When will we gather again?

For more than a year, we have fasted from truly communal, embodied worship, and in just a few days, we will celebrate another pandemic Easter. For many of us, this has been the longest Lenten season we have ever observed, with the discipline of the fast extending to touching, singing, hugging, and seeing each other’s faces without masks.

We are grateful for the availability of vaccines, and we look forward to coming together in person, possibly very soon, for worship, study, service and fellowship. We have postponed all baptisms that would have taken place on Easter until Pentecost, May 23, and we are confident that most of us will be able to gather in-person safely then. We will continue to offer online worship services and, as the weather gets warmer in the spring, we will plan limited-attendance, outdoor services and fellowship events. 

So, will we have to wait until May 23 to return to the sanctuary for worship? It may happen sooner, depending on a small number of critical public health metrics in Davidson County: vaccination rates and transmission rates. Our Administrative Council has adopted a policy for returning to in-person worship; it puts the threshold at 

• a vaccination rate of 50-70%;

• a transmission rate of 5-10/100,000;

• and a positive test rate lower than 5%/100,000.

For context, on March 29, the vaccination rate in Davidson County was 15.3% (fully vaccinated), the transmission rate was 23/100,000, and the positive test rate was 5%. We hope that with vaccinations continuing and no new virus variants creating new challenges, we will be able to gather safely for in-person worship before May 23. When we do, we will continue to wear masks, maintain social distancing, and wash our hands frequently until the risk of transmission is negligible. Here is a shortened version of our rules (we encourage you to read the full text, including cleaning protocols):

1. We encourage individuals who are considered medically vulnerable, or who have contact with vulnerable populations, to refrain from attending in person until it is safe for all to do so.

2. We do not check individuals for symptoms at the doors, but expect all staff, congregants and guests, regardless of vaccination status, to refrain from attending in-person gatherings if they have been exposed to persons who have tested positive for COVID within the previous 14 days, or if they experience symptoms.

3. When possible, we prop main entrance doors open to minimize touching handles. Greeters/Deacons at the main entrances welcome worshipers and point out where masks and hand sanitizer stations are as well as bulletins and pre-packaged communion supplies.

4. We do not cap the number of attendees at services, but we limit it by roping off every other pew in the sanctuary and marking seating on the remaining pews to ensure social distancing.

5. We require congregants and guests (including children age 5+) to wear masks/cloth face coverings that cover their mouth and nose while arriving, attending, or departing from any events; disposable masks are provided.

6. We require all staff, including nursery workers and volunteers, to wear masks/cloth face coverings before, during, and after services as well as during church office hours; masks/cloth face coverings may be removed when staff are at their desks by themselves, or when they speak or sing during worship. 

7. We encourage all to wash their hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds or to make use of the hand sanitizer stations at the entrances.

8. We expect that social distancing recommendations be observed by all at all times (no hugs or handshakes; maintain physical distance of 6ft when seated; try to maintain physical distance of 6ft when moving).

9. Elevator use is limited to 2 riders per cab (more if all belong to the same household).

10. Water fountains are taped off to discourage their use.

11. We do not include congregational singing in our services for the foreseeable future, but continue to have small ensembles leading hymns; some congregants may find it meaningful to hum along, and we do not discourage that practice. 

12. Deacons offer prepackaged communion elements to worshipers at the entrances; we partake at the usual time in the service, but remain in the pews.

13. We do not collect an offering during worship services; worshipers may leave their offerings in trays or baskets at the doors or use mail-in or online giving options. 

14. We expect other groups who use our building to follow these guidelines.

15. Our Administrative Council will change these rules as circumstances allow or require.