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Dear People of All Saints,
We are so excited to welcome you back to our spiritual home on Sunday, July 4. We last worshipped together in the Sanctuary in January 2019. Ours will be a long-awaited reunion.
Amid the excitement of opening preparations, new COVID-19 protocol was outlined by the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, the CDC, and the California Public Health Department. The G.R.A.C.E. Committee, therefore, sought your input in a parish-wide survey. We received generous responses as diverse as is our community of faith. We thank you for your patience as we gathered your feedback. Your contributions have guided our reopening protocol. We heard, and share, your concern that we avoid creating a two-tiered congregation of vaccinated and unvaccinated parishioners. Our protocol strives to keep us united as one Body in Christ:
On Sunday, July 4, we will hold services at both 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The services will be identical in style, and reservations will not be required to attend services. Indoor and outdoor seating will be available. Live audio of the service will be fed to the Patio for those who choose to sit outdoors.
In line with public health protocol, vaccinated people may choose whether or not to mask. If you are uncomfortable in any way, feel free to wear a mask. Unvaccinated people must continue to mask and socially distance.
Remember, some people in our churches are not yet vaccinated, either by choice or because they are not yet eligible to be vaccinated, including all parishioners ages 11 and under. Our bishop, The Rt. Rev. John Taylor implores:
“We want everyone to know that the person next to them and their family in the pew is safe. Accordingly, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, I beseech all adults in our diocese, if they cannot or choose not to be vaccinated, to follow scrupulously the CDC requirement for non-vaccinated people and continue to mask up and socially distance or, if you prefer, to worship remotely.”
–The Rt. Rev. John Taylor
To respect the diverse needs of our community of faith, we invite everyone to please respect social distancing between households when seated and receiving communion. Ushers will guide people to assist in this effort. Remember, our unvaccinated members, youngest members, and medically vulnerable members will still need to socially distance, and everyone’s cooperation will help ensure their health and well-being.
At this time, the 8 a.m. and the 10:30 a.m. services will be identical to allow parishioners to spread out between the services, thus enabling more space for social distancing between households. Attendance is usually lower at the 8 a.m. service.
When in-person worship resumes on July 4, we plan to livestream our Sunday service. The service will be able to be accessed throughout the following week on our website for those who wish to continue worshiping virtually.
If you have a fever, cough, cold or flu-like symptoms, or difficulty breathing, please enjoy virtual church from the comfort and safety of your home and return to church when you are well.
We will offer one-use paper bulletins. After the service, please take your bulletin home with you to recycle, or return it to an usher for recycling. Please do not return it to a stack of bulletins. A QR code will also be available upon entry for those who wish to access a hands-free digital bulletin.
If you need or want to wear a mask, please bring one from home. Ushers will be able to provide you with a mask should you need one. Children’s masks will also be available. There will also be several hand sanitizing stations available throughout the Sanctuary.
While vaccinated people are permitted to sing, our unvaccinated parishioners are still not permitted to do so. So that we do not silence parishioners who are worshipping among us at church, we will refrain from congregational singing at this time. Fortunately, we will be able to enjoy the musical offerings of ournew organ, other instrumentalists, and our vaccinated cantors and choir members. We look forward to when we are all able to join in one chorus!
You will find offertory plates stationed in the back of the church for your generous giving. Ushers will refrain from passing offertory plates at this time. You can find out more about giving to All Saints-by-the-Sea through automatic payments by contacting our bookkeeper, Cynthia Breen.
At this time, we will celebrate Communion in one kind, receiving only bread. The Presiding Bishop, The Most Rev. Michael Curry, asks that we continue to serve communion in one kind as he and his colleagues discern the best way to honor our Anglican heritage of the common cup in the shadow of pandemic.
We look forward to resuming Coffee Hour in the fall. All are welcome to enjoy one another’s company following the service, but no food or coffee will be provided during summer services.
Of the 165 households who responded to the parish-wide poll, 96% reported that all eligible members of their households were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This is an impressive number! Way to go All Saints! Thank you for your help in keeping our community safe. We encourage all who are eligible to consult with your physician about receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.
So much time and care has gone into making our July 4th in-person reopening a reality, from the tireless work of the Facilities Committee who guided every step of construction; to the Vestry, lay ministers, and Staff who have kept All Saints going throughout the pandemic; to the G.R.A.C.E. Committee Members who carefully followed and planned amid the changing landscape of COVID-19. All of this has been an act of loving service to you, our beloved community of All Saints-by-the-Sea. We cannot wait to see you on July 4.
In Christ’s love,
The G.R.A.C.E. Committee
Don Anderson, Denny Bacon, Kathleen Bright, Tom Dietz, The Rev. Aimée Eyer-Delevett, Amy Miller, Joe Rawls, and Andy Rosenberger
