At our 21 July “Virtual Vestry Meeting,” we continued our discussion
about the how, what, and when of regathering in our building. Thanks to so many of you who responded to our
parish-wide survey, we now have a much better sense of parishioners’
motivations and sentiments regarding regathering. At the same time, we also have “new”
information in the form of recent public health data revealing a concerning
uptick in cases of COVID-19 in the Tidewater area. With this information in mind, and
parishioner safety still a primary concern, we marked our calendars to revisit the
regathering decision at our 15 September vestry meeting. By that time we hope to have additional data
from the reopening of Christopher Newport University and local public schools
(assuming they hold in-person classes upon opening in mid-August and early
September, respectively.)
In the meantime, the life of the church continues as we develop
new ways of honoring the deeply felt yearning for worship within our sacred
space. First, your vestry and staff
will continue to work under the leadership of Parish Safety Officer Joel
Duregger as we craft our carefully considered plan for regathering. We plan to monitor and learn from the experiences
of other churches and larger social gatherings.
We will educate ourselves with the most current information about coronavirus,
specifically its transmission.
Second, we will share plans for “pilgrimages” in which parishioners may
schedule time in our beautiful sanctuary for individual prayer and reflection. The space will be sanitized before and after each
pilgrimage, and all applicable social distancing guidance will be
followed. This offering responds
directly to the motivation highlighted by so many in the survey -- to “be in
our space” once again! (Look for details
in your newsletter.)
Third, in response to the desire to regather for the purpose of “seeing
good friends” (as revealed in the survey results), we will seek ways for small
groups of interested parishioners to gather (fewer than 10 persons, outdoors,
supplying their own refreshments, etc.) for the purposes of fellowship. This plan is still in draft form. Watch for updates in the weekly newsletter.
Finally, the church remains “open.” The pandemic forced us to stop gathering in
the physical building. Virtual services
will continue every Sunday (with some taking place in our sanctuary!) Online videos continue; in addition to Anne
and Marc, parishioners continue to lead online services; daily prayers continue
on Facebook and Instagram; daily emails and weekly newsletters continue; “check-in”
phone calls continue; prayer chain continues; Christian Formation continues;
Outreach Team continues serving the community; and Brad continues his music
ministry.
Our mission -- “Building God’s Kingdom through Worship, Outreach, and Fellowship”
– carries on, regardless of “where” we worship.
We ask for your continued prayers of support and understanding -- for clergy,
staff, vestry, and each other -- as we develop a successful regathering plan. We remain grounded in and guided by the
knowledge that God has been and will continue to be with us.
I would especially like to see Morning Prayer on Sunday from the sanctuary with participants vested. In other words, as normal and familiar as possible. There is great comfort in that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joe. We are doing our best. We will be doing Sunday's virtual service in the sanctuary beginning this coming Sunday--at least for the clergy portions. Hope that helps. Blessings to you and to your family.
ReplyDelete