When will we have services in the Sanctuary again?
That's the BIG question!
Session met by Zoom on Tuesday evening to form an answer. Our target for a first service in the building is Sunday, September 13. This is a target. Circumstances beyond our control may change our plans.
A Team has been named to formulate a policy and procedures for opening. This is not just about worship. It covers all access to and use of the building. After worship, rentals are of great importance. The Team represents Session and the Finance and Property Team, Members are Laurence DeWolfe, Bob Gannon. Eileen Graham, Carla Lyon. James Mason, and Nancy Thornton. They have been commissioned to develop all protocols necessary for us to have a service in the Sanctuary on September 13; and to do the same work regarding rentals and all use of the building from outside the congregation.
What do we know so far about returning to the building for worship? Worship won't be what it was. Coming back to the building doesn't mean going back to the way things were on Sunday, March 8. The way we're present to one another when we gather will be different. Music won't be the same. Congregational participation will be limited. Preaching will be different. Services will be shorter.
Will we still have worship resources online? Yes. In order to reach as many people as we can, we will continue online. For the foreseeable future this will be with recorded content. The goal is to combine live-streaming and recording. This will be the new norm. There will be regular worshipers who simply can't risk attending a public gathering. Others will choose not to come on some Sundays, out of an appropriate abundance of caution.
There are so many more questions! Yes. That's why we'll all need to watch this space! There will be communication via all media available to us, as often as possible. That includes informed word-of Please hold those important questions for now. Many of them can't be answered yet.