Churches, places of worship taking extra steps to stop spread of coronavirus

SEATTLE — Churches and other places of worship are taking extra steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus by revamping their customs.

At First Lutheran Church of Bothell, Sunday service still went on but with some changes.

“We usually have about 110, 120 at our first service at 8:30, and today we had 23. That’s a drastic difference,” said Pastor Tor Berg.

Pastor Berg isn’t surprised. He says two-thirds of his congregation is over 60 years old. And in light of concerns over coronavirus, he urged those in vulnerable groups to stay home. He also instituted a number of changes, including moving the hand sanitizer station so it’s front and center as soon as you walk in.

“We chose not to share Holy Communion this Sunday, and we did not pass the offering plate or the peace to maintain social distancing and keeping people safe,” Berg explained.

Pastor Berg is also using technology to reach his congregation. For the first time, he livestreamed his service on Facebook for those who couldn't make it in person.

Similarly, First Christian Church in Olympia made the move to use single-serve cups for communion and do away with the passing of peace this Sunday.

"We’re encouraging folks to use other non-physical ways to show love and affection for each other. We can look at each other and say, ‘May the peace of Christ be with you,’ and not actually shake hands,” explained office administrator Mary Ybarra.

First Lutheran Church of Bothell has canceled Sunday school, Fellowship Hour, and Wednesday’s Soup Supper during Lent.

While some churches are putting a temporary pause on in-person services right now, Berg said he’s trying to balance health and safety with the needs of his congregation.

“We’re walking that fine line because we do have members through conversations who thought it was really important we do worship and do gather at least a few folks and be the church,” Berg said.

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