An Update from our Wardens about Reopening
| “But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house.” (Ps. 5:7) Dear Restoration, We are delighted to announce that the Restoration Vestry has adopted, and our staff now is beginning to implement, a plan to bring us back together to worship, this summer. Our Reopening Team has been toiling since May, and the Vestry on Tuesday, after a lot of discussion and a few tweaks, unanimously approved its recommendation. David has details in his Rector’s Update video (here), and you can read the full plan here, but here are the basics: We will begin “Phase Alpha” on July 12 with “Yard Worship” with clergy in four outdoor locations around Northern Virginia (one being Restoration’s parking lot). You can find more details and sign up here. We are excited for this opportunity to be together, and soon! That said, if you are not comfortable or unable to join those gatherings, that’s ok. We get it. These are unprecedented times and we each are evaluating risk differently. We will also stream our service that day on our YouTube Channel at 10am with David preaching the next installment of the Joseph story. Then, on July 26, we will have our first service in the Sanctuary, starting with 50 adults. Further services will be August 2 and, after a pause for staff to assess and adjust, August 23 and 30, September 6 (Labor Day weekend) and 13. Look for a sign-up for these Phase Alpha services on July 15. We will begin welcoming kids back in the Sanctuary gradually by age starting with kids 6th grade and older on August 23 and kids of any age on August 30th. We will not be able to offer nursery or in-person Kids’ Small Groups or in-person APEX during Phase Alpha. We anticipate that in this phase, some families will take turns: sending one adult to worship in the sanctuary while one adult stays home. We look forward to having entire households in our sanctuary by September. We will continue to broadcast on YouTube Live for the foreseeable future. Restoration’s plan complies with all of the Governor’s requirements and recommendations from his Phase Two ‘Safer at Home’ plan, and Bishop Guernsey has advised us on it. So, although we must hold everything loosely these days, we are confident it is responsible and sustainable for us and for our neighbors on Quincy Street. This won’t be our old “normal,” and much work remains to carry out the plan, but we are excited to begin returning. Please join us in prayers of gratitude, and in thanks particularly for the devoted and diligent work of the Re-opening Team: Louise Brooks, Kat Downs, Adam Guzzo (vestry representative), David Hanke (rector), Kathy Kenyon, Dietrich Kuhlmann, and Jennifer Tibus. If you have questions or comments, please let us know: johanna.montague@gmail.com or ckmarsha@hotmail.com Sincerely, Johanna Montague and Kevin Marshall Vestry Wardens |
