Dear Friends: Despite wanting so very much to physically worship together, the Executive Committee of the Church Council has postponed the date when we will gather back together in the sanctuary.  We are now hoping to be in the sanctuary for Advent, which starts on November 29^th.  How joyful it would be to enter the church with the Christmas decorations up and our building looking so good!  Naturally, the Executive Committee (EC) will meet in early November to look at what the scientists, doctors and the Vermont Department of Health say and then re-evaluate the situation at that time.   Despite our strong desire to be together, our primary consideration is the health and welfare of our members and friends and the control of this deadly disease.  As all of you in your daily lives know, we are adapting and changing our plans as the future unfolds and we will do the best we can in making decisions in the best interests of First Church.

We are also cautiously opening up our church space to various groups within our church and community as long as everyone present follows safe practices by wearing masks and keeping proper distances.  Last week we had a funeral service with 37 people attending: all wearing masks, all following safe distancing protocols and with the fellowship time outside.  The Food Pantry continues to distribute food but does so while all their clients stay in their cars.  Creative Discoveries Early Care and Education Center is meeting in their space and not venturing into our part of the building.  The scouts have been meeting but mainly outside except for a few very small groups.  We also had a wonderful Nearly New Sale, Thrift Store Porch Sale, and Church Tour day on August 22, but these events were outside, and tours were tightly controlled.  The EC just approved one other group and one personal event to take place in our midst.  Slowly, our facility is opening up to small groups – with safety for our members and visitors forefront in our intentions.

Perhaps the biggest addition to our building use is the Rec Kids Supported Learning Spaces Program that the Essex Junction Recreation and Parks Department, in partnership with the school system, is providing for families in the Essex community. This valuable program will provide childcare for families who need care for their children on days that they are not in school.  Summit Street students will be using our third-floor rooms, gym, restrooms and outside green space for this well-received and appreciated program.  EJRP will clean the space each day and the number of kids will be limited to how many can safely meet.  For the church to participate in such a program and meet the community’s needs is a great opportunity and it’s a wonderful testament for our church to be thought of as a possible site.  All of us will need to adjust what we do to make this vital initiative work but we can do it!

 Unfortunately, many of our groups are larger than can safely meet right now, and many of the ways we interact with each other are conducive to the spread of the disease: we talk, eat, hug, sing, and meet in small rooms for hours.  But the staff and lay leaders are looking for ways to draw people together.  Josh and Laurie have been taking the youth groups on hikes, Josh and I have provided pastoral walks and visits in chairs under trees, Laurie and CE will be having on site Faith Formation once a month outside, Carol and the choir are looking at parking lot choir rehearsals, hospitality is thinking about having coffee and cocoa outside on Sunday mornings for those who attend ‘drive-in’ church services in the parking lot, and Josh sits and has lunch with a small group of folks on Mondays. In many ways we are busier and providing more support to our community than we were pre-COVID!  We are all working to keep the church vibrant, active and our people connected to each other.

If you have questions, concerns, ideas, or insights, please pass them along to one of our staff members or lay leaders.  If you are feeling particularly isolated, let us know so that we can use the church’s many resources to support you.  Together, our church has been strengthened through this time of stress and together we will remain an ever growing and vibrant member of the Essex community.  Thank you all for shouldering the weight of change and continuing to make First Church a great community in which to belong.

We, as your Executive Committee, will do our best to continue to keep you informed.

Christ’s blessings be with you all,

The Executive Committee of the Church Council:

Maureen Evans, Cathy Shearer, Christine Sinkewicz, Ann Gray, Alison Wermer

Josh Simon [ex officio] & Mark Mendes [ex officio]