Covid Update 2-16-2022

On 2-10-22, the Governor of NYS lifted the mandatory mask policy. 

To align with this new state policy, our pastor and session leadership has decided that mask wearing will be optional at all times in our church building, including all church services or other church led or organized events.

Masks may be worn at any time in the building or at the services for those who choose to do so, but this is not mandatory.

Please note that outside groups and/or organizations that meet or otherwise gather in our building may have different policies. 

Please consult their policy when participating in any meeting or gathering of an outside group. 

Covid Update 12-17-2021

Per the Governor’s mandate, Session has determined that we will require the wearing of masks in the building, 

including during worship services. 

We are all very frustrated by this new development.  

Yet, in it, is the opportunity to bear with one another, and love our neighbor as ourselves. 

We anticipate this mandate will be in effect through January 29th, 2022.  

We will communicate early that week with an update to our COVID policy

Update 08-04-2021

Dear Church Family,

The Delta Variant of COVID appears to be a risk chiefly to those who are not vaccinated.

Let us follow our Lord’s command to love our neighbors as ourselves (Mark 12:31), and the Apostle’s encouragement to bear with one another in love (Ephesians 4:12), exercising sober judgment (Romans 12:3).

In light of the most recent communication from New York State, the Mattituck Presbyterian Church Session has updated our policy as follows (the new items are in italics):

• No masks are required anywhere in the building.
• We encourage those who are not vaccinated, to wear a mask.
• Anyone who is experiencing any COVID-related symptoms is asked not to come to the church building for any reason until they have been tested.
• We will provide livestreaming of the Sunday 9:00am and 11:00am services on Facebook.
• No mandatory social distancing.
  
• The last 3 rows of pews in the Sanctuary are reserved for those who mask and socially distance – to our Brothers and Sisters in these rows, please extend a wave, a smile, and a Hello!, but no handshakes or hugs.
• We will continue to maintain hand sanitizer stations for those who wish to use them.

The Session of Mattituck Presbyterian Church

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

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Update 06-17-2021

Dear Church Family,

           In accordance with Governor Cuomo’s recent revision to the Covid-19 requirements, the Session has adopted the following guildelines, effective this Sunday, June 20th:

• No masks are required anywhere in the building.
• No mandatory social distancing.  For those that still wish to social distance, the last 3 rows in the sanctuary will be roped off for their use.  Please respect the wishes of those seated in the last 3 rows and observe social distancing in that area.
• Hand sanitizer stations will continue to be used and filled for those wishing to use them.

        As we welcome a new pastor, we will be returning to the active, vibrant community that we have always been.  

Blessings,

The Session of MPC

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Update 05-30-2021

Dear Church Family,

            As things continue to change regarding COVID, the Session is continually monitoring the situation and making the appropriate changes to return to some sense of normalcy. 

           At its meeting on May 20, 2021, the Session has made the following adjustments to our COVID policy:

•  Beginning May 30, 2021, you will find that the hymnals, pew Bibles and pew cards have been returned to the pews.

• Beginning May 30, 2021, the Deacons will be collecting the offering.  However, the plates will not be passed down the pews.  The Deacons will walk in front of you with the plate and you can drop your offering into it.
• We will also be serving Lemonade on the Lawn between services so that we may have a chance for fellowship.
• The sign in sheets will no longer be required to be filled out.  However, pew pads will not be in the pews at this time.

             We will still be observing social distancing and masks must be worn when moving around the building but can be removed when you are seated.

            We thank you for your patience, cooperation and understanding as we return to being fully open.

Sincerely,

The Session of Mattituck Presbyterian Church

Update 04-26-2021

Update 02-10-2021

We are pleased to announce the resumption of our in person worship services beginning February 14, 2021.  We will have service at 9:00 am and 11:00 am.  This Sunday, we will welcome the Rev. Ralph Wright to the pulpit.  We will also celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

As we return to in person services, please make note of the following:

Services will be at 9:00 am (Family Service) and 11:00 am (Sacred Music).  As we are indoors with a larger group of people, masks must be worn at all times while in the building.  A limited number of masks will be available, should you forget yours.  Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance doors. 

Important New Process:  Upon entering the narthex, you will be asked to fill in a contact tracing log.  These logs will be stored securely in the office.  They are necessary in order to allow us to contact you, should someone attend church that is positive for the COVID virus.  Please use a new pencil (or your own) and place the used pencil in the container marked used or take it with you.

During the song service, please sing softly to yourself.

When we take Communion, the elements will be offered in sealed packets, which can be picked up as you enter the church through the Narthex.

You will also notice that some pews have been marked off.  Please respect this as it helps with social distancing.  While in the sanctuary, please sit in family groups, with 6 feet between the family groups.

In order to keep everyone safe, all commonly handled surfaces, such as doorknobs and pew back rails will be disinfected between services and meetings.  

