February 26, 2022
Dear Church Family,
Grace and peace to you.
Many of you know that our state lifted the mask mandate for most indoor public spaces a couple weeks ago. As a Council, rather than react, we asked for your grace as we sought to seek guidance and prayerfully discern our best course of action as a congregation. With much prayer, our Council has agreed to lift our mask mandate as well. We do this with regards to the following:
· Low % Positivity Rate: We are grateful that case numbers have decreased since the Omicron wave. We are grateful that we are not seeing numbers that are overwhelming our hospital systems here in Suffolk County.
· High Immunization Rate: We are grateful that God has provided for us various resources to fight/prevent COVID-19. We are grateful that the vaccine also has helped lessen the impact of infection.
· Cooperation: We are grateful for our congregation's cooperation in the protocols that were set. We are grateful that regardless of our personal opinions, we were able to be united as a church so that we can do our best to continue to love God and love our neighbors.
Much gratitude for Elisa Mancuso, our Council member and in-house medical professional who has and will continue to provide counsel for us. I am also grateful for masks; masks helped us prevent any spread and sustain in-person gatherings. Therefore, if you would like for personal reasons, you may feel free to continue to wear masks as a proactive measure. The Council continues to encourage hand washing or utilizing of the hand sanitizer upon entering the church campus.
Thank you all, again, for having grace and patience during these uncertain times. As a church, let us continue to be prayerful and prudent as we journey together. If you have any questions/concerns, please feel free to reach out to any Council member.
With love in Christ,
Rev. James J. Lee, on behalf of the Church Council