I hope you'll mark your calendars and plan to join us for our quarterly congregational meeting on May 16, 2021. Among other things, you'll have an opportunity to hear an update from Zoar's COVID-19 task force, a financial update, a report from Zoar's AV task force, and reports from our various ministry teams. In addition, as we consider the timing and other logistics of reopening our building for worship and other larger gatherings, we also want to share with you what this might look like and then hear your personal thoughts about attending in-person worship. Please note: Zoar's phone shepherds will also be calling our members who don't have internet capacity to provide them with the same background information and ask them to respond to the same questions. Below is the background information we'd like you to keep in mind, as well as the questions we'll be asking you to consider.

     Background: In early February, Zoar’s Church Council appointed a task force to examine and summarize guidance from the State of Oregon, Clackamas County, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in order to make sure we’re in compliance as we move forward with plans for reopening the church building to larger gatherings. As reported to you in early April, the task force members are Lisa Hinson, Paul Rothi, Roger Skoe, and Debbie Warren. They have completed their initial analysis and will continue to update Zoar’s working document, “COVID Requirements and Recommendations.” (Here's a link to the version that was updated on March 26, 2021; however, you should be aware that since this document was last updated, Clackamas County has moved from "moderate" to "high" risk for COVID.)
 
     As Pastor Michelle noted in her email from April 2, 2021, there are still many questions to be answered about logistics and practices when we go back to worshiping in person. Here are a few likely changes you will see when we do return to in-person worship: 

• Anyone wishing to attend worship in person will need to call ahead and make a reservation, so we can adjust the sanctuary seating.
• Members will need to sign in and wear masks while in the building.
• Family units will be seated separately and six feet apart from others.
• There will likely be no congregational singing.
• In order to include our members who aren’t able to attend, those in the sanctuary may have to adjust to seeing the pastor speak into a camera part of the time.
• Socializing should be kept to a minimum and done from a distance.

In short, when you come to worship, you should “expect the unexpected” because right now loving our neighbors looks like going the extra mile to prevent them from becoming ill. 
   
     Keeping all these things in mind, your Church Council would like to ask for your input:

• If we were to open the church building for worship right now, would you be likely to attend?
• If you don’t feel comfortable attending at present, what would make you feel comfortable enough to attend?