Reopening Plans: Letter from the Rector

Dear Friends,

This Sunday is our annual Founders Day celebration, when we acknowledge the people whose faith compelled them to start our beloved parish church. In the spirit of Founders Day, the 5pm Evensong this Sunday will be our first opportunity to worship together in person since March. Evensongs are scheduled for every Sunday at 5pm through November 1. This liturgy of music (no congregational singing), Biblical readings, and prayer will look quite different from Evensongs before the pandemic. Our COVID task force, composed of medical professionals and other lay leaders, has created meticulous plans to insure this service will be as safe as possible. We follow all guidelines set forth by the CDC, New York State and City, and the Diocese of Long Island. 

But safety will also require your cooperation. Please read the guidelines for attending Evensong below and be prepared to follow them when you arrive. Above all, please do not attend Evensong if you have any symptoms of illness. Contact the church office by email or phone if you have any questions at all. 

Attending church in person will be a big step emotionally and spiritually for many of us, and many in our community are not yet ready to congregate in any form. Follow your gut! If the idea of being in church makes you uncomfortable, why not wait until you are able to enjoy the experience? You are always welcome to worship at home by watching the live stream at 5pm on the All Saints' Park Slope Facebook page. 

As our period of physical separation extends beyond half a year, the burden is heartbreaking and excessive. Personally, I dream of the day when we can praise God together in person with one voice. Until that day comes, we will continue to care for one another by staying safe and lifting one another up across physical distance. 

In Christ,

The Rev. Steven D. Paulikas

September 2020
Guidelines for In-Person Worship at All Saints' Church
          1.  Guidance on Who Should Attend

The best way for our congregation to keep each other healthy is to not attend in-person
​worship if: 

• You have had a new onset of symptoms of Covid-19 in the last 2 weeks. Common Symptoms include: 
  • Loss of taste or smell
  • Cough
  • Chills
  • Trouble breathing
  • Sore throat
  • Exhaustion
  • Headaches
  • Diarrhea
• You were exposed to someone with the above symptoms or a positive Covid-19 test in the last 14 days
• You have travelled out of the state in the last 14 days (see COVID-19 Travel Advisory)
  We encourage members who plan to attend services in person regularly also to be tested regularly for COVID-19. To find a testing site, visit https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/covid-19-testing-sites/.

1. Registration for Contact Tracing

When you arrive, there will be stations available inside the church where you will be asked to provide your contact information. All attendees must provide contact information to be allowed in the church.

1. Demarcating Physical Distancing

The pews will be closed off so that worshippers will be seated six feet apart. The pews will be closed off with ropes.


The maximum allowable number of people allowed in the church is 25% of the church's seating capacity. In this initial phase, we are capping attendance at 50, which is half this number, or under 1/8 of the church's seating capacity.

1. Masks

Proper and complete mask use will be a requirement to attend the evensong and will be monitored and enforced by an usher. Masks must be worn over the mouth and nose at all times with no exceptions. 

Surgical masks will be available at the entrance to the church.

1. Physical Distancing

Clergy and ushers will encourage worshippers who do not arrive together as a household to maintain six feet of physical distance, referring to posted signs, as needed. 

All attendees must exit the building immediately at the conclusion of the service. Weather permitting, socially distanced outdoor fellowship will be available in the garden following the service.

1. Singing

There will be no congregational singing at the Evensongs, sadly. 

1. Hand Sanitizer

There is a no-touch hand sanitizer dispenser at the church entrance 

1. Cleaning

The church is cleaned after each Evensong and before the church is used for anything else. We follow the guidelines laid forth in the CDC’s “Cleaning and Disinfecting Your Facility.”  

A sanitary log of cleaning is kept. 

All porous items, including cushions, prayer books, and hymnals, have been removed from available pews.

1. Ventilation

The doors of the church and all windows will be kept ajar for the duration of all services, regardless of weather. There will be no artificial ventilation, including fans.

1. Ushers

You will be greeted by ushers, who will facilitate registration, direct the flow of worshippers to their seats and to ensure that all attendees adhere to all guidelines. Please be courteous and follow the ushers' instructions.