June 5, 2020 The Plan to Resume In-Person Worship - Paul Laedlein, Senior Warden
In the past two weeks we have formed, under the auspices of the Vestry, a committee to develop a plan for resuming in-person worship as soon as it is practical and feasible to do so. The team comprises:
Bob Ketts, leader
Yvonne Rowe
Marti Helmers
Paul Andrews
John Sturges
Charlette Pressler
The team’s work and the plan they will recommend to the Vestry are guided by Bishop Susan’s letter to clergy on re-opening as well as directives from state and county authorities. We are also making use of the CDC website and other such expertise. The fundamental priority of this effort is to ensure the health and safety of our Christ Church family as we move toward gathering in person to worship.
The preliminary plan was briefed to the Vestry in Special Session this past Wednesday and will be fine-tuned as we move ahead. The first sentence of the policy in the draft plan puts the health and safety of all of God’s children as paramount priority. We will plan and execute carefully.
Yvonne Rowe
Marti Helmers
Paul Andrews
John Sturges
Charlette Pressler
The team’s work and the plan they will recommend to the Vestry are guided by Bishop Susan’s letter to clergy on re-opening as well as directives from state and county authorities. We are also making use of the CDC website and other such expertise. The fundamental priority of this effort is to ensure the health and safety of our Christ Church family as we move toward gathering in person to worship.
The preliminary plan was briefed to the Vestry in Special Session this past Wednesday and will be fine-tuned as we move ahead. The first sentence of the policy in the draft plan puts the health and safety of all of God’s children as paramount priority. We will plan and execute carefully.
Bishop Susan discourages, but does not prohibit, those over 65 or with underlying medical conditions or a vulnerable immune system from participating in the early stages. For that reason the draft plan calls for the 1000 on-line Sunday morning service to continue indefinitely. We anticipate that our initial in-person service will be Morning Prayer outside in the courtyard.
Morning prayer will be held outside because sun and circulating air reduce the chance infection transmission. Attendance will need to be limited to 25% of our congregation (50 persons) by State and County guidelines. Also, the need to comply with meet social-distancing requirements will constrain space for seating.At first it will be a very different worship experience from that which we are accustomed to and we must be patient.
As we move forward and restrictions are relaxed we will adapt and move toward eventually resuming our familiar family worship. Bob and his team will be providing more details as they are available and we will take time to educate and prepare our church family for what they can expect as we begin in-person worship.
We plan to start no earlier than 21 June.
Yours in Christ,
Paul Laedlein
Senior Warden