Reopening Team Update for 2/27/22

We'll be back together again for in-person, outdoor worship services on the patio at our Hillcrest campus! Masked, reasonably distanced, and with a clear expectation that all who can do so will be fully vaccinated. This includes a booster.

• But no one is excluded and we'll do no checking about vaccination status.
• All masks must be N95, KN95, or KF94 types, fully covering the nose and mouth. No cloth masks will be allowed. Masks will be provided if needed.
• We trust everyone to use good judgement and we welcome persons of all ages.
• The overall rating for our area and California in general has dropped down to the "Very High" level. It's not down to "High," which we had hoped to reach, but we're convinced by the trends and by the real need for all of us to be together again.
• We know some among us are still struggling, due to being immunocompromised or other issues. We understand. And we hope you will find a comfortable place amidst our decisions.
• Our front-line staff have special, heightened concerns as well. We're trying to reach a balance. We realize we can't avoid all risk and prevent all possibility of infection.
• South Bay presents further issues since there is no designated, regular outdoor space for worship services. We hope the decisions for Hillcrest can guide decisions that will later be made about South Bay's services.
• Any time after resuming in-person services on the 27th we believe it will be OK for outdoor, in-person meetings to resume - in groups of no more than 15 - masked, distanced, and with high expectations about being fully vaccinated.
• Likewise, singing choirs and the handbell choir may exercise their own judgements about resuming practices, while acknowledging the special risks of spreading this air-borne disease through singing. We will not resume congregational singing at this time.
• We're taking some big steps about being together, which makes us happy. But we'll continue to watch many numbers carefully.