Like so many, our plans for the fall are running up against the reality of a new and worrisome stage in this ongoing pandemic. Local case rates and hospitalizations have skyrocketed, and many within the congregation, vaccinated and those who are not eligible for the vaccine, have already been touched by this recent surge.
Our ministers, task force, and Church Council continue to stay in close communication as we make and adjust plans as necessary.
These seasonal transitions are always the hardest, as we digest the current situation, do our best to project the weeks and months to come, and seek consensus on how best to proceed, all while similar conversations happen on a larger scale around us, often casting more heat than light. All the more reason for us to be people of the light.
As we have said throughout the past year and a half, we are grateful for the patience, flexibility, and imagination of the congregation as we make our way through this long season together. May the joy of regathering over these past few months sustain us as we enter this next leg of the journey.
Outside Gatherings
In light of CDC guidance and the growing consensus about the low risk of outdoor transmission, we no longer require that masks be worn at outside gatherings, regardless of vaccination status.
In gatherings for youth and children, Kelsey and JD, in coordination with parents, will use discretion on whether or not to ask that masks be worn depending on the activity and context.
Small Group Indoor Gatherings
We no longer ask that fully vaccinated people wear masks or keep social distance in small group settings including Sunday school. We ask that those who are not yet fully vaccinated continue to wear masks and keep social distance. This includes youth and children.
We ask that individual Sunday school classes develop their own expectations concerning mask wearing for those who are fully vaccinated.
We also ask that all adults working with children, either in Sunday school or WOW, continue to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. We believe this will be an important way of encouraging our children to wear their masks, in addition to adding a measure or protection for them.
In consideration of the new CDC guidance recommending that all wear masks regardless of vaccination status for those communities experiencing substantial or high rates of spread, we once again ask that Sunday school classes wear masks while meeting in the building.
We also ask that all adults working with children, either in Sunday school or WOW, continue to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. We believe this will be an important way of encouraging our children to wear their masks, in addition to adding a measure or protection for them.
Worship
Recognizing that worship is our largest and most multigenerational gathering, as well as one in which guests are most likely to be present, we continue to ask that masks be worn regardless of vaccination status.
The latest guidance within choral music circles recommends continued mask wearing for singers, including the choir. Our ministers and worship leaders who are fully vaccinated will be permitted to remove their masks while leading worship.