Madison Street
Q&A
Have questions? We have the answers!
Joining us for the first time?
Click here to learn about what you can expect.
When will we be able to gather in the sanctuary for worship?
We will begin hosting weekly worship services on Sunday, September 13, at 10:15 a.m.
Please note: We will continue to offer online worship services. We encourage people in high risk categories to continue to worship at home.
What will worship look like?
Although we cannot eliminate all risk, we are committed to exercising due diligence and mitigating as much risk as we can. We will follow best practices as recommended by the CDC, the state of Tennessee, and The Tennessee Annual Conference of The UMC—health screenings, physical distancing, wearing cloth face coverings, etc.
What will be available for children?
A professionally staffed nursery is available for infants through 3 years old. Parents will check them in at the nursery door which located through the double doors on the west side (front left) of the sanctuary.
Kids Core will meet and children will be dropped off at the sanctuary doors near the restrooms which located through the double doors on the west side (front left) prior to the start of service. After service parents will pick up their children from the 3rd floor classrooms.
4s will be in room 309.
5s will be in room 301.
1st-5th will be in room 307.
Are you telling me I won’t be able to sit in “my” seat in the sanctuary?
Quite probably. We will be utilizing every other pew.
Do I need to let you know I plan to attend?
We are no longer requesting you register for in-person worship in advance. We deeply appreciate your patience as we established a baseline for attendance so that we could ensure that we are able to worship as safely as possible.
In lieu of registering online, you will come to the narthex to pick up your bulletin and to register your attendance.
Do I have to register for each service I plan to attend?
At this time, standing weekly reservations are not possible. Please register for each service you plan to attend.
What protective measures are you taking?
- Unless you are under age of the 2 or have trouble breathing or are unable to remove a mask by yourself, we expect worshipers to wear masks/cloth face coverings.
- After health screenings (including temperature checks) are administered, an escort will take you to your seat in the sanctuary to ensure that we are able to maintain physical distancing guidelines of six feet.
- Bathroom and elevator monitors will ensure that individuals use or a single family uses these conveniences separately.
- We will record where you are sitting and make sure we have your contact information on file. We will keep those records for three weeks in the event that someone unknowingly comes who is infected and we need to notify others.
- We are suspending these activities:
- passing offering plates,
- passing of the peace, handshakes, and hugging.
- Dismissal will be by rows instead of en masse.
Why are we being asked to wear cloth face coverings?
Out of an abundance of caution to protect others. Both the Torah and Jesus teach us that we are to “love our neighbors as ourselves,” (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:39). As members of the body of Christ, we set aside personal preferences and even endure discomfort as an expression of self-sacrificial love.
What happens if I don’t have a cloth face covering?
We will have extra cloth face coverings available in the event that you do not have one or you forget yours.
What about other groups meeting at the church?
- Sunday School classes, Bible Study classes, and other small groups may continue to meet virtually OR may schedule a time to meet onsite at the church.
- All classes that meet onsite will meet in the Fellowship Hall where physical distancing can be maintained.
- Health screenings (including temperature screenings) are required.
- Classes will schedule their onsite meeting time on a first-come, first-served basis by calling the church office or by emailing a staff member (name@madisonstreetumc.org).
- Participants will be responsible for disinfecting their area after use.
What factors should I consider before I come?
If you are symptomatic, have a fever, have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, or have traveled internationally or to a domestic hot spot in the past two weeks, stay home. If you are in high risk category, 65+ years of age and/or have a pre-existing medical conditions or compromised immune systems (e.g., heart disease, lung disease, cancer, high blood pressure, or diabetes), as much as we miss you, we urge you to exercise an abundance of caution.
What happens if someone who has attended a service tests positive for COVID-19?
CDC COVID-19 Guidelines after diagnosis/exposure
- We will notify local health officials if a person diagnosed with COVID-19 has been in the facility and communicate with staff and congregants about potential exposure while maintaining confidentiality as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or other applicable laws an in accordance with religious practices.
- We will inform those with exposure to a person diagnosed with COVID-19 to stay home and self-monitor for symptoms and follow CDC guidance if symptoms develop.
- We will close off areas used by the sick person and will not use the area until after cleaning and disinfecting it.
- We will require sick staff and advise congregants not to return to the facility until they have met CDC’s criteria to discontinue home isolation.
If you have questions that were not addressed, please email Rev. Harriet J. Bryan.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR RE-OPENING THE BUILDING:
MADISON STREET UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Values:
- Self-sacrificial love—The Great Commandment states, “You shall love the Lord your God … and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:37–39). During this pandemic, love for ourselves is expressed in the ways we protect ourselves from getting infected. In the same way, love for our neighbor is expressed in the ways we protect them from getting infected. Out of love for the most vulnerable among us, we are willing to set aside our own preferences regarding taking recommended precautions and adhering to best practices in order to love like Jesus who “emptied himself …and humbled himself” for our sake (Philippians 2:5-8) and who taught his disciples that, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13).
John Wesley’s 3 Simple Rules
Do No Harm—We value the health and wellbeing of all God’s people, especially the vulnerable ones. As churches, we pray that no one will be endangered or placed at unnecessary risk, just as we desire that others would do the same to us (Luke 6:31). We acknowledge that we cannot eliminate all risk; we are committed to exercising due diligence and mitigating as much risk as we can.
Do Good— By implementing the following plan, with God’s help, we seek to do all the good we can to others. This is our prayerful effort to spread God’s love, not harm. To this end, we submit ourselves to Spirit-led self-discipline (2 Tim. 1:7) so that others may be blessed by our love-filled actions.
Stay in Love with God —We long for the return to in-person worship as one of the most important means of staying in love with God (Jn. 4:23-24, Heb. 10:25). We also recognize that offering a quality on-line worship experience enables us most effectively to minister both to our congregation and to reach new people for Christ during this unprecedented time.
These guidelines will be reviewed regularly and revised based on updated information.
We will communicate any changes deemed necessary.