Friends in Christ,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ!
In last week's Ministry Moment, I spoke about St. James Lutheran's ongoing creative response to the pandemic. One year after moving our ministry online, we continue to gather as a church to share Christian love within this community. We are doing this in various (online and in-person) ways, which don't further spread the virus. Lord knows, I can’t wait until we are at a point that we can gather in safety without restrictions. But, sadly, we are not yet at that point.
I remain grateful that St. James has a Regathering Plan that guides our actions. As you might recall, we developed our detailed preparedness plan (click here) based on recommendations and guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Stay Safe MN, state and federal officials, and the wisdom from our medical community. Our Return to In-Person Ministry Team continues regularly to check it against the latest information to ensure compliance. I am thankful for their many hours of dedication and focus on keeping us as safe as we can be.
Last Friday, Governor Tim Walz announced the easing of several state restrictions concerning COVID. It prompted a few of you to ask how this would affect St. James Lutheran. Some have asked, "when will we return to the sanctuary now that there are no occupancy limits for faith services?"
I would encourage everyone to read the Governor's Emergency Executive Order 21-11. Whereas it removes certain limits, it adjusts occupancy capacity based to allow for a social distance of six feet between households and maintains the requirement of masks and face coverings. Further, Governor Waltz strongly encourages us to offer "virtual alternatives to the maximum extent possible." Each faith community needs to formulate and follow a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan, which aligns with the Stay Safe Minnesota website's information.
Back in November, the Council approved St. James Lutheran's COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. As I've mentioned above, our Regathering Plan has provided sound, medically-based guidance for our ministry. Following the downward trends of infection rates, positivity test rates, and daily new cases, we are increasing the use of our building and offering more in-person opportunities for worship.
Our plan's wisdom is that our regathering moves according to how the virus is affecting our community. We have resisted the urge to set arbitrary dates for reopening parts of our building. The experience of churches that have gone this route has been opening too soon and closing again. It places a burden on limited resources and a strain on staff; notification of changes and adjusting worship spaces, practices, and sanitization procedures takes time. Our It also poses an unnecessary risk of infection, particularly to those who are most vulnerable.
We have made slow but steady progress. Currently, we find ourselves in Phase 3a. If the numbers continue to improve, it won't be long until we enter Phase 3b, which allows for limited use of the sanctuary.
Meanwhile, I am pleased to report that weekly worship remains strong at our Drive-In, Livestream, and Zoom communion options. And there is plenty of room to register for our indoor hybrid worship.
Whether you decide to attend in your car, online, zoom, or in-person, I look forward to waving to you this coming weekend in worship.
In Christ's Light,
Pastor Walt