COVID 19--Deep Caution
Dear Centennial Members and Friends,
On Thursday, Bishop Bruce Ough of the Minnesota Conference of the United Methodist Church announced that the Conference’s Regathering Plan is now in the Red Phase. You can read the Bishop’s letter at: https://www.minnesotaumc.org/newsdetail/bishop-ough-staying-safe-turning-the-dial-to-red-14441931.
The Red Phase means that the Conference is recommending that our church buildings be closed immediately and that staff work from home. The building can be open for small groups to record worship for online viewing. The link to the web site with the details on the Red Phase is: https://www.minnesotaumc.org/regatheringplan.
On Friday, our Centennial Trustees, who represent both campuses, voted unanimously to close the church buildings, moving from Phase 1 of reopening back to “Closed” status, as we were in mid-March. In keeping with the Bishop’s letter and Red Phase recommendations, our staff and volunteers will work from home as much as possible. Online recorded services, needed repairs, deliveries, and other essential activities will continue with definite caution.
The Bishop also recommended that we not gather for Thanksgiving beyond our immediate household, echoing the pleas from the Governor and leaders at the Minnesota Department of Health.
On Friday, our Centennial Trustees who represent both campuses voted unanimously to recommend that members of the congregation not engage in multi-household gatherings over Thanksgiving. I know that Kay and I have cancelled plans to have Thanksgiving dinner with my brother and his family out of an abundance of caution.
The number of virus infections is increasing rapidly in Minnesota and in our three-county area (Ramsey, Hennepin, Anoka counties). Bishop Ough urged Methodists to “redouble” our efforts to keep everyone safe. This is good advice and we are trying to do our part in this effort. Please wear your mask for your own health, and also because it helps reduce the chance of transmitting the virus to others. This is a serious matter of loving our neighbors as ourselves, a definite part of the Great Commandment that Jesus taught us. I know that Pastor Whitney and Pastor Jen would join me in urging this.
Let this be a COVID year where we take extra precautions with Thanksgiving so that we can celebrate in the future with our loved ones.
In Christ,
Pastor Brian
Senior Pastor
Centennial United Methodist Church
Online Worship to continue for 2020: the Church Council has decided out of an abundance of concern for the health of our worshipers that there will be no in-person worship for the remainder of 2020.
With no singing allowed, no hugs or handshakes which are so important to church being church when we are in person, and social distancing which would reduce the size of any worshiping group to fifty or fewer in the Roseville or SAP sanctuary, we believe that we can offer better worship experiences online, and we welcome your continued feedback on what we are presently doing from each campus. Of course, if conditions greatly improve we would look forward to reversing this announcement. We strongly encourage all Centennial members and friends to join a small group or class, as well as worship with us online regularly. Please focus all the more on praying for one another and our world. The building’s doors may be closed, but the church is open to share the love of Jesus wherever God’s people go every day. - Church Council Person Derek Vandenburg
New Plan approved by the Trustees: CLICK HERE
Please note: COMPLETION OF THIS PLAN DOES NOT MEAN THE CHURCH IS OPEN. This is just the first step in many to get us to that point.