Dear Friends,
We look forward to the resumption of our Sunday School program this coming Lord’s Day.
Children’s Sunday School classes are located in the basement classrooms. The sustained close proximity of children in the basement classroom during the 45 minutes of Sunday School presents unique challenges as we seek to limit opportunities for the spread of the Delta Variant of the Covid virus in the face of a significant increase in cases in Fairfax County. Teachers will be taking prudent measures to promote distancing in the classrooms to the extent that the available space permits. Mindful of the prospect that the Covid virus could spread to unvaccinated children and from them to unvaccinated adults, we encourage you to have your children use face masks during the brief period of Sunday School, particularly if your child could have contact with vulnerable family members or other vulnerable persons outside of Sunday School.
We realize that this guidance may not be practical for all children, particularly younger children, and we will honor the choices that their parents may make. To the extent masking is feasible for your child, however, we believe taking that extra precautionary step would promote safety and accommodate the sensibilities of others, especially those of visitors. We offer this encouragement mindful of the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9: 19-23:
“For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.”
Teachers in Children’s Sunday School will have special masking available to them to the extent they feel their family’s situation or other circumstances warrant that precaution. All other Covid-related policies at Grace remain unchanged.
We appreciate that there is a wide range of views about managing risks from the Covid virus. We fervently hope that Covid cases in our area will soon be diminishing along with the need to take protective measures against the disease. We will continue to monitor Covid developments and re-visit this and all of our Covid-related policies going forward.
Meanwhile, more broadly, consistent with the longer email sent from the Session and the Task Force on Friday, September 3, we ask that the members and families of Grace continue to take those measures they deem most prudent to ensure their safety and those around them. May the Lord continue to give us great grace and forbearance as we look to him in the days ahead.
In Christ,
The Session and the Covid Task Force