Health & Safety Precautions: Addition of N95 Mask Availability, Guidance to Further Limit Potential Transmission
Dear congregation,
The pandemic has been a long slog. You all have done well. We appreciate your cooperation and patience with us as we work through it. We are thankful that our shared commitments to trust in Jesus for salvation, serve the Lord in the world, and love one another have kept us together during this time.
From all appearances, it looks like the pandemic will be over in a few months. Unfortunately, we may experience a few months where cases, severe illnesses, and even deaths rise. Last week, the CDC issued a warning that the virus ‘has entered a phase of high-level transmission’ in the US.
We are committed to meeting together for worship during this time.
Toward this end, we present the following for your consideration. This is basically what we have said in the past with a few minor changes.
1. We are asking but not requiring that those 12 years and older wear a mask. We understand that some people, either by conviction or for health reasons feel that they cannot wear a mask or wear it the entire time; we respect that and do not want you to not come for that reason. However, if you feel you can wear a mask, we ask that you please do so.
2. We will provide N95 masks for the elderly, those who have pre-existing conditions, and anyone else attending who requests one (please ask a greeter, and they will joyfully provide one to you). The basic surgical masks protect those around the wearer but not are not as effective in protecting the wearer. The N95 mask protects both the wearer and those around them.
3. We ask that you do all fellowship activities outside, if at all possible. If the weather is bad, we leave it to your judgment if you wish to fellowship inside. The risk of transmitting COVID-19 outside is much, much lower.
4. We will sanitize the building before each service and make hand sanitizer and other protective equipment available at the church, including spreading the chairs.
We will have two Christmas Eve services (at 4:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m.) to facilitate greater social distancing and to allow for greater flexibility during the busy Christmas season.
In this fallen world, we sometimes have to deal with matters like these, but we do not want it to be the focus of this season. Our sermon series this month is “The Weary World Rejoices.” Let us move forward following these protocols but focus on the joy that we can have in Christ independent of anything that is going on in the world right now. That is why we gather to worship our Lord, who has come into this world to give us joy unspeakable that the world cannot take away.
On Behalf of the Session,
Jeremy R Daley
Clerk