Finally, we are asking that everyone take some responsibility for everyone’s safety. 

      If you are not feeling well, please stay home.

      If you or a family member come into contact with an infected person, please            report the contact and quarantine.

      If you have travelled recently, self-quarantine.

We look forward to seeing everyone very soon.

I pray blessings and safety to you all. 

Pat

Update 2-7-2021

In person services at MPC will startup again, beginning next Sunday, 2/14. 

We will be practicing social distancing and mask wearing as we previously did and our plan is to

institute a new procedure for each Sunday morning. 

Lists will be available at each servce in the Narthex for anyone to write their name and phone number

so we can conduct contact tracing in the event of a confirmed positive covid case.

We will be hosting our regular 9am (contemporary worship) and 11am (traditional worship) services and

on 2/14, we will be celebrating Communion together with the Reverend Ralph Wright officiating. 

We hope you can join us at one of our services starting 2/14. God bless!

Update: 1-16-2021

Due to the very rapid increases in covid cases in our area, the MPC church leadership made a decision to move to virtual services only. In person services are suspended for a few weeks starting 1/17/21.

This is not something that we wanted to do as we as a leadership team have felt a renewed sense of God's presence at our services of late. We believe the Lord is moving in our midst and preparing us for vital ministry to our community in the year ahead. We all want to be worshipping together as God's people!

That being said, this is a dangerous time. Cases of Covid have spiked to levels not seen before and we need to have a proper response. We believe going to Virtual Services only will be necessary for at least a few weeks. After that, will will look at the infection rates and make a decision on when to reopen for in person services.

Due to the increased infections in our area, we will do two things in addition to the current procedures that we have in place. We will have the sanctuary and narthex fully cleaned and sanitized and when we reopen for in person services, we will have a process in place for people to record their name and phone number. If we become aware of a person in the service who may have been covid positive, we will then call everyone who recorded their name.

Please join us, starting tomorrow, for MPC Virtual Church, either at our church youtube channel or on our website at www.mattpres.com.

I pray blessings and safety to you all.

Pat

UPDATE:  09/23/2020

Dear Church Family:

          We are happy to announce that we will be returning to worship in the sanctuary and the building being reopened for use.  The building will open for use on October 1, 2020 and we will begin worship services in the Sanctuary on October 4, 2020.

          As you can imagine, there will be a number of changes going forward.  We want to take the time to detail those changes now, before we get back in the building.  The safety and health of everyone who enters our building is in the forefront of our minds.  To that end, The Reopening Task Force has worked hard to put the following plans in place.

          On October 4, we will resume worship in the sanctuary. 

         Services will be at 9:00 am (Family Service) and 11:00 am (Sacred Music).

          As we are now indoors with a larger group of people, masks must be worn at all times while in the building.  A limited           number of masks will be available, should you forget yours.  Hand sanitizer will be available at the entrance doors.

          When we take Communion, the elements will be offered in sealed packets, which can be picked up as you

          enter the  church through the Narthex.

          You will also notice that some pews have been marked off.  Please respect this as it helps with social distancing.

          While in the sanctuary, please sit in family groups, with 6 feet between the family groups.

          The first thing you will notice is that there is nothing in the pew racks.  For the foreseeable future, we will not be using

          hymnals in our worship service.  Lyrics to the Worship Songs and Hymns will be on the large screen in front and in

          your bulletins.  Please sing along with the music softly, so as to not cause infectious droplets to spread.

          When you exit the building, please use the nearest exit.  If it is congested, please wait or use a different one.  Please

         do not congregate in the aisles.  We can all socialize outside on the lawn after service.

         On October 1, we will resume many of our activities in the building, such as meetings, Home Groups and rehearsals.

         Please use the entrance designated by your Group leader, as that may be the only entrance open.

         If you are in the building for a meeting, respect the set-up of the room.  We have determined the maximum amount of

         people that can be in a room safely.  Please wear your mask at all times while in the building.

         Please respect the signs that have closed off parts of our building.  These areas are cleaned and disinfected for future

         use.

         During the week the building will remain locked in order to protect our hard-working staff.  If you need to access the

         building, please use the red doors and ring the doorbell.  You will be admitted.  Don’t forget your mask.

          In order to keep everyone safe, all commonly handled surfaces, such as doorknobs and pew back rails will be disinfected between services and meetings.  To further keep our building safe, the doors have been rekeyed.  This is being done in an effort to keep us all safe.  New keys have been issued to those who have an immediate need of them at this time.

         Finally, we are asking that everyone take some responsibility for everyone’s safety. 

• If you are not feeling well, please stay home.
• If you or a family member come into contact with an infected person, please report the contact and quarantine.
• If you have traveled recently, self-quarantine.

         We look forward to seeing everyone very soon.

