'covid-19' Tagged Posts
Return to in-person worship (again)
To our Grace Church family and friends, As promised, church council has been meeting regularly to review the possibility of returning to sanctuary services. We met again on Feb 14 and agreed to return to in-person worship services this Sunday, Feb 20. Case numbers have returned to where they were in Nov, and hospitalizations are back to where they were in Dec (and are trending in the right direction) We will continue to follow the safety protocols that were in…
Worship update – 2022-01-28
Last night (27 Jan), Church Council held a special meeting to review the current state of Covid cases in Fairfield County. While the number of cases has peaked and is coming back down, it was decided that they are still higher than we would like. So, for the next at least the next two weeks (through 6 Feb), we will remain online-only for worship. Council will meet again in two weeks and re-examine the data. In the meantime, you can…
Pastor’s Column – Aug 2021
I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you. Philippians 1:3-5 In this time of Covid and social distancing, I have developed a new appreciation for the ways in which Paul greets churches that are out of his reach. They are either too far away or in the context of Philippians, Paul is restricted to his tiny jail cell, not able to leave even if he…
Returning to In-Person Worship
To our Grace Church family and friends, As promised, church council has been meeting every two weeks to review the possibility of returning to sanctuary services. We met again on April 8 and agreed to return to in-person worship services on May 9. Selecting this date will allow us to accomplish a number of important objectives. While many of our members have been fully vaccinated, this date allows for many of the younger members of the church to complete the…
Regarding In-person Worship
13I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Wait for the Lord! Psalm 27 Dear Grace Family and Friends, Church Council met informally on Thursday (11 March) to discuss scheduling a reopening date for sanctuary worship services. We are reviewing data regarding the virus, the increase in vaccinations, and recommendations from the CDC, the Central Southeast Association, the Heartland…
Sanctuary Service Procedures
Grace Church Family and Friends, As we look everyday at the numbers of positive Covid cases in our county, state and around the country, we all continue to wonder how we will return to our sanctuary services, reuniting in our sacred space. We pray that you are safe and well, but this time of separation is becoming increasingly difficult for many. We have developed a proposed plan that will allow us to return to the sanctuary, if all can agree…
Returning to worshiping in person
Grace Family and Friends This Sunday, 20 September 2020, we will be back in the sanctuary for worship (provided Fairfield County does not move back to level 3 this Thursday). It is an exciting time for Grace. It is also a time for some caution as we continue to confront the concerns related to the virus. We feel that we can make this work if we follow some guidelines. We sent those guidelines to you in the last newsletter (they’ll…
How Long, O Lord?
How Long, O Lord? ~Psalm 13 If there was a prayer of the year, it would be Psalm 13. How long, O Lord? How long until we can reunite with loved ones without fear of contracting or spreading the Coronavirus? How long do we have to wear unflattering masks that are both hot and uncomfortable? How long until we can safely sit down in our favorite restaurants with close friends? How long until we can worship together in the sanctuary?…
Covid-19 worship update
To our Grace United Church of Christ Family and Friends In response to the ongoing health crisis facing our community and our nation, our gathering time for worship was not held on March 15. After much prayer and discussion, the Church Council, in an online meeting, has decided to honor the request of the Heartland Association and the Governor to promote social distancing for the health and safety of our church family. Church services will be offered online between this…
A few notes
First off, thank you for your patience during this time of upheaval and experimentation. As noted earlier, the office and building will remain closed until further notice. All past sermons have been uploaded to the website (including this past Sunday’s Facebook live worship), click the sermon archive button to listen. If you are in need of pastoral care, please contact Pastor Vanessa via e-mail at pastor@graceucclancaster.org or call her at 740-206-9724. We will keep you updated via our various social…