Seeking to know, love, & serve God together.

We Return to In-Person Worship on August 29!

 

Please read below for details, such as the requirement to wear masks and the strong encouragement to be vaccinated before attending.

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The last time we met for worship inside our sanctuary was March 8, 2020. In the nearly year-and-a-half since then, we have continued to worship, learn, and keep fellowship remotely: by phone, video conference, Facebook, and email. Our community has shown incredible resilience throughout this time, and we remain a well-connected and committed community.

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However, for the vast majority of us, maintaining community in this remote way has been far from ideal. Many of you have spoken to me of your longing to return to the building, to worship together and spend time in one another's presence. Of course, we had to prioritize the health and safety of our families and communities, and so we did the best we could with a difficult situation.

As the various vaccines were introduced in late 2020 and continued to be administered in 2021, the rate of infection began to drop precipitously, and in May of this year we began discussions as a community about when—and how—to re-open for in-person worship. Finally, now, after a long exile, we can return: we will hold in-person worship beginning on August 22 at 9:30am.

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This is of course joyous news, but we must remain vigilant against COVID-19 and continue to prioritize our health and safety, and that of our families and communities, especially as the rate of infection has begun to climb again due to the Delta Variant of the virus. So, even as we re-open for worship, there are a number of important stipulations.

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Please read the details of our re-opening plan below:

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1. Remote worship will remain available:
Even as we return to in-person worship, we know that many people may prefer or even need to continue to worship remotely. On August 22, we will be launching a hybrid service: we will hold our service in-person but will livestream the whole service via Zoom so that those who choose to remain at home can continue to join us. We will also hold our Sunday Forum after the service and will make this available via livestream too.

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2. Please do not attend in-person if you have symptoms of respiratory infection:
If you have symptoms of the COVID-19 infection, such as fever, persistent coughing, nasal or bronchial congestion, head or body aches, or shortness of breath, please do not attend in-person worship (or any other public gatherings!) until you received a negative COVID test.

Please note that we will record the names of those who attend so that we can facilitate contact tracing in the event of any infection among attendees.

 

3. Masks will be required for all people while inside:
Everyone will be required to keep a mask over their nose and mouth while they are inside the building.

 

4. We urge those who attend in-person to be fully vaccinated:
Although we will not be requiring proof of vaccination status for those entering the building, we strongly urge people who want to attend in-person to be fully vaccinated, both for their health and for the health of others in attendance. We know that some people, for health reasons, may not be able to receive the vaccine, and we welcome anyone who finds themselves in this situation to continue to join us remotely. Again, please note that the service will be available via livestream.

We understand that no children under the age of 12 can currently receive the vaccine, and only their parents can decide whether such children should attend in-person. It's not an easy decision to make, and please know that if you'd like to talk with Scott about this situation, he would be happy to talk: priest@staugustinesdc.org.

 

5. We will not hold Coffee Hour after the service:
St. A's has a long and wonderful tradition of sharing coffee, snacks, and fellowship after the service. However, since drinking and eating require us to lower our masks for extended periods, we will not be sharing food or beverages together. We know that abstaining from this time of fellowship will be difficult, but again, we must prioritize the health and safety of our communities.

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6. We will continue to evaluate the situation:
The threat posed by COVID-19 continues, especially in the form of the Delta Variant, which is now increasing infection rates across the country, including the DC area. St. Augustine's leadership will continue to evaluate the situation, and we may make further changes to our in-person worship plan in the weeks and months to come.

 

Note again that we will continue also make our worship service available remotely via Zoom. To join us remotely, please contact Rev. Scott for the connection details: priest@staugustinesdc.org.

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Newcomers are always welcome!