Local Churches Prepare For Sunday Services Without Occupancy Limits
For the first time in about a year, churches and other houses of worship will be able to open their doors without any limitations on how many people can be in the building at one time. Last Friday, Governor Tim Walz lifted the building capacity restrictions on places of worship, but people are still required to wear masks and social distance.
Living Word Christian Center is a megachurch in Brooklyn Park. During the pandemic, social media and online services were crucial for staying in touch with their congregation.
“In the last 12 months, we’ve made a concerted effort to phone everybody within the church at least twice to check on them, see how they are doing,” said Pastor Brian Sullivan.
He says the sanctuary can accommodate about 2,800 people at each of the worship services, but with social distancing guidelines still in place, they won’t have that many people in the pews.
Living Word Christian Center in Brooklyn Park can hold almost 3,000, but due to social distancing they’ll limit worship services to less than half of that.
Crystal Church Says Social Distancing Guidelines Will Still Limit People In Sanctuary
In Crystal, Serenity Village Community Church is also adjusting to its new normal. Church officials say they aren’t sure how many people they will host because of social distancing guidelines. Chief Operating Officer Brendan Banks says, “we have every other row open.”
The Church leader says their outreach and recovery program will benefit greatly by the lifting of restrictions.
“For the recovery community, it’s really big because for them being able to have meetings in person is crucial to them staying sober,” he explained.
Masks are still required for services, and both church leaders say they are increasing cleaning to make sure people are safe when they worship.
