Updates Regarding Coronavirus Pandemic
A Note to the Congregation
August 14, 2021
Dear Friends In Christ:
Unfortunately, the COVID situation continues to worsen in our community. As of yesterday, there are 108 individuals hospitalized at our local Brunswick hospital.* On Thursday night alone, six patients died of COVID at the hospital. While the data continues to reflect the fact that the vast majority of those who are hospitalized are unvaccinated, we are all no doubt connected at this point to multiple people in our area — both unvaccinated and vaccinated — who have tested positive and are experiencing symptoms in recent days.
In light of these developments and with input from local health professionals, the session met via Zoom on Friday afternoon to consider if and what changes to our existing policy would be prudent for the immediate future.
Two motions were approved unanimously:
Please know that these steps are not ones we make lightly. We recognize that the vast majority of our regular worshippers are fully vaccinated and that we all want nothing more than to return to “life as normal.” However, we also understand that our chief call as followers of Jesus Christ is to “love our neighbor as ourselves” (Mark 12:31). Wearing masks when we gather together indoors at the church for the immediate future is a simple way that we can help to mitigate the risk of inadvertent spread and live into that call by showing care for one another.
Most of all, let us each continue to be in prayer for those who are currently sick in our community and elsewhere as well as for those working tirelessly to care for them in our local hospital and clinics. The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that in both good and in challenging we are never alone. May we move forward together with faith and trust in the knowledge that God goes with us in these challenging times.
Peace,
Rev. Alan Dyer
Pastor
Dr. Leslie McCracken
Clerk of Session
*For reference, less than 1.5 months ago on June 25 there were 3 people hospitalized locally with COVID.
August 14, 2021
Dear Friends In Christ:
Unfortunately, the COVID situation continues to worsen in our community. As of yesterday, there are 108 individuals hospitalized at our local Brunswick hospital.* On Thursday night alone, six patients died of COVID at the hospital. While the data continues to reflect the fact that the vast majority of those who are hospitalized are unvaccinated, we are all no doubt connected at this point to multiple people in our area — both unvaccinated and vaccinated — who have tested positive and are experiencing symptoms in recent days.
In light of these developments and with input from local health professionals, the session met via Zoom on Friday afternoon to consider if and what changes to our existing policy would be prudent for the immediate future.
Two motions were approved unanimously:
- Effective this Sunday, August 15 we are requiring masks for all gatherings inside the church building. This includes Sunday worship, indoor meetings, and any other activities inside the building. The session views this as a temporary step that we will reevaluate as soon as the rate of local spread and hospitalizations begins to consistently trend down.
- We are also strongly encouraging anyone who is especially vulnerable to the COVID19 virus due to preexisting health conditions or other factors to consider refraining from attending in-person worship and instead temporarily join us online for the next few weeks.
Please know that these steps are not ones we make lightly. We recognize that the vast majority of our regular worshippers are fully vaccinated and that we all want nothing more than to return to “life as normal.” However, we also understand that our chief call as followers of Jesus Christ is to “love our neighbor as ourselves” (Mark 12:31). Wearing masks when we gather together indoors at the church for the immediate future is a simple way that we can help to mitigate the risk of inadvertent spread and live into that call by showing care for one another.
Most of all, let us each continue to be in prayer for those who are currently sick in our community and elsewhere as well as for those working tirelessly to care for them in our local hospital and clinics. The Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us that in both good and in challenging we are never alone. May we move forward together with faith and trust in the knowledge that God goes with us in these challenging times.
Peace,
Rev. Alan Dyer
Pastor
Dr. Leslie McCracken
Clerk of Session
*For reference, less than 1.5 months ago on June 25 there were 3 people hospitalized locally with COVID.
A Note to the Congregation
July 30, 2021
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released updated guidelines in response to the significant nationwide uptick in COVID19 infections over the past month. Throughout the pandemic, the session – the church’s governing body – has committed to following the protocols and guidance of our local, state, and national public health professionals. Accordingly, I am writing to let you know that we are updating our guidelines for public indoor gatherings in light of these recent developments.
Beginning Sunday, August 1, we are now recommending that all worshippers – vaccinated and unvaccinated – wear a mask while inside the sanctuary. This recommendation is in line with the CDC’s newly revised guidance, which states that, “fully vaccinated people wear a mask in public indoor settings if they are in an area of substantial or high transmission.” As an added safety measure, we are also reactivating the Grignard Pure system in our sanctuary starting this Sunday. This is a product approved by the EPA that is deployed through our HVAC system and has been shown to be highly effective at eliminating COVID19 in spaces where social distancing is difficult (e.g., sanctuary).
Right now this change to our COVID policy pertains primarily to Sunday worship since that is the key public activity in the life of our church each week that poses the most potential for possible transmission of the virus. Bible studies, ministry teams, and other activities that bring together smaller groups of fully vaccinated individuals at the church are free to continue meeting with or without masks depending on the preference of participants. We ask that anyone who is not vaccinated – including children and youth – to please continue wearing a mask at all times while inside the church. And, of course, if you do not feel well or are exhibiting symptoms of COVID19 please stay home.
