With fall allergy season and continued high numbers of COVID cases in our area, we strongly recommend if you are not feeling well to join us online for worship on Facebook or our website. We also continue to recognize that wearing masks during this difficult time is a personal choice; and we respect your choice. We continue to recommend that all people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, wear masks during worship and other activities inside the church building. We will continue congregational singing and unison responses. In worship, staff and choir/featured singers may take off their masks to speak or sing if they choose. The staff will wear masks in solidarity with those who are immunocompromised or unable to be vaccinated.

With fall allergy season and continued high numbers of COVID cases in our area, we strongly recommend if you are not feeling well to join us online for worship on Facebook or our website. We also continue to recognize that wearing masks during this difficult time is a personal choice; and we respect your choice. We continue to recommend that all people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, wear masks during worship and other activities inside the church building. We will continue congregational singing and unison responses. In worship, staff and choir/featured singers may take off their masks to speak or sing if they choose. The staff will wear masks in solidarity with those who are immunocompromised or unable to be vaccinated.

Letter from our trustees:

August 12th, 2021

Dear Aldersgate Family and Friends: 

Much thought and prayer has gone into reviewing the COVID19-related inputs we’ve received in recent weeks:

  • the most recent CDC guidance

  • the upward trend in the COVID19 Positivity Rate for our area (from 3% to 10% over the last 4-5 weeks)

  • direction from the Bishop

  • input from our Core Leadership team, staff, and some of our laypeople

In response, we have updated our COVID-19 indoor use protocol for the church. Please see the update and important reminders below, as well as the letter from our Bishop.  
 
UPDATE
We recognize that wearing masks during this difficult time is a personal choice, and we respect that. Beginning this Sunday, August 15, we are strongly recommending that all people, vaccinated and unvaccinated, wear masks during worship and other activities inside the church building. We will continue congregational singing and unison responses. In worship, staff and choir/featured singers may take off their masks to speak or sing if they choose. 
 
IMPORTANT REMINDERS

  • For the protection of others, please worship online with us instead of in person, if:

    • you feel ill or are running a fever

    • have been in close proximity to anyone is ill or who has tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 14 days

  • All adults working with children indoors are required to wear masks. Children are not currently vaccinated and we want our children, their parents, and their grandparents to feel secure that we put their safety and health first.

We know that this isn’t convenient and we know that there are a lot of mixed emotions and differing perspectives about the current status of the pandemic. Rather than reverting back to a previous stage in our safety protocols, we are adding this additional safety step in consideration that some of our church members are immune-compromised or battling health issues, and the children in our church family cannot yet receive the vaccine. We are moving forward with mindfulness and in keeping with our commitment to do no harm and to do good within our community. 
 
Thank you for your understanding and your patience. It has not been easy to find balance between providing a meaningful in-person worship experience, and managing the virus-related risk… but we do believe the Lord is guiding us down the best path for our church.
 
We appreciate your continued prayers and support, 
 
Aldersgate Trustees
 
link:  Bishop McKee Encourages All To Wear Masks While In Church