September 3, 2021
Dear CrossWay family,
Like many of you, we are eagerly anticipating the resumption of Sunday morning children’s classes, student ministry, and other familiar fall rhythms. Anticipating these fall kickoffs, we have discussed whether we should make any changes to our COVID precautions in light of the spread of the Delta variant. Our conclusion is that we will not, at this point, be requiring any additional precautions beyond what we’ve been doing since April. Masks will continue to be optional at gatherings for adults, children, and students.
We want to be clear about what this decision does not mean. This does not mean we are no longer attending closely to the state of the pandemic. We are staying updated on both the prevalence of the virus and the capacity of local hospitals to care for COVID patients. We are grateful for the work being done by public health organizations in keeping us informed about the state of the pandemic and ways to protect one another from unnecessary risk. We share their concern for the health of our community and want to be good neighbors. At the same time, we have concerns that go beyond the scope of public health, concerns regarding the spiritual health of our congregation, and we always need to weigh those concerns alongside matters of physical health.
We are also paying close attention to how the pandemic is affecting children too young for the vaccines. It continues to be very unlikely that children will become severely ill or require hospitalization. But we also understand that the spread of variants may change this, and we will watch for any adjustments this may require in the future.
We understand that our Sunday gatherings contain inherent risks: corporate singing and close fellowship have the potential for unintentionally spreading COVID. We encourage each individual and family to decide, using sound information and wise counsel, how best to engage with our life as a church right now. And we encourage everyone to consider not just their own personal risk but also how they might serve others who are more vulnerable. Vaccines are widely available that effectively prevent severe illness and diminish the spread of the virus. (We know that some have health concerns about the vaccines, and we’d encourage them to address their questions to a trusted health professional.) We will continue to provide masks as another tool in improving the safety of our gatherings. Distanced seating is available for those who are more vulnerable. We continue to livestream the second service for those for whom in-person gathering is unwise at this time. In all of this, please use wisdom in assessing what’s best for your situation.
CrossWay, let’s give thanks for the joy of gathering weekly to worship, receive God’s Word, and commune with God and one another. And let’s continue to aspire to embody Christ’s humility as we “look not only to [our] own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). Though the pandemic could be an occasion for division, it also presents an opportunity to serve one another, to bear with one another, and to cultivate a unity with one another grounded not in our approach regarding the pandemic but the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” that we share (Ephesians 4:5-6).
We continue to feel privileged to be your pastors, even at such a time as this.
With warm affection,
The Elders of CrossWay
Like many of you, we are eagerly anticipating the resumption of Sunday morning children’s classes, student ministry, and other familiar fall rhythms. Anticipating these fall kickoffs, we have discussed whether we should make any changes to our COVID precautions in light of the spread of the Delta variant. Our conclusion is that we will not, at this point, be requiring any additional precautions beyond what we’ve been doing since April. Masks will continue to be optional at gatherings for adults, children, and students.
We want to be clear about what this decision does not mean. This does not mean we are no longer attending closely to the state of the pandemic. We are staying updated on both the prevalence of the virus and the capacity of local hospitals to care for COVID patients. We are grateful for the work being done by public health organizations in keeping us informed about the state of the pandemic and ways to protect one another from unnecessary risk. We share their concern for the health of our community and want to be good neighbors. At the same time, we have concerns that go beyond the scope of public health, concerns regarding the spiritual health of our congregation, and we always need to weigh those concerns alongside matters of physical health.
We are also paying close attention to how the pandemic is affecting children too young for the vaccines. It continues to be very unlikely that children will become severely ill or require hospitalization. But we also understand that the spread of variants may change this, and we will watch for any adjustments this may require in the future.
We understand that our Sunday gatherings contain inherent risks: corporate singing and close fellowship have the potential for unintentionally spreading COVID. We encourage each individual and family to decide, using sound information and wise counsel, how best to engage with our life as a church right now. And we encourage everyone to consider not just their own personal risk but also how they might serve others who are more vulnerable. Vaccines are widely available that effectively prevent severe illness and diminish the spread of the virus. (We know that some have health concerns about the vaccines, and we’d encourage them to address their questions to a trusted health professional.) We will continue to provide masks as another tool in improving the safety of our gatherings. Distanced seating is available for those who are more vulnerable. We continue to livestream the second service for those for whom in-person gathering is unwise at this time. In all of this, please use wisdom in assessing what’s best for your situation.
CrossWay, let’s give thanks for the joy of gathering weekly to worship, receive God’s Word, and commune with God and one another. And let’s continue to aspire to embody Christ’s humility as we “look not only to [our] own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). Though the pandemic could be an occasion for division, it also presents an opportunity to serve one another, to bear with one another, and to cultivate a unity with one another grounded not in our approach regarding the pandemic but the “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” that we share (Ephesians 4:5-6).
We continue to feel privileged to be your pastors, even at such a time as this.
With warm affection,
The Elders of CrossWay