Welcome to our Covid-19 FAQ Page. Click the button below to read the New Spirit, which is a collection of articles by our church staff and leadership to give insight on how many of our areas of ministry are currently responding in the midst of this unprecedented time.

Christ UMC Current Announcements

With news of school kids returning to classrooms, there is a lot of reason to hope that normal times are on the horizon.

 

Unfortunately, there is not a direct correlation between how school districts are making decisions about children and teachers returning to classrooms and how a church can operate safely.

 

The Leadership Board would like you to know that we are continuously monitoring what is going on with local COVID-19 vaccination rates, positive test rates, and infection levels.

 

As we have throughout the pandemic, we will continue to follow the guidance provided by the Minnesota Annual Conference and their phased re-gathering plan for churches.

 

The current phase is Orange, where churches are encouraged to continue online worship and/or drive-up worship services. Details on the various phases are available here: https://www.minnesotaumc.org/regatheringplan.

 

• -The CUMC Leadership Board

January 12, 2021

The Minnesota Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is providing this phased re-gathering plan to guide churches during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bishop Ough issued a pastoral letter introducing the plan, which takes into account the phased plan released by the Office of Gov. Tim Walz. The recommendations provided are driven by our Three Simple Rules:

• We are a people that do no harm. We practice physical distancing to minimize harm to others, especially the vulnerable.

• We are a people that do all the good we can. We care for the spiritual and physical needs of our neighbors, providing food, emotional support, and supporting our health care system.

• We are a people that stay in love with God. When we love God through prayer, praise, and worship, we grow in love of our neighbor. Love of God and love of neighbor are inseparable.

Our United Methodist faith communities can and must be first responders in caring for the spiritual, physical and mental health of all of God’s people all across Minnesota by actualizing these Three Simple Rules. We have come to understand, like never before, that the church is not a building. It is the expression of God’s love made visible through the actions of devoted followers of Jesus. We offer this plan as a framework to help church leaders make healthy and pastoral decisions, not as a fixed set of guidelines that will account for every circumstance. Although each church will need to make some decisions specific to its context and discernment, it is our expectation that every congregation will operate within each designated phase at any given time. 

We are currently in the ORANGE Phase. Click on any of the headings below to learn more about the plan and how it was developed, and to obtain specific guidelines for each phase.

November 25, 2020

Funeral Policy – Covid Red Phase

Christ UMC, Rochester

Christ UMC seeks to follow the safe gathering guidelines set by Bishop Bruce Ough and Governor Tim Walz.  

Christ UMC seeks to mark life passages in ways that honor and bless.  Our clergy are committed to conducting services of worship for church members.  Our clergy seek to minister to the spiritual and life needs of all members.

To that end, we request that funerals with twenty or more persons present be held at Christ UMC.

Christ UMC has safety protocols in place to safely accommodate up to seventy-five persons in worship.  Our space is large and our attention to safety is detailed.

We ask that members who desire a funeral for their loved ones contact Christ UMC at 507-289-4019.  We will work with you to ascertain the best venue for the funeral and insure that you have a pastor to officiate at the funeral of your loved one.

Gatherings can be live-streamed or Zoomed in order for persons unable to be safely present to attend.

We are here to serve you in this challenging time.

Blessings be yours.

Rev. Elizabeth Macaulay

Lead Pastor

October 27, 2020

Here we are.  Again.

Our Resident Bishop recently let Minnesota Annual Conference churches know that we are newly entered into the “Orange” phase.  With COVID-19 infection numbers climbing, Christ UMC will be enhancing our safety measures.

In order to keep our staff and members safe, we will limit access to our building.  Phones will be answered by a real live person from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM.  Before and after those hours our system alerts the pastor on call to any messages that are left.

We are here for you.

In order to keep our staff and members safe, we ask that you make an appointment if you need to enter the building.  This protects you and it protects our staff.  Please adhere to this.  It’s really hard to turn you away, because we really like you.  If you drop by without an appointment you can be sure that others do the same and then, well, the safety of our staff is compromised.

If you need a book or a resource, we will mail it to you or have a volunteer drop it off at your home. 

We are here for you.

We will continue to offer worship and prayer services and emails and Facebook posts and Good Things and Zoom coffee hour and all of the other ways we have tried to stay connected.

We want with all of our hearts to be here for you.

While we cannot be in physical proximity, we believe that the Spirit of God is binding us, heart to heart.

Let us be here for you; safely.

And please, take very good care of yourselves.  You are precious.

Pastor Elizabeth

September 9, 2020

Dear Christ United Methodist Church Members and Friends,

It has been painful to not gather as a congregation these past several months. We all miss worshiping together in the sanctuary as a congregation.

Schools, businesses, and gathering places are sharing their fall plans for adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic. Like Christ United Methodist Church (CUMC), most places have been closed or accessible to a limited group of people since spring. The Leadership Board for Christ CUMC is sharing this letter to provide an update on where we are with returning to worship in our sanctuary and our plan for the use of our building.

The Christ United Methodist Leadership Team meets regularly to review the latest guidelines related to the pandemic and opening our church. We review information from federal, state and local health departments, as well as the Minnesota Conference of the United Methodist Church. We are discussing what is best for our church as guidelines are updated.

At this time, we will not be resuming regular in-person worship services in our sanctuary, ECC or chapel. Based on what we know about how the virus spreads, gathering in church, even with distancing measures and attendance limits in place, the risk is currently too great.

