Starting on October 24th, Cedars will begin holding in-person services at the Island School. These services will take place on the 1st and 3rd Sundays of the month with virtual services continuing to take place on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month. In months with a 5th Sunday, we will alternate between in-person and virtual services. This alternating schedule was developed in consultation with the Worship Technology Team, Worship Associates, Reopening Task Force, and the Cedars Board. It is meant to accommodate those who have expressed a need for in-person worship, as well as those who are unable to join in person or who do not feel comfortable doing so.

For safety, we need to limit participation for in-person services to those who have been fully vaccinated. You will be asked to verify your vaccine status at the first in-person service you attend, so please be prepared with your vaccination card. All in attendance will be required to wear masks. Doors and windows will be open for ventilation. Dress warmly! Outdoor childcare will be provided for children who are unvaccinated or wish to play outdoors.

In addition, we anticipate needing to limit the number of attendees for in person services to comply with Covid room capacity restrictions. We are still looking into the number of attendees that we can accommodate. More details on this will be shared as they are known. 

Beyond this, our plan is to offer Zoom-based “mini-gatherings” on the Sundays that in-person worship happens. These gatherings will take place at 12pm and will be a chance for people to check-in, reflect, and share joys and sorrows. 

Our goal is to establish a hybrid in-person/virtual option for Sunday services starting in 2022. We need some time to figure out logistics and learn more about the technology required. This will be a process and there might be a few bumps along the way, but we feel confident that in time we will find a new rhythm.

Thank you for your patience as we work out the complexities and variables needed to navigate a safe and appropriate path forward that accommodates the varied needs of our Cedars community.

And gratitude to all those who helped formulate this plan!