My beloved Mt. Tam Church,
If there is one pastor’s letter I hope you read (and I hope you read them all), please read this one because it contains very important news for our congregation in terms of how we will be able to return to worship together in our sanctuary. Are you ready?
I hope so because getting ready for return is the name of the game right now which is presently taking about half of my time. In order to physically return to our buildings, we need to develop an extensive plan for the implementation of safety health guidelines and protocols. Then, we will need to submit a Return Request Report to the District Superintendent for approval and fill out the Site-Specific Protection Plan (SSPP) for the County of Marin. Once we have all the approvals we can implement our plan. Of course, we’ll need all the preparations ready and the people to make it work. That’s a lot and it might take a while to get all that to the goal line. Up to 3 months, in fact.
Given that, here is the tentative plan: we will continue our current format of online live streaming through the end of August into September. If we receive approval, we will begin in-person worship outside on September 13th, for 4-6 Sundays, as the weather holds. Prayerfully and hopefully, by then we will have our approvals and will be able to move back into the sanctuary around November 1st. Please remember, this is all dependent on plan approval, the restrictions of the times, and our ability to successfully execute our plan.
Worship will be different (more on that later). Many of you have asked for more specific plans, but this is the best I can offer you at the moment. I wish I could be more firm about dates and conditions, but given our situation this is what we have. Thank God for God’s grace and love which abounds us, fills us, and guides us while being with us!
If you want to be part of a conversation, sign up to participate in the town hall meeting after worship Sunday. The link is in this Faith matters. You voice is important and I look forward to this congregational conversation together.
Peace,
Pastor Kim
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