My intention, at present, is to hold in-person worship this Saturday and Sunday. However, today, Bishop Saenz sent out a letter to all the clergy and laity of the Great Plains Conference (Kansas and Nebraska). You can read the entire letter at the link below, but let me quote the most important part:
“Out of an abundance of caution I am strongly encouraging that in-person worship services for congregations located in counties identified as being in critical or dangerous statuses related to the COVID-19 pandemic be suspended until further notice. I fully recognize that this means worshipping physically apart from one another during the Thanksgiving and Advent seasons, including Christmas Eve, funerals, weddings, and other large group gatherings but I believe this is the most responsible action at this time to preserve the health and wellbeing of our laity and clergy.”
Dickinson County is in critical status, but I believe the precautions we have in place (social distancing, mask-wearing, and no congregational singing) are adequate to address the present threat. That said, I’m sharing this post so that you might have all the information available to make your own assessment of whether or not it is safe to attend. If you don’t feel it is safe, please stay home, watch the video stream or listen to the radio broadcast, and be confident that your decision is a faithful one. (If you are an employee or volunteer scheduled to participate and prefer not to attend, please let me know so I can make other arrangements.)