Pastor's Pondering - July 31, 2020

Dear friends,

Thank you for your excellent response to the survey concerning in-person worship. This insight helped the Session greatly in our recent decision to suspend in-person worship through September. We will continue to have worship premiering on Sunday mornings on youtube, and an opportunity for outdoor worship, weather depending on August 16 (see announcement below) . Here are some highlights from the survey that helped influence our decision:

• 98% are willing to wear masks (thank you for loving your neighbors and caring for others by being overwhelmingly willing to mask)

• The results of when it is safe to return to in person worship and open the building for activities and when is the soonest you would consider coming back to in person worship had mixed results. Only 10 % said they would be willing to return in September.

• 37% want to wait until there is a vaccine.

• 7% said they will remain worshiping online.

• 49% said they were in favor of rolling out house churches or small groups .

As we adapt and shift while keeping safety in the forefront of our planning, we will continue to have smaller, in-person gatherings available. We are also continuing to work on how to live-stream the worship service when we do come back for in-person worship to include the significant number of folks who are waiting for a vaccine or similar treatment.

I am overwhelmed by the good care of WMA, the Session, and the congregation in general and your level-headed, thoughtful, and caring responses in these challenging times. I'm so grateful to serve with you during this time! Thank you, and thanks be to God!

Grace and peace,

Jess