Local infection rates are still too high, so we are focusing on the health and safety of all members of the congregation. Our staff continues to mostly work from home and when in the church, are following mask and social distancing guidelines. The Leadership Board will continue to meet virtually to review the latest guidelines.

As we move forward dealing with the pandemic, we have learned new ways to connect as a church. Parking lot worship has been a blessing (when the weather cooperates). Our video worship is offered every Sunday and prayer services are offered nightly at 8:00 PM. We are also occasionally opening the sanctuary for quiet reflection and prayer. And CUMC is here to provide for life transition events such as funerals and baptisms, in ways that are safe for all.

We don’t know when we will arrive at the point where we can feel confident that regular use of the sanctuary may resume. Until that time, we thank you for your continued support for Christ United Methodist Church, which is more than just a building.

CUMC has been Grace in the City of Rochester for more than 160 years.

We close this letter with the three simple Wesleyan rules that have brought us to this place:

• One, we as United Methodists, are a people who seek to do no harm.

• Two, we are a people who seek to do all the good we can.

• Three, we are a people who seek to stay in love with God.

Sincerely,

Christ United Methodist Church Leadership Board

Dick Estry

Dan Zimmer

Bobbi Nichols

Deb Gross

Joel Ott

Seth Nfonoyim-Hara

Karla Wysocki

Dave Lucas

Diane Ilstrup

Angie White

Chris Mueller

Rev. Elizabeth Macaulay

Fall 2020 FAQ

I don’t use Facebook. How do I access worship?

You don’t need a Facebook account to watch on Facebook! Go to our Facebook page www.facebook.com/cumethodist and you will see the video!

We have many options for worship:

•           9am Online Worship: www.facebook.com/cumethodist  or YouTube

•           9am via Phone: Call (507) 215-8816

•           11:30am Radio Worship: KOLM 1520 AM

•           10am Parking Lot Worship (or bring your lawn chair), weather permitting

•           8pm every night of the week our pastors share a time of prayer and meditation on Facebook

What are my options for giving?

It’s important to remember that the church is still in ministry and your offerings are a powerful way to reach hope and healing to others.

Give electronically by visiting https://tinyurl.com/GiveChristUMC  to make a one-time offering or mail in your offering.

If you would like to create a reoccurring gift, please request a secure church account by visiting (our database is useful for all our members!) or contact Jenny at jenny@cumethodist.com

How do I find the latest updates and what is going on at CUMC?

We love keeping our church family informed!

Our mail options include: weekly sermon and event announcement letter and our monthly newsletter The New Spirit.

Our online options for updates include: our website www.cumethodist.com (check out our brand new look!), Facebook, and YouTube.

As always, you can call the office if you need anything or want to know the latest. Dial (507) 289-4019 to reach us!

How can I submit prayer requests?

Send your prayer requests to email@cumethodist.com, call and leave a message, or fill out our online prayer request form located on our website.

If you have a pastoral emergency, call (507) 289-4019 and press 2 for the pastor on call. They will get notified immediately after you leave a message.

How is Thrive doing?

Enrollment has surpassed pre-COVID numbers! Staff and children are thriving! Watch the New Spirit Newsletter every month for a Thrive Childcare update and photos.

If I have a question about anything, who can I contact?

By any method you prefer, we are here to serve you. Email a staff member (firstname@cumethodist.com), call us (507) 289-4019, or write us!

Our staff are here to help with anything from:

•           Getting you a book/materials for a class

•           Answering your technology questions

•           Finding a fun group to join

•           Passing on your prayer requests

And more!

March 12, 2020 

Dear Kin in Christ,

The Leadership Board and the staff of Christ UMC have determined that we will not offer in-person worship beginning this Sunday, March 15th and until further notice.

We are blessed to be in a community of healers. The best practice for this time is to minimize social engagement. By embracing the practice of social distancing, we are witnessing to our faith. Our desire is to love God with all of our hearts and minds and to love our neighbor as ourselves. By cancelling all gatherings of more than ten people, we are helping to guard the health of our community.

 We can still connect with each other!

 We will offer these online worship and fellowship opportunities:

 At 9:00 AM we will livestream our sanctuary worship. You’ll hear the organ, pray with us and hear scripture and a sermon. You can access worship through Facebook (CLICK HERE – http://www.facebook.com/cumethodist).

At 11:00 AM, we will livestream our Arise! Worship service. You’ll hear the band, pray with us and hear scripture and a sermon. 

Both the 9:00 and 11:00 services are also available through our Youtube channel (CLICK HERE – https://www.youtube.com/christunitedmethodistchurchrochestermn)

Daily we will continue to send out the Lenten Devotional.

We will also begin a daily video prayer and connecting chat with one of our pastors at 8pm This will begin Tuesday, March 17th. 

We will continue the above practices until health officials determine that the risk of sharing the virus is no longer a concern. We will let you know when our ability to worship together in body and soul can resume. 

We want to stay connected with you. PLEASE call the church should you fall ill or need pastoral care. The office will be open regular hours and we are all here to serve you in this and all times.

This is a challenging time for all of us. The challenge is amplified by the reality that one of the anchors of our lives is our ability to gather on Sunday to worship God. I pray that we each develop practices to remind us that God is in this with us. We are a people who are held and sustained by the Holy Spirit.

We pray for swift resolution and for the healers and caregivers in our midst.

In the powerful name of Jesus,

Pastor Elizabeth

Pastor Nancy

Leadership Team of Christ UMC

Click below to view the Center for Disease Control’s web page on the Coronavirus, and their FAQ and safety information.