Your Ward... back to normal after Covid?

[NeedleinA]

Curious to see where your ward is as far as Covid, rather the return to normal after Covid. 

Our Stake back to normal:
No masks required.
No social distancing
No masks or gloves for those passing sacrament trays
No cleaning of facilities, covid related
Yes, ward activities
Yes, singing hymns again

Our Stake not back to normal:
No drinking fountains
Food activities served by a select few
Yes, gloves for Priest breaking bread

How about your stake?

 

Edited July 1, 2021 by NeedleinA

[Carborendum]

Our ward was back to normal a few months ago.  The only exception was that the Sacrament was served by gloved and masked Aaronic Priesthood.  And a bit about the cups.

Just this last week, they stopped wearing gloves.  But they've always been encouraged to sanitize their hands -- even before COVID.  And they probably always will be.

[Vort]

I believe that, starting next week, we go maskless. I think we're still trading off RS and Priesthood at the meetinghouse. I expect the deacons will continue with the overt, conspicuous hand-sanitizing before passing the sacrament. Whatever. Web-casted meetings will be phased out soon, I believe.

[Just_A_Guy]

For about a month we’ve been “back to normal” except that every other pew is closed off and we still don’t have hymnbooks.  Authorization for at-home sacrament ended 2 weeks ago; sacrament meeting is still being broadcast but I don’t know for how much longer.  Gospel Doctrine was the only class that attempted a live broadcast from the church; we’ve only had one participant that whole time (who is now coming in-person) and I’m pretty sure we are done with class broadcasts.

[NeedleinA]

Curious @Carborendum @Vort @Just_A_Guy, anyone in your ward not coming back to Church because things going back to normal? Meaning holdouts that are still worried about Coivd?

[Just_A_Guy]

11 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

Curious @Carborendum @Vort @Just_A_Guy, anyone in your ward not coming back to Church because things going back to normal? Meaning holdouts that are still worried about Coivd?

As of a month ago our bishop was saying in ward council that such families existed; but I can’t think of anyone who’s been missing.  (I literally slept through last week’s ward council—darn those 1 PM council meetings when we’re home from church by 11!—so I don’t know if it’s still an issue at this point.)

[Jane_Doe]

42 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

Curious @Carborendum @Vort @Just_A_Guy, anyone in your ward not coming back to Church because things going back to normal? Meaning holdouts that are still worried about Coivd?

My ward has such.  It’s been a really contentious subject with some wanting everything back a year ago and some just not ready. There’s also conflict/inconsistency between the stake and wards on the subject. 

 status in my ward: ward leadership wants everything back to normal. Currently the only rements are the sacrament served at the end of sacrament meeting, with separate give trays and collect trash bags.  They’re threatening ending the broadcast and ending even the last special cases to stay home. 

Honestly... it makes me uncomfortable and like I’m always a step behind what I’m ready for and being rushed forward.  

[Vort]

5 hours ago, NeedleinA said:

Curious @Carborendum @Vort @Just_A_Guy, anyone in your ward not coming back to Church because things going back to normal? Meaning holdouts that are still worried about Coivd?

Yes, or so I've heard.

[Carborendum]

9 hours ago, NeedleinA said:

Curious @Carborendum @Vort @Just_A_Guy, anyone in your ward not coming back to Church because things going back to normal? Meaning holdouts that are still worried about Coivd?

None.

[Backroads]

Our ward boundaries changed in the middle of it all and we wound up in the new ward made from leftovers. We are technically back to normal, still offer a streamed option, but also running around like we don't know which way is up.

[Ironhold]

My branch ->

Masks are optional if you've been vaccinated, but no one is asking questions

Still using Covid precautions with sacrament, including putting the pieces of bread in their own separate cups and giving the trays a chlorine bath between congregations meeting in the building

People are still being asked to leave a row between family groups

Singing hymns is allowed, but still no hymnals

[NeedleinA]

15 minutes ago, Ironhold said:

Masks are optional if you've been vaccinated,

Unvaccinated member of the Copperas Cove branch 😉

[NeuroTypical]

Free red libertarianism runs strong in my ward.  Two or three of us never wore masks to start with.  We started broadcasting early, and show no sign of stopping.  Our peak online was around 30 logins, maybe 60 total folks.  Recent weeks and that has dropped to a dozen or so - often we see online visitors as people invite remote family and friends to see this or that person speak.

About a week before the CDC/President's big "fully vaccinated people CAN STOP wearing masks" deal hit, I saw my bishop had removed his mask in sacrament meeting.  I took mine off a minute later.  Within a couple of weeks, the bishop announced stake policy (vax folks can stop, unvaxxed folks are encouraged to wear masks, we are not going to ask anyone or make anyone prove anything, don't be stupid people, be respectful of individual choices.)   Now perhaps maybe 2-5% of folks at church are wearing masks.  (That's true of Colorado Springs in general, I'd say.)

In my own family, youngest daughter was the longest holdout.  2020 did a number on her in some ways, and she was being a good citizen by wearing a mask, resigned to living with us heathens.  But she eventually stopped too, after realizing she was literally the only person at the Home Depot wearing one.  

Now, back at work, I've turned one cube wall into a trophy display case:

[Ironhold]

6 minutes ago, NeedleinA said:

Unvaccinated member of the Copperas Cove branch 😉

The building here in Cove has four congregations:

Cove I Ward

Cove II Ward

Killeen 4th Ward

Clear Creek YSA Branch

Even though I've aged out of the YSA branch, they're so short-handed some weeks they don't even have the people to do the sacrament if I'm not there. 

[Traveler]

Having lived outside of Utah and currently here in Utah - I am not sure what normal is in order to come back to??????  I was once asked by a non-member friend that I brought to church; if khaki pants, white shirt and tie was the standard uniform for deacons.

 

The Traveler

[LDSGator]

1 hour ago, Traveler said:

am not sure what normal is in order to come back

I’m not sure either, but I think bishops are in a very tough place. They want to go back to pre-Covid times, but they also want to keep their flock safe. That is, of course, deeply admirable, so I’m not speaking ill of them-I feel a little sorry for them, actually. 

[Grunt]

21 hours ago, NeedleinA said:

Curious to see where your ward is as far as Covid, rather the return to normal after Covid. 

Our Stake back to normal:
No masks required.
No social distancing
No masks or gloves for those passing sacrament trays
No cleaning of facilities, covid related
Yes, ward activities
Yes, singing hymns again

Our Stake not back to normal:
No drinking fountains
Food activities served by a select few
Yes, gloves for Priest breaking bread

How about your stake?

 

We're pretty much back to normal.  Missionaries still can't come to dinner, but that's about it.

[Manners Matter]

Pretty much normal but off the top of my head - 

cameras are still around, no paper bulletins, no missionaries for in-person meals

[Grunt]

12 hours ago, Manners Matter said:

Pretty much normal but off the top of my head - 

cameras are still around, no paper bulletins, no missionaries for in-person meals

We just changed the requirements for our missionaries.   We can have in-person meals now IF there is a non-member present.   Ward leadership can authorize meals with less-active members or other members they feel would benefit.