Our church has resumed indoor, in-person worship, with worship live-streamed to our YouTube channel. If you plan to join us in the sanctuary, we ask that you follow our current health & safety rules, as listed below. If you would like to access worship via YouTube, please click "worship" and visit our "past services" page.
May 27, 2021 Greetings Cross Roads Family & Friends,
This has been a very unusual 14 months in the life of our congregation, our communities, and all around the world. We have been stuck in our homes away from one another, we have limited our activities in order to keep others and ourselves safe. Gradually, things are starting to improve and hope is at the end of the tunnel. With the development of incredibly effective vaccines and leaning more about the coronavirus, we have seen cases and hospitalizations and deaths lower to far fewer than we’ve seen in a LONG time. Throughout the pandemic, your Session and its elected Covid Task Force have been working very diligently to be sure that we are worshiping safely and taking all precautions seriously. Both have done a great deal of work, and I have nothing but gratitude for them. This past Sunday, our Covid task force met and developed new policies for the church in light of the CDC’s new guidance that was released last week. On Wednesday, May 26, Session voted for these new policies to go into effect, starting immediately. They are below: Sunday morning worship services (indoor & outdoor) 1. All vaccinated individuals are able to attend without a mask. For those who are unvaccinated (by virtue of age, medical condition, or choice), you are encouraged to continue wearing a mask. 2. We will no longer take temperatures upon arrival, but we will continue to take attendance, in case we have a positive case and need to notify individuals. 3. Singing in worship will resume fully, but we will continue to ask that you maintain physical distance. Hymnals and prayer pads will be placed to encourage physical distance for the time being. 4. Worship will still be livestreamed on Sunday morning on YouTube and Zoom. 5. Please continue to bring your own elements or use the ones provided at church for Communion on the first Sunday of the month. 6. If you plan to volunteer with providing childcare, you must be vaccinated or wear a mask with the children. The vaccine is not available yet for children under age 12, and we want to be sure we are caring for the children amongst us.
Committee Meetings & other church business in the building 1. All vaccinated individuals are able to enter the building without a mask. For those who are unvaccinated (by virtue of age, medical condition, or choice), you are encouraged to continue wearing a mask. 2. All committee meetings will be accessible still by Zoom, even if happening in the church building.
If the way be clear, our chancel choir and traditional way of serving communion will return to worship on Sunday, October 3, which is also World Communion Sunday.
Thank you so much for your patience and diligence in all of these procedure and policy changes over the last year since we came back to in-person worship last summer. Our aim, first and foremost, has been (and continues to be) to keep everyone as safe and healthy as we possibly can while they attend worship at the church.
If you are an individual who has not been vaccinated yet and wishes to do so, please call the church office. I would be happy to help you get to an appointment.