Dear friends,
After almost twenty months of worshipping virtually and outdoors, we are preparing to move into the sanctuary in November. What a journey it has been!
It is cause for celebration—celebration of the beauty and peace of our sanctuary; celebration of the beauty and peace we have experienced through slide shows and origami cranes, multi-household anthems and home altarscapes; celebration of the beauty and peace of worshipping amidst nature and tree houses and joyful children. Acknowledging all we have to celebrate, our first services in the sanctuary will reflect our Stewardship theme, “In Celebration of Love” (see article below).
We have put a great deal of thought and care into how we return to the sanctuary. Our Phasing Forward Team has worked closely with Church Council to ensure that our choices reflect our values, our commitment to be Loving, Connected, Inclusive and Safe. We have put in place multiple layers of protection, including:
- Universal masking, until we are confident it is safe to do otherwise;
- Confidence that the vast majority of eligible congregation members are fully vaccinated, and many have also received boosters;
- On-going option of live-streamed worship (by Zoom), so each person has a choice to participate from home;
- A new air purification system to be installed in our furnaces, which kills viruses, mold and mildew and other impurities;
- A cautious approach to making music indoors;
- Social distancing in our pews;
- Modifications to our typical practices of celebrating communion and receiving offering;
- No regular coffee hour in the fellowship hall for now.
With these layers of protection, our worship will feel different than it did in March 2020. That’s not a bad thing. We are entering into a time of flexibility and experimentation, as we explore how we take the gifts of these last twenty months and bring them forward into the future.
From our Zoom worship, we have learned how slide shows and video can help us feel connected to each other. How will we carry that forward? From our outdoor services, we have learned the joy of worshipping with people of all ages and stages of life. How will we continue that gift? Throughout this time, we have experienced many ways to make music together. How will we draw upon those new learnings?
We will be asking these questions and exploring new possibilities in the coming months. I trust that the Holy Spirit will guide us with wisdom and creativity and will bless us with patience and a sense of humor!
Peace,
Debbie