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A Pastoral Letter from Sherilyn Pearce
Your Bishop's Committee and A Way Forward Team are excited to welcome you to participate in modified in-person worship during Lent.
Covid rates are dropping in Boone County, but they are still high. Your Bishop's Committee and A Way Forward Team are hopeful that with increased access to vaccinations in our Commonwealth, as well as continued mask use, careful hand washing, and social distancing, Covid will become less of a public health threat, allowing us to regather safely in-person in our building sometime later this year.
Until that time, and as long as average daily infection rates continue fall in our area, we would like to experiment with modified in-person worship. Our first experiment will take place during Lent. A short-term experiment will allow us to review our protocols and gauge interest in attendance for in-person worship going forward.
As you know, Mother Sherilyn has been recording Sunday worship at Grace. In this first step, those who feel comfortable gathering in-person/indoors at Grace with public health precautions in place, are invited to make a reservation for that week's worship and attend the recording that takes place on Saturday mornings at 11am. These are the dates: Saturday February 27, March 6, March 13, March 20. These recording will be made available on Sunday mornings at 10:15 am via Facebook Live. This experiment is a first step toward holding in-person worship in our building.
The plan outlined below falls within the current Diocesan, Commonwealth, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The safety of everyone in our community remains our top priority; this isn’t the time to let our guard down. Let me state in no uncertain terms that the fact that we are working to make in-person worship possible does not mean that anyone should feel an obligation to attend worship in person if, for any reason, they do not feel comfortable doing so. Each one of us must be responsible for reengaging community worship at a time and in a way that feels safe given one’s situation. Online worship will continue to be our primary mode of worship at this time.
Nor does the decision to begin limited in-person worship in any way signal that the dangers of a virus that has claimed over half a million lives in the United States in the last year is anywhere near past. Strict adherence to the practices laid out below will be required of all.
To make this as safe as possible for all person participating:
All of these guidelines are intended to keep one another safe, and to do our part to curb the spread of Covid. Thank you for your understanding. Be assured, The Way Forward Team will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as needed. We are excited that we can open up this much, and look forward to the time when we can worship more fully in our building.
Please contact Mother Sherilyn with any questions or concerns you may have.
A Pastoral Letter from Sherilyn Pearce
Your Bishop's Committee and A Way Forward Team are excited to welcome you to participate in modified in-person worship during Lent.
Covid rates are dropping in Boone County, but they are still high. Your Bishop's Committee and A Way Forward Team are hopeful that with increased access to vaccinations in our Commonwealth, as well as continued mask use, careful hand washing, and social distancing, Covid will become less of a public health threat, allowing us to regather safely in-person in our building sometime later this year.
Until that time, and as long as average daily infection rates continue fall in our area, we would like to experiment with modified in-person worship. Our first experiment will take place during Lent. A short-term experiment will allow us to review our protocols and gauge interest in attendance for in-person worship going forward.
As you know, Mother Sherilyn has been recording Sunday worship at Grace. In this first step, those who feel comfortable gathering in-person/indoors at Grace with public health precautions in place, are invited to make a reservation for that week's worship and attend the recording that takes place on Saturday mornings at 11am. These are the dates: Saturday February 27, March 6, March 13, March 20. These recording will be made available on Sunday mornings at 10:15 am via Facebook Live. This experiment is a first step toward holding in-person worship in our building.
The plan outlined below falls within the current Diocesan, Commonwealth, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. The safety of everyone in our community remains our top priority; this isn’t the time to let our guard down. Let me state in no uncertain terms that the fact that we are working to make in-person worship possible does not mean that anyone should feel an obligation to attend worship in person if, for any reason, they do not feel comfortable doing so. Each one of us must be responsible for reengaging community worship at a time and in a way that feels safe given one’s situation. Online worship will continue to be our primary mode of worship at this time.
Nor does the decision to begin limited in-person worship in any way signal that the dangers of a virus that has claimed over half a million lives in the United States in the last year is anywhere near past. Strict adherence to the practices laid out below will be required of all.
To make this as safe as possible for all person participating:
- A mask covering one’s mouth and nose are required.
- Reservations will be required by 5pm the Friday before. Please call or email Cathy Stone.
- If you have made a reservation, but are feeling unwell, have a fever, or have been exposed to Covid, please seek medical attention and refrain from attending until you are symptom free.
- We will limit the number of persons present to 10 (including priest and usher)
- Upon arrival, entrance to the building, seating, and exit from the building will be directed by the usher. Socially distanced seating will be designated and the usher will guide you to your seat. Families may be seated together.
- Everyone who attends is invited to participate, either by providing congregational responses, or as a designated lector or intercessor.
- Lector and intercessor will be seated in the chancel during the service, along with the priest. This is to limit spread of aerosols.
- No socializing is permitted in the church building before or after the service, and any conversations outside should be limited and held at a safe distance.
- Restrooms will remain closed.
- For all other purposes, our building remains closed.
All of these guidelines are intended to keep one another safe, and to do our part to curb the spread of Covid. Thank you for your understanding. Be assured, The Way Forward Team will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments as needed. We are excited that we can open up this much, and look forward to the time when we can worship more fully in our building.
Please contact Mother Sherilyn with any questions or concerns you may have.
Weekly Worship & Study at Grace
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