The small, mid-week brief communion services are discontinued effective immediately. If you would like to receive communion but are not yet comfortable attending regular worship services, please call one of the pastors or contact the church office.
Biblical Consideration
Any worship service at Trinity must be done in accordance with God’s Word. Worship in the midst of these challenging times requires a few additional considerations. Specifically, the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Commandments must be considered as we undertake any worship activity:
- Third Commandment: Does this activity honor God and facilitate genuine worship?
- Fourth Commandment: Does this activity show proper respect for and obedience to those placed in positions of authority over us, such as the governor, public health officials, the Johnson County Board of Commissioners?
- Fifth Commandment: Is this activity undertaken with a sincere desire to help our neighbor in every bodily need and to look out for our neighbor, loving our neighbor as ourselves? Are we showing proper concern for the health and welfare of others?
In these times, any worship activity must seek to balance the implications of these three commandments. We have designed a Brief Service of Confession and Communion (“Brief Service”) that considers these three commandments in a balanced way.
We encourage anyone who is part of a high risk category NOT to participate in this Brief Service. We will also be respectful of anyone else who chooses not to participate.
Preparation
Signing Up – Please read carefully.
Those desiring to participate must sign up in advance. Please sign up EACH PERSON, including children, who will be attending. Each person is required to sign up individually. We are utilizing Trinity’s scheduling system for signups. This is the system that is normally used to schedule worship volunteers.
On Friday evening following the distribution of the eNews email, you will receive one additional email. This email will be a request labelled “New Serving Opportunities” to sign up to receive communion. If you do not see this email, please check your “spam” or “junk” folder. Simply follow the instructions and choose the session you would like to “Volunteer” or attend. If a session is full, it will not appear. This will enable us to maintain the 10-person limit for gathering (plus the pastor who does not count toward the total allowed of 10). If you are unable to sign up each individual family member after trying electronically you may also call volunteer Marie McDermed, (913) 236-6232, or volunteer Amy Holsapple, (913) 574-7283, to reserve a spot. Each individual must sign up independently, so it is encouraged for couples and families to sign up in a close time frame.
Services will begin on the hour. In order to avoid confusion, the Brief Service will alternate campuses each week. (Note: You don’t need to wait to attend at the campus you usually attend.) Once you sign up, you will receive a reminder either via email or text or both depending upon your set communication preferences. The reminder will come at 7pm the day before your assigned time slot.
Please spend some time examining yourself spiritually before coming. Parents can assist their children who are communing with this.
Please use the bathroom at home before coming. The bathrooms at church will be closed as we cannot sanitize them between Brief Services. (The service is only about 15 minutes long.)
Please wear a mask or bandana.
Please exercise good hand washing hygiene before entering. (We cannot guarantee a continual supply of hand gel will be available.) You may wish to bring your own gel.
Participation
Please maintain social distancing (six feet) at all times, including in the parking lot. Chairs will be set up six feet apart.
Please touch as few surfaces as possible.
As stated above, the Brief Service will last about 15 minutes and consist of invocation, confession and absolution, a brief spiritual thought, and Communion.
The Communion elements will be offered two ways: 1) traditional bread and wine prepared under stringent sanitary guidelines; 2) factory sealed individual bread and wine.
After receiving Communion, please leave immediately. Parking lot conversations are ok as long as social distancing is maintained.
For Your Protection
As mentioned above, all communion elements will be prepared under stringent sanitary guidelines, or you may use the factory sealed individual elements.
All surfaces will be wiped down between Brief Services.
Exterior doors will be propped open so that there is no multiple touching of door handles.
A Final Word
While all of these guidelines are very important, please don’t let them overshadow the wonderful spiritual blessing that God gives us through the gift of Holy Communion. “Lord, may Your body and Your blood, be for my soul the highest good.”
