MADISON, Ind. (WDRB) -- A Madison, Indiana, church is finding creative ways to encourage social distancing.
Madison Assembly of God on Clifty Drive held its first in-person church service on Sunday after going to online-only services for 10 weeks because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
To surprise their pastor and give people a visual reminder about the need to stay socially distant, church members Michele Wilberding and Hazel Stamper came up with the idea for a "pool party without the pool."
The women called church members and organized a group of more than a dozen people to stand in the parking lot and wear pool floats as church members returned for the first time. The inner tubes around them created a colorful, physical reminder that, although in-person church services are back, people will still need to follow health guidelines.
"It's just to bring joy, just to make everybody laugh," said Wilberding, who wore a bright pink flamingo inner tube. "It's been such a heavy event for our country, and people are afraid and they need something to get them off of being afraid."
Several church members showed up about 30 minutes before the service wearing their Sunday best with inner tubes around their waists as they greeted friends (in a socially distant way) in the parking lot. Some people showed up with hula hoops.
"We want to show everyone that we are following the guidelines and we want to make it as safe as possible," Stamper said.
There are noticeable changes inside the church, too, Stamper added. Churchgoers are wearing masks and using one door to enter and another to exit.
Under state guidelines, churches in Indiana were allowed to reopen to in-person services on May 8, but Wilberding said this Sunday was the first day back for Madison Assembly of God.
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