Dear People of St. James’,
Happy New Year! I hope that you are finding joy and peace in this Christmas season in spite of the most recent COVID surge. If you or a loved one is suffering with COVID or some other illness, we want to be praying for you (learn more about pastoral care at St. James’).
As always, your staff and lay leadership have been paying attention and adapting our plans to COVID-related changes in our area. As we face the spread of Omicron and the continued susceptibility to Delta, we are expecting to return to Stage 5 in Austin/Travis County quite soon. We are currently in Stage 4.
St. James’ is adapting our mode of gathering as we move into this surge, keeping in mind what we have been learning throughout the pandemic and knowing that this new phase may present new challenges. Below are some of the highlights of how we are adapting to this next phase. It is not an exhaustive list, but I think it may address most of your questions.
- Our basic Sunday schedule will not be changing. We will continue to gather for masked, in-person worship and to offer live-streamed Sunday services in English and Spanish. We will continue to offer intinction at communion (optional).
- The nursery will continue to be open on Sundays for the 10:30 am and 5 pm. Nursery staff will be fully vaccinated, masked, and will routinely test for COVID. We are following CDC guidelines for quarantine and isolation. Nursery FAQ
- Musicians will be fully vaccinated, and we are implementing weekly COVID-testing. For the time-being, we will move back to quartets at the 10:30 am and 5:00 pm. We are strongly recommending that our singers explore the use of singing masks with adequate filtration. Such masks are in short supply so we are currently focused on reducing risk through reducing the number of singers, vaccination, testing, requiring masking when not singing, and requiring the congregation to mask.
- Groups currently meeting online (e.g. online Godly Play, all of our committees, TREND, EFM, all Welcome Table committees, Evening Prayer, Rosary group, online Connections groups, etc and so forth) will continue to meet online.
- Small groups currently meeting in a hybrid format (e.g. Sunday Morning Forum, etc.) may continue to gather part of the group in-person to conference with those online. Those in the in-person group shall remain masked regardless of vaccination status (no food or beverages).
- Groups meeting in-person currently are encouraged to meet outside when possible, and required to mask indoors.
- Food and beverages will be served and consumed outdoors during this phase. We will continue to follow hospitality guidelines that limit the number of people from different households in the kitchen for food and beverage preparation.
- Outreach ministries through Welcome Table will continue to follow guidelines established in concert with the St. James’ Vestry Administration Committee. We continue to serve our community and care for our the safety of our neighbors and volunteers.
Given the rapid spread of Omicron through our community, I would like to encourage you to keep your vaccination up-to-date. Take advantage of the opportunity that boosters and vaccines for children present to make our community a safer place. Wear those masks. Try some new mode of gathering with others to form community online, and really give it a chance – or (gasp) pick up the phone! Now is a time to hold tight to community and connection wherever we can find it and wherever we can be it. May the light of the incarnate Word, God with us, illuminate and empower our unity!
Rev. Eileen
