Dear Fellow Congregants of St. Philip’s United Church of Christ,

Your council is actively evaluating opening the sanctuary for Sunday worship. Decisions will be made at our June 8, 2020, council meeting. A small group has met and set up protocols for reopening but the date will depend on data from local public health officials.

Things to remember as we make this decision are:

• The majority of our congregants are in the high-risk category.
• No one experiencing any of the following should come to church:
  • Fever
  • Coughing, sneezing
  • Shortness of breath
  • Exposure to someone who tests positive
  • A positive test without having spent 15 days in quarantine and not subsequently testing negative

We do not want anyone to return to in-house worship who is uncomfortable in doing so. Please participate by Zoom, Facebook, or YouTube.

After its June 8 meeting, council will send an email (or letter to those who prefer) outlining protocols to follow upon returning to worship at church. We have masks and disinfectants available but, for safety reasons, other changes will be necessary.

Remember that reopening church depends upon statistics from reliable governmental sources. The next three weeks will determine if the current declining rate of coronavirus will continue and therefore make it safe to open St. Philip’s for worship.

Pam Henson
St. Philip’s Church Council President