On Thursday, July 2, 2020, Governor Abbott issued an executive order requiring face masks for Texas citizens while out in public and around others. While religious services are exempt from the order, officials still “strongly encourage” the use of face coverings in religious gatherings. At Lakeside, we take the health and safety of our members and visitors seriously and because we believe that discipleship means that we seek to care for and serve our community, we are asking that those who attend our in-person worship services and classes to wear face coverings while on our campus. According to the order acceptable face covering options include homemade masks, scarves, bandanas, handkerchiefs and anything else that can appropriately cover an individual’s mouth and nose. Exemptions for the order include children under the age of 10, those whose services would be impaired by a mask and individuals who have a mental or physical health risk from wearing a face covering. .
We will continue to listen and evaluate what is the right things for us to do in order to best serve our church body and community. Thank you for your understanding, flexibility, patience, and support.
As of May 31, 2020, Lakeside as has begun to REGATHER for in-person worship at the building on Breckenridge.
To help you plan and prepare for our new Sunday services we want to share with you what you can expect worshipping with us at the building.
Below you will find some of the new health and safety guidelines we are implement at the building each week. Please read over and familiarize yourself with the instructions and precautions we are taking so you can help keep others safe and healthy while on campus.
Before Service
We will be continuing to clean and disinfect all surfaces before services as well as routine cleaning and disinfection throughout the week.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
Stay home if you are running a fever, sick, or exhibiting any of the COVID-19 symptoms. We encourage you to take your temperature before services and if it reads over 99.00 please stay home and take care of yourself. Remember: Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:
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Cough
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Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
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Fever
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Chills
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Muscle pain
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Sore throat
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New loss of taste or smell
This list is not all possible symptoms. Other less common symptoms have been reported, including gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
Stay home if you have been exposed or have been around anyone who has contracted or exhibited symptoms related to COVID-19. The CDC recommends that if you have been exposed to stay home, monitor your symptoms, and contact your doctor for more information.
We want to strongly encourage those who at"high-risk" to stay at home. The CDC states that those at high-risk for severe illness from COVID-19 are:
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People who live in a nursing home or long-term care facility
People of all ages with underlying medical conditions, particularly if not well controlled, including:
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People with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma
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People who have serious heart conditions
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People who are immunocompromised
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Many conditions can cause a person to be immunocompromised, including cancer treatment, smoking, bone marrow or organ transplantation, immune deficiencies, poorly controlled HIV or AIDS, and prolonged use of corticosteroids and other immune weakening medications
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People with severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 40 or higher)
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People with diabetes
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People with chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis
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People with liver disease
Entrance and Exit
We are asking everyone to enter and exit through the South side glass doors.
The building will be opened at 9:15am and the doors will remained propped open before and after service.
Auditorium
Wearing a mask while at the building is encouraged but not mandated. Remember, we are family and we treat one another with love and respect. We have been given freedom in Christ but our freedom must not be wielded as a weapon or instrument of judgement on our brothers and sisters... especially in the assembly.
There are hand sanitizing stations at strategic places around the auditorium. Please feel free to utilize them while on campus and in the auditorium.
We are taking measures to minimize community sharing of worship materials and other items. There will be no communion trays, sign-up sheets for events, hymnals, or other "sharables" during this season. The Weekly Bulletin is in print or you can access it online once you arrive each Sunday.
The restrooms are available for use during service but we ask that you maintain social-distancing and continue good hygiene protocols such as minimizing the number of surfaces you touch and thoroughly washing your hands after using the restrooms.
Please maintain safe social-distance between you and others. For now, we ask that you greet one another without physically touching. Wave, Air High-Five, and dropping a curtsy are all acceptable (and fun) forms of greeting in the age of Social Distance.
Seating in the auditorium has been configured to help maintain a safe distance between rows and seats. The state of Texas recommends: 1) Two or more members of the same household can sit next to/with one another and 2) Two individuals who are not members of the same household but who are attending together can sit next to/with one another.
The Nursery is available to families to use as needed but will not be staffed by volunteers. We ask that you try to adhere to safe social distancing practices while using the Nursery.
Communion
Lakeside will continue to utilize the All-In-One Individual Communion cups for the time being. We ask that you please dispose of your communion cup as you exit the auditorium.
Offering
You can place your offering in the plate as it is passed or you can also set up recurring gifts through our online giving portal. For more information see LakesideCoC.org or talk to Jon Jameson.
Other guidelines and procedures may be added or removed as we begin regathering together. We ask for your continued patience, flexibility, and grace as we take these steps toward growing UP, IN, and OUT together over this next season of ministry.
