Dear Parish Family,
As we enter the summer months, I want to take this opportunity to update you on the status of our reopening Christ Church for public worship. The last several Sundays have seen a steady return, and I am very thankful that we seem to be getting back on track. In talking through this with the Vestry, we are convinced that certain relaxations in our guidelines are in order, given recommendations from local and national officials. We say all of this with a reminder that everyone at Christ Church is free to make their own decisions concerning whether, when, and how they will return to the public liturgies. That is not something we can decide for you. We can only urge you to take precautions, as we simultaneously urge you to return to this sacred Christian duty.
For the summer, we are making the following recommendations to all parishioners:
Continue to bring your own prayer books and hymnals. We will continue to make copies available for visitors.
Wash hands upon entering and leaving the building. All entrances and exits will now be open.
Facial coverings are encouraged, but by no means required.
Continue to follow social distancing protocols (six feet between households).
Think about it as very similar to entering a store these days. If you are feeling sick, please stay home. If you are particularly vulnerable, please stay home and worship the Lord in the daily office or following along with our several live-streaming options.
In terms of policies specific to Christ Church:
All surfaces in the nave will be wiped down following each liturgy.
We will observe best practices such as communion in front of the rail, not passing offering plates, and passing the peace through eye contact, elbow bumps, etc.
We will continue to keep all catechesis offerings, non-essential meetings, etc. in a remote fashion or outdoors.
We will be exploring the possibility of offering coffee and other refreshments in the parish hall in the near future.
We continue to ask that no judgments be passed by anyone as to the practices and/or precautions of fellow parishioners. This is an opportunity to exercise Christian freedom and to do so in joyful charity. We simply want to encourage you to return to public liturgies as an expression of our common devotion to Our Lord, our communion and fellowship, and our intercession for a broken and sinful world.
If you have any questions, please let me know.
Reminders for this week:
- The Vestry and I continue to encourage you to give online, as well as accelerate your giving for this year. The Wardens and Treasurer are working to renegotiate our loan for our building, but what we would really like to do is pay it off. If you would like to contribute to that end, please make it known.
- Archbishop Foley Beach has announced a week of fasting and prayer in a Pastoral Letter released on Tuesday. I ask that you join me in this important discipline. Our nation is deeply hurting and we have the privilege to intercede for peace and justice at the throne of God.