Dear friends,
Throughout the pandemic our church has worked hard to keep our congregation and community as safe as possible from COVID. We’ve sought and continue to seek to follow one of John Wesley’s (our Methodist founder) simple rules which is to “Do No Harm.” Given the spike in COVID cases in our area recently and updated CDC guidelines this week, our ReOpen Team has re-evaluated our church’s COVID guidelines. Effective immediately, masks are required throughout our building during worship and all other activities. We hope this move will keep everyone as safe as possible from harm.
We celebrate that many folks who participate in our worship and ministries are vaccinated. We also pray more people in our community and state will go get vaccinated. Yet in light of the recent scientific evidence that shows that vaccinated people are able to transmit the virus, we feel it best to have everyone mask again. This won’t be much of a change for Sunday morning worship since everyone has been so willing to wear masks in order to protect our children under 12 and other vulnerable folks who are unable to receive the vaccine just yet. It will be a change for some of our ministries where participants are all vaccinated and therefore have not been wearing masks. We greatly appreciate your compliance with this change as we seek to protect ourselves and others.
This Sunday in worship, we have two important things happening … the Blessing of the Back Packs and the celebration of Holy Communion. Both are always very meaningful parts of our worship service. The ReOpen Team has worked through ways to have both happen in a manner that helps folks be able to participate while also maintaining a safe social distance. Instructions will be given during worship for both. We hope you’ll be able to join us at 10am, but we completely understand if you prefer during this time to watch the livestream on our Facebook page. Wherever you worship, know that you are always welcomed and loved at Avondale UMC, and we remain connected in Christ through our hearts.
Blessings,
Rev. Malinda Weaver & The ReOpen Team
ReOpen Team Members:
Neal Flum
Paige Gross
Margaret Kneisley
Kay Knowlton
Barbara Lee
Henry Levens
Randi Turner