WORSHIP | Covid Update

Downtowners,

As you are probably aware, we have been meeting on Sunday mornings for outdoor worship for about two months now. And we think outdoor worship has been great. It is a joy to see you all from behind masks out on the lawn. The music has been moving, the birds have been chirping, so many babies have been baptized, and God has been present, transforming our hearts and minds as God has always done whether it be inside or outside of a building. With the larger issue of COVID-19 and the present danger that it presents, we feel that being outdoors is our best option in gathering for worship.

We know that some of you have been asking about indoor worship saying, “When are we going to be back inside?” We get that. We miss that. We’ve thought about that. We think about it every day. On the other hand, we think about having to spread out with a maximum of 100 people inside. We think about having to pre-register to come to church. We think about having to take temperatures at the door, having no Downtown Kids, and not being able to have coffee. We think about having to keep the garage doors open and not sing. We think about not being able to provide the worship experience that we had earlier this year -- the worship experience we all desperately want to get back to as soon as we can.

What you might not know is that it’s not just Dawn and Lucas doing this thinking. In fact, a small but thoughtful group made up of members of the Session and the staff have been meeting regularly via Zoom since early March to consider these questions and attempt to make the best possible decisions that allow us to engage our community while keeping everyone as safe as possible. This group includes parents, high-risk retirees, and healthcare professionals. And we aren’t just talking amongst ourselves. We have been in regular communication with key contacts in our area including an epidemiologist, medical personnel, business leaders, and leaders at other area churches.

We are also regularly consulting news sources to keep track of current COVID-19 updates as well as forecasts for the future. Our best information at this time leads us to believe that in the coming months, circumstances will not be ideal for large in-person gatherings indoors. You may have noticed that some smaller groups, including Downtown Kids, the Different, Not Divided Workshop, and Confirmation, have recently started meeting indoors. By allowing a few small meetings to take place inside, we are looking at how our space can best be utilized in a safe manner. We are paying close attention to safety procedures for these small events and gatherings, and we are hopeful that we can continue to progress to additional indoor gatherings in a safe and meaningful way.

Right now, our plan is to continue offering outdoor worship at 10:00 AM for the foreseeable future. If you haven’t tried it yet, take a listen to our worship podcast while you walk or mow the lawn. If you like planning as much as we do, then you can pencil Sundays at 10:00 AM on to your calendar through Advent. And in the meantime, this group will continue to meet and thoughtfully consider how we, as a community, can keep connecting safely into the coming year. We are a work in progress.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/covid-data/forecasting-us.html
SCDHEC
Covid 19 Forecast Hub

Peace,

Kristen Vick (Chair)
Frank Mood
Lisa Hammersla
Helen Johnson
Julie Livoti
Maria Fabrizio
Lucas Jones
Dawn Hyde