We will continue to monitor local transmission rates as well as any additional guidance from public health professionals to determine if/when further precautions are necessary. In the meantime, please know that we remain committed to broadcasting a worship livestream each week if you feel it is best for you to remain at home. We support any person’s or family’s decision to worship in-person or online – all are part of the St. Simons Presbyterian community!
Peace,
Rev. Alan Dyer
Pastor
July 30, 2021
Recently, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released updated guidelines in response to the significant nationwide uptick in COVID19 infections over the past month. Throughout the pandemic, the session – the church’s governing body – has committed to following the protocols and guidance of our local, state, and national public health professionals. Accordingly, I am writing to let you know that we are updating our guidelines for public indoor gatherings in light of these recent developments.
Beginning Sunday, August 1, we are now recommending that all worshippers – vaccinated and unvaccinated – wear a mask while inside the sanctuary. This recommendation is in line with the CDC’s newly revised guidance, which states that, “fully vaccinated people wear a mask in public indoor settings if they are in an area of substantial or high transmission.” As an added safety measure, we are also reactivating the Grignard Pure system in our sanctuary starting this Sunday. This is a product approved by the EPA that is deployed through our HVAC system and has been shown to be highly effective at eliminating COVID19 in spaces where social distancing is difficult (e.g., sanctuary).
Right now this change to our COVID policy pertains primarily to Sunday worship since that is the key public activity in the life of our church each week that poses the most potential for possible transmission of the virus. Bible studies, ministry teams, and other activities that bring together smaller groups of fully vaccinated individuals at the church are free to continue meeting with or without masks depending on the preference of participants. We ask that anyone who is not vaccinated – including children and youth – to please continue wearing a mask at all times while inside the church. And, of course, if you do not feel well or are exhibiting symptoms of COVID19 please stay home.
We will continue to monitor local transmission rates as well as any additional guidance from public health professionals to determine if/when further precautions are necessary. In the meantime, please know that we remain committed to broadcasting a worship livestream each week if you feel it is best for you to remain at home. We support any person’s or family’s decision to worship in-person or online – all are part of the St. Simons Presbyterian community!
Peace,
Rev. Alan Dyer
Pastor
Updated Phased Reopening Plan
March 2021
At their March 2021 meeting, the session approved an updated Phased Reopening Plan for St. Simons Presbyterian. As vaccination rates continue to climb and the rate of spread locally and nationally continues to decrease, this plan allows for our congregation to continue safely resuming more indoor activities in the coming weeks/months. Although the ongoing nature of the pandemic necessitates continued precautions --- especially pertaining to indoor activities --- our hope is that the public health situation will continue to improve rapidly so that in just a matter of weeks or months we can start to lift any limits and eventually move back into the “normal” rhythms of full-scale indoor worship and congregational life as we knew it pre-COVID.
You can view the phased reopening plan clicking here.
March 2021
At their March 2021 meeting, the session approved an updated Phased Reopening Plan for St. Simons Presbyterian. As vaccination rates continue to climb and the rate of spread locally and nationally continues to decrease, this plan allows for our congregation to continue safely resuming more indoor activities in the coming weeks/months. Although the ongoing nature of the pandemic necessitates continued precautions --- especially pertaining to indoor activities --- our hope is that the public health situation will continue to improve rapidly so that in just a matter of weeks or months we can start to lift any limits and eventually move back into the “normal” rhythms of full-scale indoor worship and congregational life as we knew it pre-COVID.
You can view the phased reopening plan clicking here.
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A COVID-19 Conversation With Dr. Tom Hodge
July 2020 Since the beginning of March, we have been checking in regularly with health care professionals in our congregation to get their input on what activities they think are and are not safe for the church to be doing as this pandemic has progressed. One of those people is Dr. Tom Hodge. Tom is an immunovirologist who has spent his career in academia as well as 20+ years at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta studying viruses such as Ebola, SARS, Zika, and others. Despite technically being retired, he is now actively involved in research and consulting with pharmaceutical companies pursuing a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus. In July 2020, Alan & Tom sat down on the playground veranda to talk about all things coronavirus. |
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A Note to Congregation
March 2020 As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, all worship and regularly scheduled on-campus activities have been canceled until further notice. This action includes canceling Sunday worship, Wednesday night dinners, children and youth programming, on-campus Bible studies, and other church sponsored gatherings of roughly ten or more people. Please know that this is a step we do not take lightly. Church is supposed to be the place where we come together in times such as these, not a place we stay away from. But after conversation with several experts including a member of our congregation who is a retired CDC researcher, we have concluded that we have a responsibility to help protect our community - especially the most vulnerable in our community - by taking steps that will aid in mitigating the spread of the virus. One way to do this is by temporarily halting all large group gatherings where germs are most easily spread. Most staff are working remotely during this time. All staff are available via email and phone. Voicemails left with staff on their office phones will be forwarded to them via email and they will return messages as soon as they are able. Updates to the congregation will also continue to be communicated via the Web site, email, and social media. Please continue praying for all of those already impacted by this virus and for the many, many others in our community and beyond who are actively working to bring about healing. May we each seek to be agents of Christ's peace in these anxious times, trusting and knowing that God goes with us regardless of when and where we gather. Peace, Rev. Alan Dyer Pastor |
