Alleluia! Christ is risen! The truth of this proclamation has never been more urgent. As Gus Richard said to me recently, “nothing is virtual for Jesus.” It’s true. While we may be doing things using the tools of virtual reality, Jesus is always real and present by his Spirit. He will receive glory through this sickness. I think of his words concerning the man born blind, which he said happened “…that the works of God might be displayed in him” (John 9:3). It would be good for all of us to ask how God’s work is being displayed in our individual situations. We don’t like change, but God sure seems to find it useful in our growth. He is Lord of all, including COVID-19, and he is at work through this time.

Now that our Governor and Mayor are taking steps toward resuming activities, it’s time for us to plan for this at church. I know that many of you are even more eager to resume fellowship than I am. However, my primary concern is to keep our people safe and healthy. Should we have an outbreak of COVID-19 within our church community, it will not only be concerning to those who get sick, but it will also cause a reversal in our reentry course. I don’t want to see that happen. Thus, we will intentionally move forward at a slower pace than the businesses of Florida.

Keeping in mind that this is all subject to change, I intend to follow a phased re-introduction to church life, all the while monitoring the associated risks and situation. We are also taking advantage of this time to pursue some modest sanctuary adjustments including the purchase and installation of new cameras to be able to accommodate permanent broadcasting of our service long after the coronavirus has passed. The vestry, staff and I are also considering painting the inside of the sanctuary like we recently did in the Narthex as well as building permanent choir risers and raising the music area for a neat and clean look and better vantage point for our musicians. I’ll share more about this once we come to a decision on how much to pursue in this time.

My current plan for phasing us back into worship follows this outline, with very speculative dates in parenthesis. 

Phase I = Limited attendance, registration required, 9 AM live broadcast of morning prayer (May 17).

Phase II = All welcome, 3 services of morning prayer, new cameras, broadcast late service (Early July).

Phase III = Three services with Holy Communion, coffee bar, children’s ministry, and Sunday school. (Late August) 

PHASE I – Beginning Sunday, May 17

Phase I for Grace will be opening the building for Sunday worship at 9 AM to a limited number of pre-registered households. A “household” could include a single person or a family with multiple people. We will continue to broadcast one service on Facebook for Sunday mornings, but my team feels that we could safely accommodate about 60 family units in the sanctuary by alternating pews and spacing out appropriately. It needs to be understood, however, that the church is presently set up for “TV church” as I’m calling it. The altar area has been temporarily modified to fit the camera view. There are some cords running from the camera tripod in the center of the main aisle under the pews and back to the sound booth. The sound mix in the room is also a bit askew because the audio is being mixed to sound best on Facebook. The words on the screen are smaller than usual.

The week leading up to May 17^th, we will set up a sign up site for families to request a seat in the sanctuary on Sundays. To accommodate the demand, people will be asked to alternate weeks, meaning the 1^st 3^rd and 5^th Sundays of the month or the 2^nd and 4^th Sundays of the month for each registration. There will be no childcare, Sunday school, or coffee fellowship afterwards. All will be expected to follow the current social distancing standards as defined by our Governor. If things go well, we will likely return to offering two services, one at 9 and another at 11. These services will remain a form of Morning Prayer, intentionally avoiding the Peace and Holy Communion. We will bring our financial offerings to the Lord using a basket or box near the entrance to avoid passing the plates.

Those who are particularly at risk or vulnerable to infection should remain at home where it is safest. If you are showing any signs of possible infection (fever, cough, etc.), please stay home even despite being registered for worship. Personal face masks are encouraged, but not required at this point.

PHASE II – After the sanctuary updates are complete (possibly late June or early July).

Begins after the sanctuary updates are completed and the altar area is restored to its usual configuration. The transition to this phase will also be driven by state recommendations. We will no longer require registration. We will continue using the Morning Prayer format for this phase.

PHASE III – Full church in the new normal (possibly by late August).

Will include a return to offering three services and Holy Communion along with some form of children’s ministry as well as the coffee bar under the tent. The timing on this will follow some key markers for our state, such as the full opening of bars, restaurants, and day care centers. I am the least confident on the timing and specific details of this.

The first phase is fairly solid in my mind, however, the other two are more speculative and will likely be changed after we see how things develop in May. Please be patient in this time and continue to worship with us online on Facebook and in the virtual Life Groups. Again, I remind you that the Lord is at work here. Let’s continue to fix our eyes upon him as we invite his refinement in our church and in our personal lives through this challenge.