I learned first thing on Monday morning from the Hunterdon County Department of Health, Hunterdon Healthcare, and the Office of Emergency Management that Hunterdon County’s Covid-19 Activity Level has again spiked to HIGH/orange* and therefore, I called a Special Session meeting that same day to discuss with our church leaders whether this changes our responsibility about offering in-person worship.
After prayerful consideration and debate, and acknowledgement of our collective disappointment that it has come to this again, Session voted to suspend our in-person worship option in December until such a time that the county’s Covid-19 Activity Level reduces to MODERATE/yellow. We will offer in-person worship this Sunday November 29 and return to virtual only worship on December 6.
While we have done an excellent job as a church adhering to safety protocols when gathered, Covid-19 cases are spiking and people will be tempted to gather in mixed groups. This is further complicated by the virus being carried by asymptomatic people. As a result, we believe it is unwise to put our members at risk of contracting the virus. Ironically, it is evidence of loving each other to distance ourselves physically for now. Rest assured, we will continue to live-stream worship on Sundays with a link from our website www.flemingtonpres.org, so that we can continue to be connected with one another even as we are apart.
This has been a tough year, pressing our understanding of responsibility to one another and extending our connectedness in new ways. You have done a fantastic job of being resilient and I pray that we will continue to thrive together as we lean into new ways of being a faith community. Please reach out to me or to your Care Group Deacon for questions, concerns, and support in the months ahead.
Wishing you a happy and safe Thanksgiving! I am grateful for each of you and for the chance to serve alongside you in ministry. For even though much in our lives is different this year, God remains the source of every good and perfect gift that we enjoy and so it is right to give our thanks and praise.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Amy
*as measured by Case Rates per 100,000 people, percent daily visit to ER with Covid-like Illness, and percent of total positive Covid-19 PCR tests out of all Covid-19 PCR tests performed as a 7 day average – See https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/NCOV/COVID_19_Report_Week_46.pdf