Reopening Worship, may 23

Dear Beloved Friends and Family of Cal Heights UMC,

As you may already be aware, we are intending to re-open our church facility for in-person worship and small group gatherings. The last year has been exceedingly difficult due to the pandemic and we have been working hard to prepare our staff, volunteers, and facility to be both safe and inviting for you as we gather once again. The intended date of our first indoor, in-person worship gathering is this coming Pentecost, May 23rd. We are still awaiting some approvals from our Annual Conference which we anticipate will be given prior to the date we’ve chosen. I cannot tell you enough how excited I am to have the opportunity to gather once again in the Sanctuary to worship with you! It has been a long and tough year for all of us and the Spirit of God has been moving in and through Cal Heights UMC in our physical absence from one another. 

Pentecost is an especially auspicious day for us to gather once again as t celebrates the ‘birth’ of the Body of Christ, the Church, as the Holy Spirit entered not only the Apostles (Jesus’ 12 disciples), but the entire congregation of believers. The day of Pentecost was that moment when God proclaimed to all Creation that ALL PERSONS were valued, loved, and would be used by God to change the world! This year, we have the opportunity to proclaim the same message to our community and the world. As a reconciling congregation, we not only invite, but we welcome and empower all persons to become and grow as disciples of Christ as together we journey to do God’s holy work of compassion and witness of God’s grace.

There are a few things that are exceedingly important to inform you as we prepare to re-open our building and move into this new and mysterious future in ministry together. First, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED. The manner in which we will gather and worship is, by necessity, different than ever before as our responsibility towards one another’s safety and health must be foremost in our thoughts as we prepare for worship. The early church leader Paul wrote, “Love is the fulfillment of the law for love does no harm to one’s neighbor.” We believe at Cal Heights that it is vital to our witness of faith that we do everything we can to do no harm. 

To this end, you may expect the following changes (and perhaps a few others) when you gather together once again: RSVP’s for worship, (see insert) socially distanced seating, assigned seating, hand sanitizer, temperature checks and questionnaires prior to entrance, limited participatory liturgy, no congregational singing, mask-wearing throughout the service, no physical bulletins, regular use of video screen to replace bulletins, usher escorts to and from pews, and, most likely, a line to enter. As I mentioned earlier--EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED. As time goes on and scientific guidelines allow us to safely adapt to less rigorous requirements, we will make appropriate changes. In the meantime, we will be vigilant in our safety protocols to do our best to keep everyone safe. 

I hope to see you soon as we witness the re-birth of our church in the days to come. Blessings, and God be with you and all your family. Amen.

Pastor Douglas A Dickson