Parishioners welcomed back
BY TYSON SMEDSTAD
People are excited to get back to church and worship with their congregation.
While the North Dakota COVID-19 guidelines never banned church gatherings, it offered recommendations for the safety and well-being of parishioners.
Faith communities forced parishioners into new worship realities.
They are faced with challenges that are filled with learning and stumbling blocks but also abundant blessing.
“I am extremely grateful for our leadership at city, county and state levels as well as within the ELCA and specifically, our church’s own Western North Dakota Synod,” Rev. Erin Gullickson of the Dakota Prairie Winds Parish.
Gullickson preaches to two different congregations: Our Savior Lutheran Church in Max and Concordia Lutheran Church in Benedict.
“For the two congregations I’m privileged to serve, wading through much of the ‘gray’ area in decision making has been remarkably simple: we’ll err on the side of love and caution,” Gullickson said. “To reduce the risk of exposing our people to an infectious virus that we learn more about each day, we can and will worship together in other ways.”
Rev. Janis Sloka said his parish at First Congregational Church, UCC began to worship in person May 31.
“We are aware that people could still be at risk so we are sitting apart in pews and we are using bulletins for everything in worship. We have removed the hymnals and pew Bibles for now,” Sloka said. “We also have hand sanitizer available and masks at both entrances if worshipers forget theirs. We are respecting those who wear masks and those who don’t.”
