Dear People of Saint Paul’s,

Since the beginning of the pandemic, Saint Paul’s has relied on the Brown Global Epidemics tool for tracking Covid case counts. This tool has helped us to make responsible decisions about how we can gather safely, even if we have often wished that the responsible decisions were different. Recently, the CDC has released a new tool, “Covid-19 Community Levels.” This new metric takes account of hospitalizations and ICU availability, in addition to case counts. We have decided to follow many municipalities and health agencies by following the CDC Community Levels as our primary metric for guiding our protocols.

You can read what the CDC says about Covid-19 Community Levels here. But here is an excerpt: “In addition to protecting those at highest risk of severe outcomes, focusing on reducing medically significant illness and minimizing strain on the healthcare system reflects our current understanding of SARS-CoV-2 infection, immunity from vaccination and infection, and the tools we have available. Vaccines are highly protective against severe disease, and continuing to expand vaccine coverage and ensuring people are up to date with vaccination is essential to protecting individuals against hospitalizations and deaths.

Health officials and individuals should consider current information about COVID-19 hospitalizations in the community, as well as the potential for strain on the local health system and COVID-19 cases in the community, when making decisions about community prevention strategies and individual behaviors. Communities and individuals should also make decisions based on whether they are at high risk for severe disease and take into account inequities in access to prevention strategies.”

While our area’s case counts remain higher than any of us would wish, the CDC rates our Community Level as Low. The vestry has approved changing our primary metric to the CDC Community Level guidance and has applied our previous “green” protocols to the CDC low category. Should it become necessary, the vestry will realign our previous yellow, orange, and red protocols to fit the CDC’s categories of Medium and High.

At the moment, we will continue distributing communion by ministers dipping the bread in the wine for the people. All people will once again be invited to the altar rail, with a communion station under the pulpit for those who desire or need it.

My friends, this has been a carefully worded message. Let me emphasize a few things here at the end. First, as you know, the Church is not qualified to give you medical advice or to assess your own personal risk. Those who wish to continue to wear masks or to find a seat with some space around it in the church are strongly encouraged to continue to do so. We have a big nave and are not yet to the point that it’s hard to find space. Second, we don’t know how long our community level will be “low.” We may be moving towards endemicity, or we may just be in between virulent waves that require increased mitigations. We hope to offer opportunities to enjoy this time when responsibility seems to allow more freedom. Let’s enjoy this time while we can, even as we keep an eye out for signs that we should increase our care. And third, if you feel safe, if you believe your risk level to be pretty low, we need you back at church. I wholeheartedly endorse measures anyone is taking to protect themselves from this virus. But if you generally feel safe and have just gotten out of the habit of churchgoing, we need you back worshiping and engaging in ministries. And I think you need us, too. Saint Paul’s needs you; we need each other; and our neighbors need Saint Paul’s to be robustly proclaiming the gospel in a world that so often talks only of death.

Eric+

The Finance Committee and the Vestry are beginning the work of preparing the 2022 budget. Your pledge allows them to prepare a more accurate budget. If you have not yet completed a pledge card, please prayerfully consider your pledge to a momentous year. Pledge cards are available in the Narthex and by contacting the parish office. You may also pledge online using the link below.

92 Increase (23 new), 6 Decrease, 40 no change

as of 03/16/2022

Offerings pledged this Week $12,981.00

Offerings received this Week $52,443.90

Operating Expenses to Date $173,239.48

Total Income Received to Date $270,697.03

Please contact the Parish Office to update our files.