Over the past 14 months, the session has regularly met to discuss the church’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We have made adjustments to our worship based on circumstances unique to our congregation, the advice of a trusted team of medical and scientific professionals, and the recommendations from state and local officials.
Starting this Sunday, May 23, masks will be welcome in either service, but will no longer be required in the first service. We are recommending that anyone who has not been vaccinated against the disease or recovered from it wear a mask to this service. Our intention is to continue to practice social distancing in the first service, with every other row roped off, for those who wish to have this option. Depending on attendance at 8:45 a.m., we may, however, have to start using all the rows to accommodate everyone. If we must use all rows, we will begin with the back rows and would not anticipate needing to seat people in the rows that are roped off toward the front. If distancing in the first service is a priority for you, we encourage you to move as close to the front of the sanctuary as possible.
Although the livestream of the second service will still be made available for the foreseeable future on Vimeo, Facebook, and our homepage, we strongly encourage all of our members and regular attenders to make every effort to return to public worship. The wide availability of the vaccine, the falling rate of infections, and the general “reopening” of other institutions should encourage you to take steps back toward the gathered worship of the church.
We know all these changes and a return to “near normal” after so many months may create a few awkward moments. For example, you may have forgotten someone’s name! To help alleviate any unease, we’ll occasionally use name tags on Sundays to help all of us be approachable, beginning this Sunday evening at our Pentecost Feast. We encourage you to talk to folks you may not know very well. Rather than asking about their return to church, use this opportunity to talk about how God ministered to you during the pandemic and how you saw God at work around you.