St. John-St. Peter Evangelical Lutheran Church

Proclaiming the grace of Jesus in Cleveland, Wisconsin since 1860

Update: Response to Governor Ever’s Mask Mandate

St. John-St. Peter Evangelical Church, Cleveland, Wisconsin

On July 30, Governor Evers issued a mask mandate requiring individuals to wear face coverings in any enclosed space other than a private residence. The mandate also provides several exemptions, including…

  1. those under 5 years old,
  2. individuals who have trouble breathing,
  3. individuals with medical conditions
  4. and those who are giving religious presentations.

Our Lord God instructs us to honor and obey those who are in positions of authority, even when we disagree with them (Romans 13; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-15). Therefore we encourage our members to follow the mask mandate.

Please note:

  1. We will not be enforcing the mask mandate, nor does the order require us to do so. Per the governor’s mandate, we will not ask you what your medical condition is if you choose to worship without a mask. This applies also to our church council and other church representatives.
  2. Pastor Wall plans to wear his mask while greeting worshipers, both before and after worship. During worship he will remove his mask in accord with the exemption in the governor’s order.

In addition to the mask mandate, we continue to encourage social distancing at church and will continue to implement the following measures that we have used over the past 2 months:

  • Doorkeepers: Doors will be propped open before worship, or opened by council members.
  • Distancing: We encourage worshipers to spread out in the church. We are blessed with a large worship space. Please allow 2 rows between you and the next family in front or behind you.
  • Lord’s Supper: we will try to allow for spacing during communion between families. Ushers will decrease the number of people at each table. Please allow adequate spacing between families.
  • Offering Plates: For now we will not pass the offering plate. Ushers will collect the offering at the back of church following worship.
  • Hand sanitizer is available in the back hallway.
  • The church is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized between services.
God bless you and keep you!

In Christ, our risen and ascended Savior,

Pastor Steven Wall
Pastor Steven Wall

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed, Alleluia!