June 24, 2020
Dear Friends,
Over the past month, we have had two joint meetings of the Staff Parish Relations Committee, the Board of Trustees, and the Church Council at the Chatham UMC. Our primary discussion has been to discern if and when to open our church building for ministry and worship. We have listened to each other, informed by good science and motivated by the desire to “Do no harm,” and to protect the greater community from the spread of the coronavirus. We have consulted other churches and continue to learn what is working and not working. We have discussed state, church, and insurance company guidelines for re-opening public worship spaces. We have gauged the interest and willingness of our church members to do the considerable work of implementing complex guidelines and maintaining stringent protocols. We have prayed for God to guide us.
At this time, we have discerned that it would be unwise, and unethical to put our worshiping congregation at risk by providing in person worship. We will not open our church building for worship or ministry for the duration of the summer. In mid- to late August, 2020, we will consider whether we might open the building for worship and church activities in the fall. Until we can safely do so, we will continue to provide online worship, Christian education and spiritual formation opportunities throughout the summer. Our building is closed, but the ministry of Jesus continues.
Thanks to your ongoing financial and prayerful support of the Chatham UMC, we have fed hundreds of people who are food insecure over the past 4 weeks. We have reached thousands of people online with worship and spiritual formation opportunities. With God’s help, we have and will continued to nurture online Christian community here at the Chatham UMC. We have offered small groups, fellowship and Christian education through Zoom meetings, phone calls, texts, emails and social media, and we will continue to do so. We all miss being together in person, and we miss being together in our beautiful sanctuary, but we also know that the Holy Spirit continues to knit us together in love.
Below is a link to some of the guidelines and protocols that we will need to institute before we consider opening the church building. Please let us know how you would like to be involved in this process of reopening the church building and the work that goes with it.
Thank you for your ongoing faithfulness, for such a time as this.
Sincerely,
Members of the Staff Parish Relations Committee,
Members of the Board of Trustees,
Members of the Chatham UMC Church Council.
8 Essential Health and Safety Areas to Address in Your Plan
1.
Gathering Size:
Setting and ensuring capacity limits based on state requirements
3.
Human Contact:
Preventing people from touching objects and people:
5.
Vulnerable People:
Taking extra precautions with older people, people with asthma, liver disease, hypertension, health conditions and disabilities:
See CDC Guidelines
7.
Signage and Teams:
Greeting and guiding people to ensure safety and social distancing
8.
Communication:
Communicating and providing continual updates for your plan
Read about re-opening protocols from Church Mutual
Insurance:
https://coronavirus.churchmutual.com/resource/safely-returning-to-worship/
