The First Congregational Church of Reading

We’ve shown that we can be the church even when we’re not gathering together in our building. Through prayer, discernment, and statistics, we have determined that it is still unwise for us to return to in-person worship on Sunday mornings. After discussing the safety and the science, we asked ourselves “how would this benefit our ministry?” While we miss seeing one another, the reality of returning to in-person worship on Sundays would mean enough changes that it wouldn’t feel like the way we do church:

• There would be no singing
• There would be no passing of the peace
• We wouldn’t be able to have coffee hour and socialize
• We would have to limit how many people would be allowed

Most importantly, we wouldn’t want to put anyone in our community at risk. Rather than offer a quiet, music-less, limited worship space, we recognize that we continue to accommodate more than 60 people each week on virtual worship through Facebook Live and Zoom with music and virtual choir.
For this reason, Sunday mornings will remain virtual.

However, safety measures have been put in place so that people may return to the building in limited ways. State guidelines limit the capacity of people in reach room of the church significantly (for example, under current guidelines as of August 25, we can only accommodate 7 people in the Chapel), masks are required at all times while in the building, and instructions for sanitization help keep our space clean and safe. Three new hand sanitizer dispensers have been installed (two by the bathrooms up by the Town Hall Parking Lot entrance, and one by the office).

Small groups and ministries are allowed to schedule a room with the office to meet in-person. The office will be scheduling outside groups and church groups with timing, occupancy, and distance in mind so that there won’t be too many people in the building at once. If your ministry or group would like to return to meeting in-person, we ask that you ask the following:

1. Would meeting in-person help the ministry of our group?
2. Is everyone in the group comfortable with meeting in person?

Please contact the office if your group would like to inquire about scheduling an in-person meeting in the church. Please limit the number of people in your group to a maximum of 10, wear masks at all times, and attempt to limit your time together.

We will also offer small outdoor prayer services this fall. Beginning September 23, there will be a Wednesday evening prayer service held in an outdoor space every other Wednesday. We recognize that the ministry of Sunday morning versus a small prayer circle serve different purposes. These small and short outdoor gatherings will allow …

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This August, we encouraged you to give back all month long! Here are just a few of the results (and ways you can learn more and continue to give back!)

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Our annual Olde Redding Faire will be getting a 2020 makeover — with virtual options galore. Including taking our Silent Auction online! Did you know we partner with local nonprofits and charities each year to support with the funds we raise? Stay tuned to learn more. …

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Over the past six or so weeks, the COVID-19 team has been working diligently to review guidelines and advice surrounding how we might “be the church” during this time. Here’s an overview of what we’ve been working on:

When am I going to be able to go back to church?

Having considered the advice of the leaders of the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ, we agreed that it would be best to refrain from any in-person gatherings this summer. We agreed that, since September 13th would have been our usual “Welcome Back Sunday,” we would keep that date in mind as a benchmark to consider. As the summer months continue, we will be using this time to collect resources, create procedures, implement infrastructure, and make sure safety is in place for any kind of in-person meetings at church, including meeting for worship. There is no guarantee that we will be back on September 13th. This will be dependent on the number of COVID-19 cases at the end of the summer, and if there is a continuous downward trend in case numbers. At this time, case numbers are not decreasing within the county or state. 

What will worship look like if we return?

We have also been asking ourselves the question, “does this aid us in our ministry?” No matter what, when we are able to safely meet together for worship, it’s going to look very different. There cannot be any kind of in-person singing (by a soloist, choir, and certainly no congregational singing). We wouldn’t be able to pass the peace the way we wish we could. We wouldn’t be able to gather for coffee hour afterwards. On top of this, we want to be mindful about how many people would be able to enter the space (and would want to discourage members of our community who are the most vulnerable to stay home). No matter what, worship just wouldn’t look the same. You can be sure, however, that whenever we do go back to meeting in-person, it will be a hybrid of virtual & in-person worship.

What about the Faire?

We are discussing ways the Faire might continue this year but using our collective congregational creativity so that it will definitely look different but still have the same spirit! Stay tuned for more information about Faire planning and questions. In the meantime, you can contact Betsy Schneider ( betsyschneider7@gmail.com) for more information.

Is the building closed?

We are limiting staff presence in the building, encouraging working from home as much as possible, to help reduce any traffic in the building. Additionally, we have been asking ourselves what it means to represent “love of neighbor” at this time. First and foremost, loving our neighbor means protecting the most vulnerable in our community and limiting exposure to the virus. However, many of our building users are beginning to inquire about returning to the space. After much discussion and working together with Creative Arts, we have decided …

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Palm Sunday: A video of the Palm Sunday worship service will be posted here on Sunday, April 5.

Maundy Thursday: You’re invited to have a soup supper at home, and set up your tablet, laptop, or phone for a worship service by Zoom. If you can, make sure your device is on a table, this way, we can all see each other from “across” the table and be seating together as if we are all joined together at one table! We’ll also share Communion virtually in this service, too. Get Zoom access information from your E-News or email pastorfccr@gmail.com

Good Friday: A Good Friday video will be shared here, on Facebook, and through email on Friday, April 10.

Meditation Packet: If you’re interested in a resource for personal reflection, please email pastorfccr@gmail.com…

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Currently, all in-person gatherings are cancelled until further notice. We’re taking measures to practice physical distancing, and in doing so we’re increasing our “social activity” instead through other means. There’s a lot of emotions, anxiety, worry, and confusion these days. As a church, we are here for each other. Read on to find out how you can stay connected.

Receive our weekly E-News. If you don’t already, make sure you do. Sign up to receive weekly updates about how to get connected, especially as all our programming goes virtual. Email office1fccr@gmail.com to get signed up or call the church office at 781-944-0205.

Join us on Sundays at 10 am for Virtual Worship.

Either go to our Facebook page to watch on Facebook Live or sign up for our e-news to get information to watch via Zoom.

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