Responding to COVID-19

Pilgrim and Friends, 

Pilgrim’s leadership team has had intentional conversation over the past week imagining how to create the safest space possible for our community and to do our part to “flatten the curve.” As events unfold, our protocol will need to be responsive and adaptive as we receive new information and/or caution from state and federal leaders. We are updating this blog post so it can be the space to explain details in our evolving protocols.

For services starting on Sunday, March 15, and until otherwise noted, we have prayerfully made the decision that Sunday worship will be live- streamed at 10:30am via Zoom instead of in person. 

This decision aligns with many other churches in our area and around the nation in an effort to do our part in slowing the spread of infection. We will reassess this decision weekly as a leadership team in the hopes of returning to communal worship as soon as safely possible. 

For those unfamiliar with Zoom, access is by video and/or phone. We will send all zoom links for the week in our newsletter and will also have the needed links for worship posted on our homepage for any and all to participate. The zoom links can for the week can also be found in the calendar section of our website.

For those participating by phone you can dial + +1 646 876 9923 US and type in the webinar ID of: 315 646 807. Our webinar capacity on zoom is 100 computers so if we are ever over that amount you can still access the live worship service via our youtube channel which is linked in the worship section our website. It is worth noting that there are chat functions both within zoom and within youtube but that one group cannot see the other groups chat. After worship concludes, we will upload a video of the service on our youtube channel as well.

If you are having issues joining the streaming service and the information above is not enough to fix it, please e-mail us at puccdurham@gmail.com. We want for you to have access and would love to help you troubleshoot!

We will use our FB page to direct people to our website for access. We will have posters on Pilgrim’s doors for our visitors and guests guiding them to our online worship. 

• Please send announcements that were intended to be shared verbally in worship to puccdurham@gmail.com so they can be shared in worship. 

• Please send prayer requests to Pastor Lindy, revwood@gmail.com, or via message in zoom or youtube when we are streaming so they can be shared during prayers of the people. 

• We encourage all Pilgrims to participate in our online giving ministry here during this season to continue to support Pilgrim’s ministries in action. 

• Please specifically remember Penny Sunday, Crop Walk, and One Great Hour of Sharing as part of your online giving. 

• We now hold interactive Children’s Time once per week via zoom. We will also post the current homeschool-style Sunday school lesson on the homepage and will also send it via e-mail. Zoom links and previous lessons will be posted in the kids & youth section of the website. 

• We have adapted some of our programs to be done virtually so that participants can take part online or by phone, such as Pub Theology and Evening Prayer. Go to our calendar or the build community section of the website for those times and zoom links.

Here are additional steps Pilgrim has taken to ensure our continued health and safety: 

• We have officially closed our campus to further “flatten the curve” by not having our ministries or partner organizations present in person for the foreseeable future.

• Pilgrim board/council meetings will be held via zoom. 

• We are in conversation about how best to adapt and support our Bilingual tutoring ministry during this season. 

• We have augmented and updated our regular cleaning protocol. We have guidelines in each room for Pilgrim members and guests to follow in the future when we re-open our space. 

• Well of Mercy has graciously allowed Pilgrim to postpone our women’s retreat until August, so that we stay consistent with our guidance. 

Pilgrim and friends, please know that these decisions were prayerfully made with love and care for our entire community, grounded in Pilgrim’s natural inclination to actively be part of the solution to move Pilgrim, Durham, our country and world through this COVID-19 pandemic. 

We will update you as we adapt our schedule and protocols. 

Love and Prayers,

Pilgrim UCC