St. Peter's United Church of Christ

St. Peter's United Church of Christ will offer virtual lessons each week on its YouTube Channel. They will premiere at 8:15 Sunday mornings - our normal Sunday School time.
Here is the lesson for 9-20.
https://youtu.be/nk_szVbXVP8

If you have any questions about the fall start for Sunday School, please contact Lay Pastor Mike Mathes at 920-286-1312.

We are also looking for teachers and families that want to have fun in preparing our weekly lessons!
Call Mike or email mmathes248@gmail.com to offer your talents.

St. Peter’s UCC will be reopening on August 2, 2020.  We will reopen with this soft test opening for several weeks. Many Safety procedures and basic service procedures had to be discussed and implemented.  Below is St. Peter’s PHASE I procedures for reopening.
PHASE I
We Recommend:

• St. Peter’s will hold 7:30am and 9:30am services starting August 2, 2020, and provide viewing online.
• Only the car port entrance will be open for worship services
• All members upon entering the church and sanctuary, should maintain at least 6’ of space between people (families).
• All persons entering church must wear a face mask.  If you do not have a mask, we will have some available, but please reuse each Sunday. There will also be gloves and hand sanitizer provided for your use each Sunday.
• There will be a check list for everyone entering the building to verify their family’s presence each Sunday.  (This is needed if there to a possible outbreak so that all in attendance are notified and checked for COVID 19.)
• Please put on your name tag when entering church, this will help the ushers find your name on the check list.  And please take them home each week for sanitizing.
• Plastic was placed over the water foundation for your safety. 
• Everyone in the sanctuary shall maintain distancing with the help of the ushers.  Please keep empty pews between families.
• Cushions will be removed from the pews, but if you need one due to back issues… please tell an usher.  
• All children’s busy bags, books and toys will be boxed and stored. 
• There will no acolytes at this time, Rev. Ross will light the altar candles.
• Worshiping will be under a “New Normal” for now. There will be no passing the peace, collection of offerings will be done by placing envelopes into the offering plates staged outside the sanctuary near the courtyard.
• We will use a no-touch policy.  All hymnals, bibles, envelopes, papers and pencils will be removed from the pews.  
• If you need to cough or sneeze be sure and cover your mouth with a tissue or cough into your arm.
• Bulletins if used, shall be kept by each person as they exit the sanctuary, please take them home with you each Sunday.
• There will be no singing at this time due to the possible spreading of droplets through the air to other members.  The music will be provided in various forms under the direction of the music committee.
• There will be no communion at this time. Once our safety procedures are all working, we will direct when we can have communion in the future.
• There will be no shaking of hands as your exit, instead a pleasant greeting of having a “great week” will be given.
• We will exit from the Back of the Church First, then backing up to the Front of the Church, this will be announced when service is over by Rev. Ross.  This way there is less contact with worshipers sitting near the aisles
• There will be NO coffee hours.  Please leave the building after service and do not mingle.  If you must talk to someone you may do so outside at your own risk.
• All chairs in the lounge will be off limits
• If you bring a coat, please keep it in the pew with you.  We will not be using the coat racks. 
• High risk individuals (people over 60 and those with underlying conditions). whether staff, those that worship or volunteers, should continue to shelter in place.
• If you are not feeling well or have symptoms please stay home and seek medical attention and enjoy the virtual service.
• If you or someone in your family contacts COVID 19, please contact the church office if you have attended worship services or been in St. Peter’s.
• The building will be cleaned regularly and between services each week.
• SCRIP is still available for sale during church office hours, or through Tammie Vollrath-Boll.  920-422-8265 texting is best.
• Our main goal is to keep everyone safe and healthy!

As we work through this process we will be watching and adjusting any safety procedure(s) we need to follow. All updates will be sent through media outlets and via mailings to keep everyone up to date.
After the controlled use of this phase, other phases can be opened in the future for in-person worshiping with relaxed safe distancing.  If we have an outbreak, we might have to revert back a phase.
Please Stay Safe,
St. Peter's UCC Safely Reopening Committee
St. Peter’s UCC Consistory
 

The Rays of Hope Center (ROHC) was officially "christened" in April of 2006 as the newest addition to St. Peter's United Church of Christ ministries. The one-time gas station and video store was purchased by St. Peter's in late 2005 after selling the church's parsonage. In it's naming, St. Peter's members honored their beloved, tenured pastor of 14 years, Ray Coombs. Rev. Coombs ministered faithfully, seeing to it that St. Peter's UCC be the "community's church." Under the care of St. Peter's Consistory and members, the ROHC seeks to sustain that community faithfulness by providing the community space as needed.

Currently the Rays of Hope Center houses the Kiel Area Food Pantry, with room left over for classes, meetings, support groups, and community events.