UPDATE of May 27, 2021 – Approved by Congregation Council May 25, 2021

Outdoor Worship – will continue, masks and physical distancing optional (Bring masks in case a sudden move indoors is necessary.)

Indoor Worship – in the case of unfavorable weather, masks required, no sign up and no limit on number in attendance. We will remove the tape.  We hope to continue moving toward full and regular indoor worship over the course of the summer.  

The decision and notification about a change to indoor worship will be made by 4:30 p.m. Saturday with a message sent to the email list. If there is an unexpected change after that, notification will be included in the Sunday morning email message.

Online Worship – a modified version will continue to be offered

Small Group Meetings – if everyone is vaccinated, groups can meet unmasked with the consent of those in attendance starting on June 1 

More will be forthcoming as the COVID-19 task force, congregational council and staff continue conversations, review data and guidelines, and consider our context at Good Shepherd.  Any changes will be posted on the website, in the weekly news and in the monthly newsletter.

COVID-19 TASK FORCE GUIDELINES FOR WORSHIP AND FACILITIES USE
Approved by Congregation Council on April 20, 2021

Outdoor Worship: 

• Full worship service with Gathering, Word, Meal, Sending
• Singing allowed
• Pickup band, choir, handbells
• No sign up needed
• Worshippers please bring lawn chairs
• Distancing and masks optional;  encouraged for kindergarteners and younger
• Families and children most welcome: We welcome and encourage kids to move and play. We know and trust that parents will encourage their children to be respectful of other congregational members.
• Communion served using individual, sealed cups
• Restrooms open, one household at a time
• Vaccines encouraged 

 Move into the Sanctuary If Weather Prevents Outdoor Worship:

• Masks required and encouraged for those under age four
• Families and children are most welcome. We welcome and encourage kids to move and play. We know and trust that parents will encourage their children to be respectful of other congregational members.
• Windows open
• No singing or wind instruments
• Communion served using individual, sealed cups
• No Fellowship Hour
• Nursery closed to children, open for nursing moms
• One household at a time in restrooms
• Vaccines encouraged 

Building Use:

• Building open daily 8:30 am-8:30 pm.
• Masks required
• Groups of 17 or fewer may meet in the Adult Forum space if distancing is practiced, 10 more can join if the group spreads into the gathering space outside the sanctuary
• Groups of 8 or fewer may meet in the library if distancing is practiced and windows are open
• The Fellowship Hall and Sunday School room can be made available for groups in coordination with Kinderhaus
• Building sanitized regularly
• Sunday School and Youth Forum will meet outside following outdoor worship. In case of inclement weather they will meet indoors at 10:30 a.m.
• Confirmation class will meet indoors on Wednesday nights.

Anyone with COVID-19 symptoms needs to stay home.

Congratulations to Noah Tapscott who graduates from Decorah High School this Sunday, May 23, 2021.  Outdoor commencement ceremonies at Viking Stadium will be held at 2:00 pm for the 139 members of the class of 2021.   

In case of inclement weather, commencement exercises will be held in the Decorah High School gymnasium. Commencement exercises will also be available for viewing via live stream, which can be accessed through the DCSD website. The DHS Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, and Concert Choir will perform.  

Two Good Shepherd members, Amalia Vagts and Daniel Grainger, will graduate from Wartburg Theological Seminary this Sunday, May 16!

Both Daniel and Amalia have been approved for ordination in the ELCA. Daniel is in conversation with the Central/Southern Illinois Synod for first call. Amalia is currently in conversation with the Grand Canyon synod of the ELCA for first call. Each of these two candidates for ministry hopes to hold their ordination service at Good Shepherd. Hopefully Good Shepherd will host two ordination services this summer!

The Celebration of the 167th Graduating Class of Wartburg Seminary.
Facebook Live, Sunday, May 16, 2021
Baccalaureate :1:00-2:00 pm, CT.
Commencement: 3:00-4:00 pm, CT.
Livestream will begin about 10 minutes before each service, with a short slide show of graduates.
More info here: wartburgseminary.edu/event/commencement-2021/. You will be able to access both the video and the bulletin on that page.
You also can join via the Wartburg Seminary Facebook page: facebook.com/wartburgseminary/live. If you “like” the page on Facebook, you will be notified automatically when Wartburg goes live, and you will be able to comment during the service.

We have made the decision to move worship indoors this weekend, Sunday May 9 at 9:30 am. As we’ve worked with our distancing plan in the sanctuary, we have found that we can accommodate 60 people. Please sign up for a spot for worship here: 

Sign up for Indoor Worship, May 9

Please sign-up on the sign-up link here.  A maximum of 50 people can be in the building.

Sign-up for Worship for Sunday, April 25, 2021