Before I get into the updates and new information, I want to thank you all for everything you have been doing during this time. Many thanks to those who have recorded their music, discipleship moments, scripture readings, and prayers. I’ve loved seeing the submissions and getting to share them with the wider community. Thanks also to those of you who have provided technical support to your friends and neighbors in our community, helping people to sign into Zoom, join us over the phone, or helping people to find our services online. Thanks as well to those who are joining us for worship every week, whether live on Zoom, or later through Facebook of Vimeo. Finally, thanks to all of you who are checking in on each other. This has been a trying and tiring time for all of us, but I am thrilled at the way we have continued to be in community together even as we must remain apart.

The Session had a conversation over Zoom last night to start thinking about our path forward. We are not yet ready to resume in-person worship or even to set a date when that might happen. We understand that some of you are ready and eager to come back together, but we do not yet have enough information to do so safely. In the same vein, the Session decided to continue to close our building to outside groups and meetings. These measures are not punishment toward anyone, but are part of our responsibility to use our best judgement in service of the community, including our health and safety.

We also reached this difficult decision to cancel VBS for this summer. Our planned program, Knights of North Castle, will still be supported by Cokesbury next year, and we look forward to sharing it with the community on the summer of 2021. We are asking for everyone to start now helping to make paper snowflakes for the decorations. Let’s use this time to make our space truly magical!

Finally, I’d like to invite us all to spend time thinking about how we can continue to support our local community, both those part of the church and those outside. Let’s continue looking for ways we can care for each other, including considering what resources we may be able to share with our church, our neighbors, and others, both as individuals and as a community. I invite you to share those ideas with me, by phone, on the church Facebook page, or email so we can respond to our neighbors’ needs.