{"id":13817,"date":"2020-06-17T17:04:05","date_gmt":"2020-06-17T21:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/?p=13817"},"modified":"2020-09-15T17:23:58","modified_gmt":"2020-09-15T21:23:58","slug":"june-17th-update-on-church-activity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/june-17th-update-on-church-activity\/","title":{"rendered":"June 17th Update on Church Activity"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"flex_column av_one_full  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding first  avia-builder-el-0  avia-builder-el-no-sibling  \" style='border-radius:0px; '><section class=\"av_textblock_section \"  itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock  '   itemprop=\"text\" ><h3 style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: center;\">A First Congregational Update on Church Activity<\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: center;\">in the Midst of the CoronaVirus Pandemic<\/h3>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: center;\">June 17, 2020<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dear Friends:<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It has been a mere three months since we first started adjusting our life together in order to keep everyone who uses our church safe.\u00a0 Both staff and church leaders have taken a cautious approach and have relied on the CDC, Vermont Department of Health, Governor Phil Scott\u2019s Office as well as current scientific and local conditions.\u00a0 We will continue to keep the safety and welfare of all of you as our top priority and stay the cautious approach.\u00a0 Even though we all want to end this quarantine exile and get back to some good old fashioned face to face interactions with our friends and relatives, the science does not support the more liberal approach if we are to keep all our members safe.\u00a0 So as a church, we simply need to continue our course and stay connected in the ways we have developed over the last three months.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Church Council has empowered the Executive Committee to be the point group to keep up with the coronavirus situation and make determinations concerning opening dates and church use.\u00a0 Here are the most up to date determinations that apply to any and all groups that use our space.<\/p>\n<ul style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<li>Worship and Faith Formation: A VERY TENTATIVE date of September 13th has been set as a possible re-opening date.\u00a0 The Executive Committee will RE-EVALUATE the situation in mid to late August to re-affirm that date or extend it.\u00a0 So much depends on what the coronavirus does in the fall.<\/li>\n<li>Church Groups are strongly encouraged NOT to meet in person.\u00a0 Zoom meetings are working well and summertime is the season when committee work slows down.\u00a0 If committees must meet in person, they are free to do so outside with social distancing protocols [distance, masks].\u00a0 All church groups must continue to honor Vermont Health Department advice for at risk members to continue to stay home and safe [65 years or older, respiratory and immune-compromised health issues, etc].<\/li>\n<li>Specific outside groups will be allowed to begin meeting within our space starting July 6th but limited by number, space and protocols.\u00a0 We will limit any group to 10-15 people, require them to stay in a designated area within the church, follow all safety protocols and clean up with a bleach solution after each meeting.\u00a0 The groups approved to begin meeting are AA, Scouts and the Grange.<\/li>\n<li>Sanctuary Tours:\u00a0 Mark your calendars for August 22! We know that people want to see all the work done in the sanctuary AND the administrative wing during this pandemic.\u00a0 It is stunningly beautiful. We are still waiting on a few projects to wrap up but plan to open it up for small group tours on this date. Stay tuned for more details of what promises to be a celebratory event.<\/li>\n<li>Vacation Bible Camp @ home 2020 Knights of the North Castle \u2013 Quest of the King\u2019s Armor will be a flexible and safe program for the whole family and for all ages on August 10<sup>th<\/sup>-14<sup>th<\/sup>.\u00a0 Our VB Camp team of volunteers have been armoring up with truth, justice, peace, faith &#038; salvation as they continue to work to moving our normal in-person stations onto videos that families can watch and then do the activities from the safety of their own home.\u00a0 Families will need to register for camp (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fccej.org\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/www.fccej.org&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1592513571886000&#038;usg=AFQjCNFq1BLcxecOKsJ6aW_ArLW3Ju8Kvg\">www.fccej.org<\/a>\u00a0look for the KONO logo) so that they receive the VBC news email with our secure link and password to the videos along with a Zoom link to meet the VBC team, Sparky the puppet and build community.\u00a0 We will kick off our week with a drive thru the church parking lot on Sunday afternoon from 4-5pm.\u00a0 At this time families will be welcomed by the VBC team and collecting their take home bags.\u00a0 Starting on Monday, camper knights will have fun creating their own costume and making a belt of truth, breastplate of justice, shoes of peace, shield of faith and helmet of salvation and much more.\u00a0 Families will have the flexibility to decide when VBC happens in their daily schedule (morning, afternoon or evening).\u00a0 We look forward to seeing everyone on Friday night at 7pm in the church parking lot for a safe and in-person celebration.\u00a0 Camper will be encouraged to \u2018be strong in the Lord\u2019 and wear their knight costumes, a mask and practice social distancing.<\/li>\n<li>Starting in July and August, Rev. Mark and Rev. Josh will be providing opportunities for drive by outside pastoral visits.\u00a0 Every Wednesday at 10 a.m. in the parking lot either drive up to talk or sit under a shade tree over by the Thrift store and converse with Rev. Josh in July or Rev. Mark in August.\u00a0 And if you want to walk, call either one to arrange for that type of pastoral visit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is good to note that despite our discomfort with the current \u201cstay at home\u201d order, our church continues to run smoothly and effectively.\u00a0 Streamed worship is attracting double the number of people who had physically attended on past Sunday mornings; meetings are conducting the business of the church smoothly;\u00a0 staff continue to fulfill their job descriptions [and more given what the new technology demands]; groups continue to meet and reach out into the community to fulfill Christ\u2019s call to feed and clothe people and our members continue to financially support our efforts to live into God\u2019s call in a new and different way.\u00a0 Thank all of you for the extra effort in accomplishing all of\u00a0 this ministry!<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In closing, the Executive Committee would like to thank all of you for making this extremely anxiety ridden time easier by engaging in our electronic ministry, continuing your financial support, gracefully following our church\u2019s coronavirus guidelines,\u00a0 and looking for creative ways to be the church as the future unfolds with unexpected twists and turns.\u00a0 Naturally, as that unfolding takes place, we will make policy adjustments to fit the new information and communicate that to you in a timely manner.\u00a0 Everyone should continue to learn of updates and programs available by going to our newly renovated website:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.fccej.org\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/www.fccej.org&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1592513571886000&#038;usg=AFQjCNFq1BLcxecOKsJ6aW_ArLW3Ju8Kvg\">www.fccej.org<\/a>\u00a0or you can call the church office.<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">God\u2019s blessings on you all,<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Executive Committee,<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: center;\">Maureen Evans: President\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cathy Shearer: Vice President<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: center;\">Christine Sinkewicz: Clerk\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Alison Wermer: Deacon Co-Chair<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: center;\">Ann Gray: Treasurer\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Rev. Mark Mendes: ex-officio<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: center;\">Rev. Josh Simon: ex-officio<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-church-life-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13817"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14183,"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13817\/revisions\/14183"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fccej.org\/v5\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}