Posted Monday, April 4, 2022
We’re grateful to be able to share with you some updates regarding our COVID-19 protocols here at HUMC.
First of all, I want to say how FAITHFUL this church has been — not only the leadership, who have been tasked with difficult decisions for two years on how to respond with wisdom and care, but also in this congregation’s solidarity with, respect for, and honoring of one another.
We were cautious, thoughtful, and discerning about when was the right time to return to in-person worship and to gather safely. We waited longer than most churches to do this.
We have kept our masks on longer than most places — because first and foremost we wanted to protect those most vulnerable, we wanted to watch and see if the numbers would continue to stay down, and we knew that not everyone was ready and felt safe.
It was with the same caution and care that this past Thursday evening your Church Council voted to make the following adjustments to our protocols effective Monday, April 4th:
- Starting April 4, masks will only be required for our Children’s Ministry programs.
- Masks will be optional for worship, small group gatherings, and for all groups who use our space.
- Individual groups may set their own agreed-upon policies, in order to care for one another with the same kind of love.
- And we will continue to make N-95 masks as well as COVID test kits available for anyone who needs them.
It’s time, friends — it’s time for us to remove yet another barrier to us connecting with one another, healing from the isolation and separation we’ve experienced, and moving forward as a church.
We are working to return to our coffee hour and reopening our nursery, but we will need the help of the church to be willing to help staff and lead these efforts.
- Contact Lindsay Robinson if you’re interested in working in the nursery (this is a paid position).
- Contact Lori Lee in the office if you’re interested in serving on a coffee/refreshments team once a month.
We make this announcement now, a week before we gather again for worship together, because we want to give people time to process and make decisions about what they will do going forward. Right now, most people come to worship expecting that everyone will be masked, so we didn’t think it was fair to lift the mask requirement until after we had given you all a heads up. To all of the staff and leadership here at HUMC: YOU have been SO FAITHFUL. It has been HARD.
We will continue to honor and respect one another and the choices we make to keep ourselves in a place of safety.
Grateful for each of you…