Dear Northridge Members and Friends,

I am pleased to share that your Session has been hard at work the last week considering the recommendations from the COVID Response Coordinating Team (CRCT). Based on guidance from CRCT, Northridge will reopen for worship in the sanctuary beginning Sunday, May 9.

Because our outdoor service has been so successful, we will continue offering an outdoor service at 10 AM through June 20. Our sanctuary service will be at 8:30 AM. This service will be live-streamed and available on YouTube to view at any time. On June 27, we’ll shift to a summer worship schedule with one service in the sanctuary at 10 AM.

Recognizing that there has been and will continue to be a broad range of comfort levels when it comes to various masking and distancing protocols, the guiding principle for the CRCT has always been making recommendations that allow the most people to safely and comfortably participate in any given worship service or event. Creating a safe environment for worshippers regardless of vaccination status will continue to be a priority. Therefore, masks, distancing, and registration will be required. The registration link for worship on May 9 will be available in Friday’s newsletter.

Attached at the bottom of this email is a document with more information about what to expect.

I hope you’ll join me in offering gratitude to all of the leaders who have gotten us to this point. Their names are just below this message. This work started before I ever arrived, but in the last nine months, I’ve witnessed leaders devote countless hours, conversations, and prayers to the work of making the most faithful decisions on behalf of this community. There is not a roadmap for being a pandemic church and yet, your leaders have exercised discretion and grace and have been guided by their love and concern for the members of our congregation at every turn.

I look forward to (at long last) seeing your faces in the pews come May 9!

With great hope,

Betsy

Pastor

CRCT Members:

Tory Chauza, Margaret Floyd, Rob Raymond, Rob Taylor, Jason Treadway

Session Members:

MerriLee Anderson, Cory Barnard, Laurie Bret, Brenna Buchanan, Ray Chavez, Cindy George,

Brent Christopher, Aliisa DuBose, Doug Gill, Laird Johnson, Mike Marcotte, Darren Nicholson,

Anne Raymond, Kim Shuler, Frank Stevenson, Rob Taylor, Kathy Watson, Marisu Fenton (Clerk)

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Reopening Task Force:

Ann Binford, Ruth Johnson, Lee Jones, Nancy Kelly, Todd Moore, Rob Raymond, Don Zentmeyer

Elder Class of 2020:

Jerry Alexander, Ann Binford, Andrew Brownfield, Lucinda Cummins, Janice Erb, Ann Karnowski