Grace and Peace,
It has been 4 strange months since Saint John’s and the other parishes in the diocese closed their buildings in an effort to limit the spread of the Corona Virus. Unfortunately, as churches scattered about the country reopen, with and without precautions, we find that they have become hot spots for the virus; even the churches that have followed all the prescribed precautions have been the source of infections. Worship in a manner that mirrors what we did 5 months ago is not safe, and does not reflect our love for one another. We can do things differently.
Beginning this Sunday at 8am we will worship outdoors. Following the best advice available, as well as the requirements and recommendations of the diocese, state, and county, worship in the coming weeks will look a bit different.
- Only 50 people may attend
- Preregistration is required. This permits contact tracing if needed
- Physical distancing and masks are required
- BYOC - bring your own chair or blanket please
- Bulletins will be available but we encourage you to use a smart device and download it prior to the service, if you use a printed bulletin take it home with you for recycling
- If you are at-risk, ill, or exhibiting symptoms common to Covid-19, please stay home; our digital worship will continue to be available
- Please read and agree to follow the Diocesan Regathering Covenant that is linked with the worship announcements
- In the event of rain worship will be cancelled with a posting noted on the church Facebook page
Worship will follow our Morning Prayer offering and will continue to be shared online. Eucharist will not be offered as that would create an unintended segregation between those who can and can not attend and at its heart Eucharist, or Communion, is a community event to be shared by all. I look forward to sharing Eucharist with everyone when it is time.
This outdoor worship is a trial and we appreciate your willingness to let us try new ways of worshiping. Seeing how this works during July and August will help direct our plans for worship this fall and into the winter, so please share your feedback. We have also taken steps to improve our HVAC system and building sanitizing, unfortunately due to backlog these will not be ready until later this summer.
In the coming weeks I look forward to seeing some of you from behind our masks. Also, please note that anytime you are at the church, whether to pick up or drop items off, (even if your visit is only for a few minutes) it is important that you wear a mask; not only for your protection but also for the protection of the staff.
God be with you until we meet again
Fr. Henry+
