Latest Event Updates

Seward United Methodist Virtual Stream

Posted on April 18, 2020 Updated on September 18, 2020

Hello, In-Person Worship Returns!

We are so glad we can update and connect with you virtually via Email, Facebook, YouTube. We continue to gather inside the sanctuary for Sunday ONE Worship at 10:30am but changes are planned starting September 20th. The front/West red doors on 5th Street will be where all Seward United Methodist Church family and friends will enter and exit. The back/East doors are exclusively for Bright Beginnings Child Development Center and Food Net.

Pastor Jo Ellen, Wess, and I had several conversations about options for the Sunday morning schedule. We finally all agreed to a schedule going forward which is based on a couple of guiding principles 1) it is important to have margins of 15 minutes between events on Sunday morning and 2) almost everyone prefers for worship to conclude before lunchtime. Keeping these principles in mind, starting September 20^th, this will be the Seward United Methodist Church Sunday morning schedule:

8:00am *Traditional Worship
9:15am *Confirmation and Adult Sunday School
9:15am **Fellowship Time
10:30am *Praise Worship (child care available in the parlor)
11:30am **Fellowship Time

Both Sunday services will be live streamed online.

* All indoor in-person ministry will be with masks and socially distanced.

** Bring Your Own Chair and Coffee Fellowship outside, socially distanced, weather permitting.

The front doors will open at 7:40am on Sundays starting September 20th to facilitate getting everyone settled for worship at 8:00am. Initially, we will be limited to approximately seventy people in the sanctuary. An outdoor fellowship time will also be staring back September 20th between the 8:00 and 10:30 services as well as after the 10:30 service.

Pastor Jo Ellen and the church staff have prepared additional instructions describing what to expect as in-person worship returns to Seward United Methodist Church. The Great Plains Conference has also provided a check-list document concerning the recommendations for returning to in-person worship services. The Administrative Council has approved a Covid-19 Pandemic Protocol Response Document included on the last page of the June 26th News Stream.

Fall Ministry Plans

We are watching to see how things go with school starting back in person. If Seward County remains in the Yellow Moderate Risk Zone or lower, we will begin to add in ministries with risk mitigation plans. Our goals for this fall is to offer some programming for each age group — children, youth, and adult — while at the same time taking steps to protect the most vulnerable among us. So, we will not be doing every program that we would do in a typical year.

On Sunday September 20th, we plan to return to two worship services, restart Confirmation Class, and the Adult Sunday School Class. On Wednesday evenings starting September 23rd, we hope to restart FOCUS worship and plan to offer a brown bag simple supper at 5:30pm for families to enjoy while “tail-gating” or as an in car picnic during inclement weather. Then at 6:00pm, we will have UMYF and Family Fellowship. Bell Choir practice will be at 7:00pm. Our Godparent groups will resume September 20th for the Junior/Sophomore class and the 23rd for the Senior class. We will restart Thursday morning pastor lead Adult Bible study September 24th at 10:30am in the Fellowship Hall.