COVID-19 Update January 7, 2022
Updated January 12, 2022
Again we find ourselves shifting our behaviors to react to the ongoing changes concerning the Coronavirus and the new omicron strain. Vermont just registered its highest single day case infection number and our hospital occupancy rate continues to rise with medical professionals sounding the alarm. Your staff and church leadership are moving the church to a more cautious stance for January and will re-evaluate the situation in February. The following steps are designed to both keep us safe and continue to offer us avenues in which we can remain connected.
- Church Committees / Groups are asked to conduct meetings via Zoom.
- Clergy/staff will refrain from in-person pastoral visits unless appropriate.
- Outside Groups will make their own decision whether they will continue to meet in our facilities; if so, they will be required to wear masks and conduct contact tracing.
- Our Outreach Groups [Thrift Store, Food Pantry, Essex Eats Out, etc] will determine whether to continue operating and if so what covid protocols they will take. For now, the Thrift Store has decided to close for January and the Heavenly Food Pantry will shift back to delivering food to people in the parking lot. Coincidentally, Essex Eats Out [our free meal once a month group] will start up again in February with take out only and deliver the meals to the parking lot.
We will continue to hold BOTH our hybrid [streamed and in-person] 8:30 a.m. worship service AND our 10:15 a.m. service. This will give people a choice and spread out the number of people at each service while providing the ever-important opportunity for human interaction, something sorely lacking in today’s isolating context.The Sanctuary Choir will take January off while Finally @ First will continue to offer us their inspiring music at the 10:15 a.m. service. We will continue to sing while masked at each service and require signing in for contract tracing.We continue with two services because everyone has been so respectful of our requirement of wearing masks and because Governor Scott has not limited indoor groups from meeting if they follow the above protocols. Thank you all.
- UPDATE 12-Jan: After the spike in cases, Rick Dooley and Finally @ First have decided to not provide their fantastic music during our in person service. With both the Sanctuary Choir AND Finally @ First not performing, we have determined to only have ONE SERVICE @ 10 a.m. Because we believe in the importance of providing a time for folks to love and support each other in community, we will continue to have our one service at 10 a.m. be live and in person. It will naturally be streamed for all to enjoy from the comfort of your homes starting at 10 am every Sunday morning.
- As always, these new protocols can change quickly depending on how the situation unfolds. Thank you all for being flexible, gracious and active in our church as she continues to adapt to the ever-morphing coronavirus.
Please seriously consider getting vaccinated or boostered if you have not already done so and pray for the health and safety of people suffering from the virus, our front-line workers in the medical field and elsewhere and our church as we seek to spread Christ’s love during this time of anxiety, uncertainty and fear. If any of you have needs that our faith community can help with, please do not hesitate to call the church office or one of our staff members [802 878-5745].
May God continue to bless us all, in Christ’s name, amen.
Rev. Mark