Beloved Nokomis Heights Friends and Members –
I don’t know about you, but for me, it sure has been nice to have a little bit of a breather this summer. Quite literally, there were two months when I felt like I could take a deep breath without significant risk of contracting a potentially deadly virus. I’d been vaccinated and so had most of the people I’m around, and it felt like there was hope for an end to the most dangerous season of this pandemic. And then came Delta …
Last year, the saving grace of COVID ( if there was one), was that it seemed to be evading our littlest ones. Not so with this variant, as it is our littlest ones who have not yet had the opportunity to be vaccinated. As positive test rates and hospitalizations rise in the state of Minnesota and around the country, and breakthrough cases become more and more common, we are forced to re-evaluate our worship plans and practices. But we know how to do this now, so it is with calm hearts and clear minds that we move forward.
Fortunately, you have all provided wonderful feedback in the most recent survey, making these decisions much easier. It was of no surprise to me that the survey results indicate that your number one concern is loving your neighbor. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. For caring so deeply for one another that you are willing to do whatever it takes to keep one another safe. While we had high hopes of being back inside this fall, singing our lungs out and praising God for the end to a long pandemic, it seems that we will need to be patient just a little longer.
The decision has been made, with the help of your input, that for the sake of our kids who cannot be vaccinated, along with those of us who are medically vulnerable should we contract COVID despite our vaccination status, we will embrace the great outdoors for as long as the Minnesota weather allows. This means we could be worshiping outside through the month of October, cozied up in our fall clothes and enjoying the beauty of the changing colors.
September 12 will be our last worship at Pearl Park for 2021, and that service will be a big celebration as we bless ANIMALS, BACKPACKS, BRIEFCASES and celebrate new beginnings. After September 12, we will worship on the lawn at Nokomis Heights as weather allows. When the weather forces us inside, we will continue to evaluate the COVID numbers and recommendations of local and national experts. For now, we anticipate that we will be requiring masks in worship.
Now, to answer questions you might be asking in your head right now:
Q: What about Sunday school?
A: We will plan to have SIDEWALK SUNDAY SCHOOL as weather permits. And when it is time to go inside, we will first be paying attention to the recommendations of the CDC and the State of MN. But if things remain as they are today, we will have two options: Sunday school inside with masks on, or a take-home, virtual Sunday school depending on the comfort level of each family (details to come).
Q: The churches all around us have been worshiping inside for a few months now. Why are we so slow to go inside?
A: First of all, we have been very careful to pay attention to the desire of the people in our congregation (That’s you!) You have provided the guidance for every careful step we have taken, and so far the decisions we have made have been well-received by a majority of our congregation.
Second, unlike many neighboring churches, we have a small sanctuary at Nokomis Heights, making it difficult to socially distance.
Third, many of the congregations that have gone back to indoor worship are not allowing congregational singing, and that is so important to Nokomis Heights people. Being outside allows us to raise our hearts and voices in song. Several neighboring churches have also told me that although their buildings are open, people are not coming back they way they had hoped. One church even said that they started outside and moved inside, and had fewer people in attendance as folks were not yet comfortable being indoors with a pandemic still raging.
Finally, being outside makes our families with young children feel welcome and cared-for as they realize our priority of keeping their unvaccinated children safe.
Q: Why are we requiring vaccinated people to wear masks when we go back inside?
A: From the very beginning of the pandemic, we have said that until all of us are safe, none of us are safe. This is how we care for and love our neighbor. So until our youngest members are able to be vaccinated, we believe that we are called to care for them in the same way we cared for our elderly and more vulnerable members in the beginning of the pandemic.
If you have other questions, please feel free to contact me at pastorkris@nokomisheights.org.
Here is the good news:
The outdoor environment has allowed us to worship, mostly unmasked; to sing and pray together; and to create a welcoming and hospitable space for one another. Over these months we have welcomed many visitors who continue to come back, enjoying what they are repeatedly calling the “community feel” of Nokomis Heights. Just today I looked at the Nokomis Heights attendance numbers from the last several summers – and despite these undesirable circumstances, between our online and in person worship, we are able to reach more than twice as many people as our average summer attendance in past years. I’d say God is up to some amazing things through Nokomis Heights despite these challenging times. Though the doors of the building are mostly closed, God continues to open doors to love and life in our community through the ministry of Nokomis Heights, and this is what really and truly matters.
Thank you!
– Pastor Kris
