Re-Opening Updates

Dear Friends, This is another challenging time for Grace Church, with the virus spreading rapidly through the congregation. Our main concern is to protect the health and safety of the most vulnerable among us. We’re also mindful that the ongoing spike in COVID cases and hospitalizations in Northern Virginia has imposed a growing burden on the area’s health care system, putting people at risk for not receiving the care they need. To love our neighbor as the Bible teaches, we…

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…

Dear Friends, We look forward to church life this fall, in which we will be scaling up some of our ministries.  At the same time, we need to take reasonable measures to protect the vulnerable from the Covid delta variant. Below is an update on how selected ministries will function this fall, together with a reminder of the measures we will take to protect those at risk.  Generally, the church will exercise some safeguards at an institutional level, but many…

Dear Friends, We continue to trust the Lord in the midst of Covid variant developments. We know He will sustain us and will continue to give us grace as we seek to move forward together. We are monitoring the evolving situation regarding the Covid Delta variant, as well as the directives and recommendations coming from the federal, state and local authorities regarding safety and best practices. On August 3, 2021, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors issued a recommendation, taking…

Dear Friends, Thank you for your faithfulness and charity in walking forward through the challenges of Covid-19 and the mitigation measures.  This email updates Grace’s masking policy to fully track with directions from Governor Northam and the CDC.  Current guidance states that fully vaccinated people do not need to wear masks.  For unvaccinated or not fully-vaccinated people, the Commonwealth of Virginia recommends but does not require masks.  We continue to support the guidance of our civil authorities while also recognizing…

Dear Friends, We are very grateful that church life will soon take a big step back toward normal, as Governor Northam has now acted to lift most COVID restrictions after May 28. Here is how church life will look once the restrictions are lifted. All changes mentioned are effective Sunday, May 30 unless otherwise noted. Sunday Schedule Worship services will continue to be held at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., and 6 p.m. throughout the summer. Sunday School will resume in…

We are hopeful! As more people are vaccinated and we see COVID numbers generally improving, we have begun plans to expand the ministry offerings at Grace Church.  We are excited to share our goals for the coming months: + Outdoor Coffee fellowship – Starting April 25 (this Sunday!) + Nursery for 11 AM Service – Starting June 6 (expanding to other services if we have enough volunteers) + Sunday School for Adults and Children – Starting Sept. 12 In the…

Dear Friends, In Revelation 3, Christ tells the faithful but hard-pressed church in Philadelphia (Asia Minor, not Pennsylvania), “I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.”  This promise reminds us that no person or circumstance can block blessings Jesus decides to give his church.  In our own context – not even Covid spikes or limits on gatherings can stop Christ from continuing his good work at Grace. We need to remember Jesus’ promise…

Starting Sunday September 20, 2020 Grace Church will add a 9 AM Worship Service, in addition to the 11 AM and 6 PM on-site services.  The Sanitizing Team will clean after each morning service to promote health and safety.  We will continue to livestream the 11 AM and 6 PM services for those off-site. With the addition of an early morning service, we hope to accommodate all who want to join us for on-site worship in the morning.  We will…

Dear Grace family— The members of the Pandemic Safety Task Force thank all of you for your patience during this trying time. In our recommendations to the Session, we have tried to meet the sense of urgency we all have to resume worshipping together as usual while taking the necessary steps to safeguard the health of the congregation and the community. We have intentionally stayed within the bounds of state and local regulations because we want to be good citizens…