I praise God for each of you and for your patience and grace during the Coronavirus pandemic. I realize that, for many, this is a fearful and difficult time and that many of the things we love and cherish have been disrupted. The disruption of public worship has been a tough pill to swallow and yet our congregation has demonstrated an amazing amount of resiliency, optimism, and, of course, unwavering faith in the goodness of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

 The number of cases of COVID-19 is subsiding and our governor is loosening the restrictions that were necessary to slow the spread. Our Session is moving thoughtfully and carefully to resume public (in-person) worship in a way that safeguards the health and well-being of our congregation. We developed procedures that follow the guidelines that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) published on their website: “Interim Guidance for Communities of Faith.” On May 31^st, we asked a small group of people to attend worship (if they felt comfortable) to test our procedures so that we could have a bit of practice and to ensure they were feasible. We are confident that we can resume public worship for those: who do not fall into the high risk category, are not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, and feel comfortable in a public worship setting. The building will be open for worship beginning Sunday, June 7^th at 10:00am (note the worship time change).

 Please read “Returning to Public Worship: A Guide for Church Members and Visitors” (mailed and emailed to each household). This will help you know what to expect if you feel comfortable in public worship and it details the procedures in place to protect worshipers. If you are not comfortable worshiping at the church or if you are in the high risk category, or are experiencing symptoms, we love you (very much in fact!) but please stay home for the well-being of yourself and those around you. Our live streaming worship service will continue online.

 Finally, let us remember that our church is made up of a diverse group of people. Some feel that COVID-19 is a hoax, others are deeply fearful. Some have medical concerns that place them at a high risk, others may simply need some time to readjust before entering the church for worship. Let’s have grace and understanding with one another. There is NO JUDGMENT against those who are not comfortable in a public worship setting yet, are unable to worship, or who come to worship but have a higher sense of caution than you do. The grace of God abounds, so it should also abound between us.

 God bless each of you as we serve our risen Savior together!

 In Christ,

Pastor Randall