Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ:
These are strange times in churches and in the Presbytery, and we wish to offer you our best thoughts on how to pastor your congregations.
We are first and foremost a people of faith, and we affirm our trust in God. We also affirm our vows taken at ordination to serve with energy, intelligence, imagination and love. Because we have vowed to use these gifts that God has given us, we must now exercise them fully as we make adjustments in our worship practices.
You will have received a letter from Beth Carlisle in which she has provided a document of COVID-19 protocols as well as a document on how to live-stream your worship. Please read her letter and call her with any questions you may have about technology for live-streaming.
Beth’s letter also contained a link to the statement by the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, Rev. J. Herbert Nelson, II, in which he advises that ministers use their best judgment in determining what is appropriate for their congregations. We would like to go a step further, and offer our opinions based on the particularity of Denver.
Use all available technology to offer worship on-line. Seventy percent of folks in our congregations are over the age of 65, and this is the population at greatest risk of contracting COVID-19. Of course we would all prefer to “worship like we always do,” but now is the time to do things differently.
Make pastoral calls on the phone rather than in person. Ministers are “super spreaders” by virtue of the number of contacts we have within our congregations. We need not be unwitting deliverers of disease to our elderly, home-bound and hospitalized folk.
If you continue to hold worship in your sanctuary, do not serve communion unless you provide pre-filled communion cups with included wafers. Here is a link for purchasing these supplies:
Encourage your people to make their financial contributions via check, text, or on-line giving. Offering plates are great big petri dishes and should not be passed hand-to-hand.
Conduct meetings via video. This should include session, deacons, ministry teams, etc. Ask Beth Carlisle for assistance.
Postpone Youth meetings until the pandemic has abated. Youth are already tech-savvy, so it’s easy to utilize social media with them.
If you have a feeding ministry/food pantry, bring the food supplies to your guests outside the building. Weather may intervene, but do the best you can, remembering that many of these guests have limited access to appropriate healthcare and are therefore at high risk.
Like J. Herbert Nelson, we trust you to use good judgment. At the same time, we urge you to consider how little we yet know about this virus and how vulnerable our people are. Use email, snail mail and texts to assure them that you are available through these forms of communication. Pray for your congregation and all those who are suffering. Know that God is with us even when we’re not in church.
Always hopeful,
Rev. Dana Hughes
Transitional Presbytery Pastor
Rev. Justin Spurlock
Moderator