This past week hospitalizations in our community have continued to surge, and have now exceeded the highest previous hospitalization rates for the entire pandemic. To do our part (vaccinated or not) to break the chains of transmission, the Peace Regathering Task Force is asking that only the worship leaders come to the church campus for worship during stage 5, and that others connect to the live stream online.
The good news of this approach is that we will be able to have communion and more singing sooner than if we were gathering with larger numbers in person. Our next communion Sunday will be January 30. We also look forward to resuming zoom fellowship following the live stream during this Stage 5 time. (If you are familiar enough with zoom to help “host” fellowship by starting the meeting, managing the waiting room, and ending the meeting…we can always use more helpers with that!)
We remain hopeful this surge will be briefer than past ones so we can return to our more recent levels of precaution soon. In the meantime…we will continue to ask anyone who may be on campus to pre-screen for symptoms and wear a mask at all times at the church. Small groups that gather on campus should be 10 or fewer, and may continue to submit their requests and gathering plans through the Regathering Task Force (emailing office@peaceaustin.org or pastorcarolyn@peaceaustin.org at least 5 days before gathering).
Detailed protocols are here.
We continue to hold one another and our wider community and world in prayer.
-The Regathering Task Force