The Reopening Task Force,

Rick Marino, Bob Mueller, Randy Staudinger, Ruthanne Woodhull, Pastor Robert Zemke

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UPDATE: 07/12/2020

Dear Church Family,

The Reopening Task Force and the Session have decided that church services will be on the front lawn of the church throughout the summer at 9am and 10:30am and the church building will remain closed for that period. We have erected a tent on the lawn to provide shade and protection from the rain so services will be rain or shine. 

We will look to re-open the church building and move services inside after Labor Day.

While we meet as a church outdoors, please keep the following in mind: 

• Please plan to observe social distancing and wear a mask as you attend the service
• Entrance through the front of the building is not allowed. The downstairs bathrooms near the thrift shop can be accesses via the outside stairs on the side of the building. 
• Please bring a lawn chair and/or bug spay
• Printed bulletins are available
• Parking in the church driveway is available and will be closed off when the service starts.

Grace and Peace,

The Session                                                        Reopening Task Force

Mark Desantis                                                      Bob Mueller

Robin Doroski                                                      John Rose

Ed Harbes                                                            Randy Staudinger

Bob Harrington                                                     Ruthanne Woodhull (Clerk) 

Prudence Heston                                                  Robert Zemke (Pastor) 

Rick Marino

Sheila Minor

John Rose

Ruthanne Woodhull (Clerk of Session)

Robert Zemke (Pastor)

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UPDATE:  06/12/2020

Dear Church Family,

The Reopening Task Force and the Session are excited to announce that we have decided to have our first service outdoors in front of the church (weather permitting) on June 28th. We will have two services, at 9 am and 10:30 am. We will then have our first service inside the church on July 12th. There will be more details about the outdoor service in the next week or so. We look forward to finally seeing one another on a Sunday and worshipping together.

Grace and Peace,

The Session                                                               Reopening Task Force

Mark Desantis                                                            Bob Mueller

Robin Doroski                                                            John Rose

Ed Harbes                                                                  Randy Staudinger

Bob Harrington                                                          Ruthanne Woodhull (Clerk)

Prudence Heston                                                       Robert Zemke (Pastor)

Rick Marino

Sheila Minor

John Rose

Ruthanne Woodhull (Clerk of Session)

Robert Zemke (Pastor)

UPDATE:  06/05/2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It has been a tumultuous three months.  We all look forward to being together soon and worshipping with one another.  We wanted to give an update on our reopening plans.

The Hanly Home Group will be meeting outside their home this coming week.  For right now the church is asking all groups that meet to have 10 or fewer participants, keep 6 feet apart, and to attend a meeting with a mask to put on if needed and or agreed upon.   

The Session has decided along with the Reopening Task Force to have our first meeting inside our church when we begin Phase 4.  We will worship together outside sometime in Phase 3.   

We will keep you posted as there will be changes as we get closer to worshipping with one another.  

Blessings and Peace,

The Session and Reopening Task Force

Due to the States of Emergency issued by Southold Town and Suffolk County, we are closing the Church building as of Friday, 3-13-2020, until further notice. This includes Sunday Worship Services, all meetings, rehearsals, Bible Studies, the Thrift Shop, Food Pantry and John’s Place. 

The Coffee Fellowships scheduled for March 22 and March 29 are postponed and will be rescheduled in late May or early June. We are not making any changes to our Easter schedule at this time, in the hope that the

State of Emergency will be lifted by that time.

There will be no activities in the Church building until the State of Emergency is lifted. We make this decision not out of fear or alarm, but out of desire to honor God by loving our neighbors well, particularly the most vulnerable both in our congregation and in our community. We will be monitoring this situation very closely. 

Please look for updates concerning Sunday Services and the state of the

Church building every Friday.

While the Church building is closed, the Church office staff

will be working on a limited basis. 

If you need to communicate a need, please use the following emails:

Dorothy Catapano, Office Administrator – dorothy@mattpres.com

Pastor Robert Zemke – robert@mattpres.com

Pat Hanly, Pastoral Associate – pat@mattpres.com

To support our congregation, we are establishing an MPC hotline for anyone who has an immediate pastoral or practical need. During regular church office hours, please call the office at 631-298-4145. If it is after hours, please call

Pat Hanly at 631-312-0824 or Pastor Robert at 917-690-1762. 

We are assembling a team of people that will be available to assist

our congregants with any emergencies or special needs.

We will be providing a Sunday Morning Church Service via video, as well as sermons and other teachings over Zoom during the week to our website while the Church building is closed. So please check the link in the header entitled "Sunday Worship, <date>, this Sunday at 10 am for our video church service. 

We encourage you to watch or listen during this trying time. 

We are also exploring other avenues to encourage you.

While the Church building is closed, it will be cleaned and sanitized.

We join you in praying for our Brothers and Sisters in Christ, our church and community

as we navigate this crisis. We know that we have nothing to fear, as God is with us.

Blessings,

Robert