In light of the recent update from Governor Walz, which allows churches to hold services at 50% capacity with no maximum number of participants, we would like to share some details about our current plans at Woodland.
At this time, we are not quite ready to offer on-site weekend services. Instead, we will remain focused on reaching all our attendees (both local and throughout the world) through online services, gatherings and classes, and also provide smaller gatherings on-site. Our primary concern is still the continued safety of our church body and the most vulnerable among us. We believe cautiously approaching the high possibility of another infection surge, and giving the vaccine rollout more time, will help reduce the spread of infection. We remain flexible with our timeline for providing on-site services, however. Church leadership groups will continue to be in prayer about the right approach for our congregation, and closely monitor local infection rates and health guidelines to determine our next steps.
We want to thank everyone for your patience as we work through these difficult decisions. We believe we’re nearing the end of this trying period of time, and are very excited to gather in person again! We’ve all waited a long time, and believe that given the risks that still exist for our people, it’s best to wait just a little bit longer.
Don’t wait to long hope for late Spring or summer
Our church has been open without any evidence of infection, having to shut the doors twice , in march and in November, governor waltz orders. I am sad that people in China will literally die to congregate and America is scared of a virus. This being said by someone who lost there mother to covid on Dec 23. She didn’t go to church, I wish she would have. Open the church, God needs you Greg .. Kevin..Shawna. The world needs you now more than ever, and online..zoom ..does not help. A loving member and the desperate bride of Christ, we need you and each other.
Some churches though have had outbreaks of COVID and had to shut down, there are smaller churches still safely open. The African mutant Covid is much more contagious the current vaccines are not as effective so they say and if the virus keeps mutating the worst case is a whole new vaccine will need to be made and I hope it doesn’t take a year so Woodland Hills should open for a season at least and masks should be required at WHC the churches that are not wearing masks
( namely protestant ) are the ones that are spreading the virus more is my opinion and prolonging the pandemic the more the virus can spread the more variants of the virus that keep developing. It is very sad when people die and they could have safely gone to church without ever getting the virus.
Thank you for your leadership and for being a shining light. I am so overwhelmed by the hostility and rejection of science all over, but especially among Christians. Thank you for showing what loving your neighbor looks like again and again. This church is constantly a breath of fresh air when I feel like I’m suffocating.