Covid-19 Updates

In response to the pandemic, a small re-entry team is monitoring information from government agencies, health officials, religious authorities, and communities and making procedural recommendations to Session as we consider a careful and phased approach to gathering in person again. Members of the re-entry team are Edwin Blanton, Dr. Fred Campbell, Linda Nance, Dr. Lynnette Watkins, Phil Zamora, and Pastor Gin Courtney.

As this team and Session make decisions, we are grounded by what we know of the virus and by our theological convictions and are called to care for one another.

We currently are in a “Reuniting/Adapting” phase and are meeting for worship each Sunday under specific conditions.

COVID-19 Guidelines for In-Person Worship

• Families with children, please stay together in your pews and keep children masked, if possible, for the duration of the service.
• The nursery will be available during the worship service for children from newborns to five years of age.
• Masking throughout the service is recommended and is an act of love for others.
• We invite you to sing along to the hymns and doxology if your mask remains in place.
• We encourage proper social distancing for non-family groups.
• Hand sanitizer is available in each pew for your use.
• We ask that no outside food or drink be brought into the sanctuary.
• There is no formal fellowship time after our service. As you depart from the sanctuary, please gather only in open, well-ventilated areas.
• As we pass the peace, restrict physical contact, such as shaking hands or embracing, to those in your immediate household or family group.
• Waving, peace signs, and other kind gestures are welcome.

Fundamental Principles & Assumptions about COVID-19

• The virus is a respiratory virus that is highly contagious and a high percentage of us are still susceptible.
• Though individuals of any age can contract the virus, it is more dangerous to older adults and people with underlying medical conditions (e.g., diabetes and hypertension), and these variables represent a majority of our congregation.
• The virus is contagious two to eight days before people develop symptoms.
• Gathering indoors with recycled air (Air conditioning that does not refresh regularly with outside air) for extended periods of time poses a significant risk to spread the virus
• There are two things to mitigate the spread of the virus:
  • Being vaccinated. Effective vaccines and boosters have been developed and distributed to most people. But some new variants are resistant, and the virus is still spreading.
  • Good hygiene practices remain the only other effective strategy, including wearing masks, handwashing, and physical distancing. Physical distancing will be required until a vaccine is widely available, effective, and used.

Guiding Principles when Considering In-person Gathering

• We won’t gather in person until all our community can do so in relative safety.
• The urgency to reopen is not our driving force. We will be very deliberate about how we proceed.
• Theological framing is just as important as science and medical considerations. Love of neighbor, care for the most vulnerable, and the inclusive love of God are central to our decision-making process.
• Church economies are different from retail economies. Our benchmark is less about returning to business as usual, as soon as possible, and more about ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our congregation—even if that means making hard decisions centered on what we should do rather than what we can do.
• We will be flexible and ready to move between phases. This will not be a linear process.
• While we are physically distant from one another, the Spirit and life of the church are at work.

Metrics the team is monitoring to make decisions:

• The positivity rate of tests
• Doubling rate (the number of days it takes for cases to double)
• Testing availability and time required to receive results
• Hospital stress levels
• Vaccination use