After months of closed churches and online masses, churches in Pleasanton have finally been given the green light to open back up. Churches of all cultures and religions will be coming back in their own virus-adapted way.

Members of the “Chinese Church In Christ” are currently discussing starting to resume services that were restricted due to COVID. While they aren’t exactly opening, there are many precautions to keep in mind to ensure the safety of everyone.

Even though “Chinese Church In Christ”  hasn’t reopened yet, they are currently talking within each other about if they were to reopen but as of right now, online is the way to go.

“Our church is still in conversation about reopening and how to encourage people to come back to church. Since we’ve been meeting online since March, many Youth have lost the motivation to attend church. I’ve been in conversation with some pastors and elders on how we should reinvigorate people to attend in-person church if they do reopen” said Grace Chen (‘21).

There would be much expected for when the reopening of churches began to happen. Masks would be required to wear at all times. Attendees will have distanced seating, however, members of the same household would be able to sit together. 

“I think it’s really important for there to be really clear instructions for gatherings because it will help churches and other organizations determine what they can and cannot do. It’ll help us all maintain safety and decrease risk” said Chen (‘21).

Being a member of a church should be like being a member of a community. Not only has COVID restricted churches from being open, but also takes away special activities that members cherish yearly.

“Every year, our Youth Group does a retreat with all of our sister churches at Mt. Gilead. We stay in cabins and have messages, worship, small group discussions, and games. It’s really fun seeing my friends from other churches. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to do the retreat with COVID, so we opted for an online one” said Chen (‘21).