Here we go. What follows is our proposed worship schedule for this summer. But, before I get to that, let me remind us all that everything could change. If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that what we do one week may not necessarily be what we do the next week.

The following were the guiding factors that went into the church council’s recommendation:

Find a way to bring as many of us together, at one time, in as safe a way as possible.
Continue an online option for those who are still not able to meet in person.
Be mindful that children 2-12 years old are still not eligible for the vaccine and are still encouraged to wear a mask indoors in public settings.
Act in the best interest and show solidarity with those who are still at-risk, both within our congregation and around the world.
Respect the fact that we have a congregation of mixed opinion regarding the COVID vaccination.
Move toward having as full a worship service as possible.

What this means…

From now until June 6th, our worship schedule will not change, but we are adding the following for the 8:30am indoor/in-person worship service.

Increase the amount able to attend from 40-65.
Resume congregational singing.
Require masks to be worn by everyone, vaccination status does not matter.

We will continue a zoom worship service at 9:30am for the next 3 weeks, with our last zoom service being held on Sunday, June 6th.

Beginning Sunday, June 13th, we will begin the following…

One worship service at 9:30am, held outside, under the tent and the surrounding area.
We will sing.
Return of the children’s sermon.
Masks are optional.
You do not need to sign-up or check-in.
Please bring your own chair, but one can be provided for you.
Coffee and Cookies will return after the service
For inclement weather, we will move inside (rain, heat, humidity). If we move inside, masks will be required but we will not limit the amount of people who can attend. We will make this notification as soon as possible, but it might be a “game-time” decision.
The service will be live-streamed on our YouTube channel and posted to our website immediately afterwards.
The building will be open for people to go into the sanctuary to sit and reflect.

Please know there was good and strong conversation at council regarding these recommendations. There were a variety of opinions and it was hard coming to a consensus.

As you read the upcoming schedule, some of you might be elated, because that is exactly what you were hoping for and fully agree with the decisions. Some of you might be disappointed because you believe it is unnecessarily too cautious. I, and council, understand that we are not going to please everyone.

The more I think about this, I believe this is a really good option moving forward. While we are planning on primarily being outside, New England weather is rarely fully cooperative to our plans. I have to imagine, there will be several Sundays, throughout the summer, in which we will be forced to move inside. If you desire to be in the sanctuary for Sunday morning worship, I hope this will suffice. If you are still not able to be indoors but long to be in the physical presence of your sisters and brothers in Christ, we hope this will suffice.

I will never say that we have made all the correct decisions throughout the pandemic. I am sure there are things that could have been communicated better. I am sure there are ways in which we could have incorporated more people into what we are doing. I am sure there are…well, you could probably list off a couple of items that you wish we would have or could have done differently. I hope you know this, we have always made decisions based on what we believe is best for the health and safety of immediate church community and wider community in which we live. Sometimes that is what we personally want, sometimes it is the opposite of what we want.

I think outdoor worship this summer will be fun. It will have a different feel to it. Perhaps a lighter, more energetic and renewing feel to it. After all that we have gone through this past year, we could all use some new energy and a lighter feeling.

One last thing, Wednesday evening worships will begin again on Wednesday, June 16th. We will hold them under the tent and outside, and when weather dictates, move them inside. In addition, look for information about VBS soon. We are going to combine it with the Wednesday worships during the end of July and beginning of August and call it “Backyard Wednesdays.” We plan on having a cook out, worship and then VBS-style activities. It should be a lot of fun and hopefully reminiscent of backyard bbq’s that you have with friends and families over the summer.

Thanks for your patience and prayers.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Tim