service?
If you have recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 and have not been cleared by your doctor; if you have been in close contact (in the past 10 days) of someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, and you are not vaccinated; if you have symptoms related to COVID-19 or are not feeling well; you are not eligible to attend an in-person Sunday Service at Good Shepherd. Please continue to participate in our Good Shepherd Facebook Live Sunday Service at 10:00am, until the above no longer apply.

How many people will be allowed to attend the in-person Service?
Thirteen pews will be used, with 3 people allowed per pew (one person at each end of the pew, and one in the middle). Every other pew will be used. Those from the same household (up to 5 people from the same household) will be allowed to sit together in the same pew. In this case, there could be more than three people in the pew if the household has more than three people in attendance.
If there are three people in each pew (and 13 pews are being used), the number of people allowed to attend will be 39. If there are large groups from the same household this number can go higher, up to a maximum of 50 people.

What should I expect when I attend an in-person Sunday Service?
You are required to wear a face mask from when you enter the building until after you exit the building.
You are asked to enter the church from the main doors, the double doors that enter the church from the back of the sanctuary (worship space). Please do not enter through the parish office door.
When you arrive, you are asked to use hand sanitizer and then immediately find an open pew. If you are alone and enter an open pew first, you are asked to be seated at the far end of the pew near the wall, which allows the next person to be seated in the same pew without passing in front of you. Once you are seated, you are asked to stay at your seat until the Service is finished.
At the end of the Service, you will be asked to leave the building starting from the back of the church, moving to the front of the church. Exiting through the double doors in the back of the sanctuary (worship space). Please do not exit through the parish office door exit.
There is to be no congregating in the church at the end of the Service. If you want to converse with other parishioners, please do so outside of the church.

How will communion be distributed?
Pastor Dan will come to each pew to distribute communion. He will wear a facemask while distributing communion. If you wish to receive communion, remain standing. If you do not wish to receive communion, please be seated. Pastor Dan will stand before those wishing to receive and place communion in their hands. Once he moves on to the next person, you may remove your mask and receive communion. After you have received communion, please put your mask back on. Until further notice, the communion cup will not be shared.

Are participants permitted to sing?
Yes, participants are welcome to sing the songs/hymns, while wearing their facemasks.

Will the sign of peace be exchanged?
No, we will not exchange the sign of peace with one another. We will continue to pray for peace and then pray the Prayer of St. Francis together.