by Ariel BenYishay
I hope you are all staying safe during this tropical storm, and otherwise weathering our tumultuous times as well as can be hoped for.
Over the past month, the board has addressed some challenging COVID-related issues and at the same time has worked on organizational improvements to streamline decision-making and communication.
Regarding the resumption of in-person services by the Church of God (COG), our renters:
First, a deep note of appreciation to all of you who provided feedback to the board via our Café Conversation, online form, and emails. We heard a wide array of perspectives on this challenging topic, which helped inform our deliberations as a board. The passion behind many of your comments came through clearly, and I appreciate the depth with which you have engaged with this issue.
The board carefully considered your feedback and had an extensive discussion around virus transmission risks, best practices around those risks, and consideration for the COG. Based on all of this, at our meeting on July 28, the board passed a motion offering for the COG to resume in-person indoor services in September if they adhere to the Governor’s guidelines and, in addition, wear masks throughout. Just yesterday, the COG pastor let me know that they in fact would prefer to continue holding services in their alternative location for the time being because it is much larger and thus lets them socially distance at 10-15 feet between family groups on all sides. They do hope to return to WUU once conditions improve, but that will likely not be before the end of the year. We support their decision to make their in-person services as safe as possible. We plan to remain in touch and re-assess conditions later in the fall.
To assist with future COVID-related matters, we are forming a small Public Health Advisory Task Force to help the board stay apprised of conditions and best practices around COVID and related public health challenges.
As we look to the start of the program year, we are eager to return to our monthly efforts to track our progress toward our strategic plan goals, to continue to support all facets of the congregation during these uncertain times, and to find new and innovative ways to enhance our beloved community.
Thank you again for all of your engagement and your support. I know I speak for all of us when I say how proud we are to serve and represent you.