UPDATE: Thursday, March 31, 2022
Beloved St. John’s community,
As our city and nation continues to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic becoming endemic, we are seeking to honor the important spiritual, social and emotional needs that have been hard to meet as we prioritized physical safety for ourselves and our neighbors. As we make changes, it is of utmost importance that we maintain a culture of love, gentleness, non-judgment, and space for one another as we have different medical and emotional needs, and different perspectives about how best to move forward.
As you know, we have already begun offering food indoors again, including coffee hour, the Easter Vigil party after the service on April 16, and Chad & Wendy’s wonderful “Wednesday night dinners” beginning the week after Easter. In addition, beginning very soon, we will be offering the common cup (a single chalice of wine) during services of Holy Communion again.
Receiving the wine will be completely optional; as always, receiving communion in one kind only (i.e. either bread or wine) has always been understood to be a full experience of the sacrament.
We have not yet made the decision to suspend the requirement to wear masks, but that is likely not far ahead. Because we expect many people at St John’s over Easter, we will continue to request that people wear masks during the service except when having speaking roles in worship. After Easter, we will assess then-current COVID conditions and determine how to move forward.
Thank you for your loving and generous patience under what has been some of the most unprecedented and challenging times of our generation. As always, if you have concerns or questions, please contact me (Lisa), our Senior Warden Mark Lindberg or Junior Warden Laura Meister.
In Christ’s love,
Lisa
UPDATE: Thursday, March 10, 2022
Because COVID cases in Hennepin County are trending significantly downward (March 9th’s positivity rate was 3.5% and number of cases per 100,000 is 9.3), we are now allowing eating and drinking inside the building at St. John’s. Seating in the sanctuary is no longer restricted, but families are requested to be considerate about social distancing wherever possible. However, because the youngest children still cannot be vaccinated, and because it puts such a great strain on families with young children when the whole family must quarantine (and parents must juggle both childcare and working remotely), we will continue to mask inside the building for now.
UPDATE: Thursday, February 3, 2022
Beginning on February 13, St. John’s will resume in-person worship services and programs, with continued requirements that people remained masked at all times and that no food or drink be consumed inside (again, not because food and drink transmits the virus, but because people must be unmasked to do so). Please note that we will remain online-only this coming Sunday, February 6, other than a few isolated small groups who will be in person and who will communicate separately about this. If you have any questions or comments, please contact our Rector Lisa Wiens Heinsohn, Wardens Mark Lindberg or Laura Meister, or Parish Administrator Rachel Svihel.
UPDATE: Thursday, January 27, 2022
When will we be back in person?
St. John’s is currently limiting worship to online only because COVID numbers in Hennepin County are so high (Minnesota is among the five states with the highest number of COVID cases in the nation). We will continue to be online only on January 30, February 6 and ongoing until we communicate otherwise. We will decide and communicate our return to the building ten days ahead of time in the Thursday e-news. Our hardworking staff needs about that amount of time to pivot our worship, music and CYF programs back to in-person.
We know that it’s always a balancing act between our need for physical health and our need to be in person. Because our need to be together is strong and important, we hope to get back to in-person worship as soon as we reasonably can. Stay tuned. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Lisa.
In Christ’s love,
Lisa
UPDATE: Tuesday, January 11, 2022
Beloved St. John’s community,
As you are no doubt aware, the omicron variant of COVID-19 is surging through Minnesota and Hennepin County in particular. For example, one way to measure severity is by counting the number of positive cases per 100,000 people: 25 / 100k is considered concerning. Today, Hennepin County is at 161.9 per 100k. You may have heard in the past that a 5% positivity rate is concerning; we are now at a 27.4% positivity rate, though this number is likely skewed because of the number of at-home tests people can now take.
Given these sobering numbers, and the fact that least five actively involved members of St. John’s have tested positive for COVID in the last ten days, we are making the decision to move to online-only worship and programming for at least the remainder of January. Links to the livestreamed 9:00 and 11:15am services for this coming Sunday, January 16, will be provided in the weekly service email that comes out on Saturday evenings. We will also send a zoom link to the adult formation hour from 10:10 – 11:00 every Sunday. This coming Sunday, we will have a special presentation from our Racial Justice & Healing steering committee in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King at the 10:10 adult formation hour.
Please note that due to the Annual Meeting, we will have one remote / livestreamed service at 10:00am only on Sunday January 23, followed by the Annual Meeting over zoom at 11am. Because we need a quorum of 50 people to hold that meeting, please do plan to attend over zoom if you are able.
We do not yet know when we will return to in-person worship, but we will strive to balance between the need to remain physically healthy and to protect the health of our neighbors, and the need to gather for worship and community in person. Both are important.
Please contact Lisa with any questions. May God keep you safe,and experiencing and sharing Jesus’ Way of Love.
In Christ’s love,
Lisa
UPDATE: Thursday, December 2, 2021
We look forward to our Advent and Christmas services together in a safe worship space. Given the surge in Covid 19 cases in Minnesota and the relatively unknown new variant, Omicron, we are asking for some additional measures prior to the December 24th Christmas Eve services (the 3pm Christmas Pageant service, and the 6pm and 11pm Book of Common Prayer services).
Thank you for your care for yourselves, your families and your church community. We look forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus together!
Peace,
Stacy Walters
Senior Warden
UPDATE: Thursday, September 9, 2021
In Person Service Guidelines:
UPDATE: Thursday, August 12, 2021
We are returning to pre-registration, for attending Sunday services, for the time being. Streaming of the service will also still be available. Click here to sign-up!
UPDATE: Thursday, August 5, 2021
If COVID positivity testing rates increase to 5%, we will return to our pre-registration required, no coffee or normal volume singing worship service style. This change will be communicated in the Thursday e-news prior to the Sunday we make the change.
Please continue to follow the guidelines that are included in the most recent COVID update below.
UPDATE: Saturday, July 31, 2021
We have been following the possible mask mandates for Hennepin county. Our area has the second highest level of COVID 19 cases in Minnesota. We are already masking in church. At this point, we will not limit attendance but the ushers will seat family groups together, leaving 6 feet of space between groups, using every other pew and adding chairs in back, if we need to.
For fellowship after the service, we are going to get a “growler” of coffee from Starbucks and will bring water and lemonade outside to the side yard just south of the exit. We’ll have it set up with a table and compostable cups. That way people can unmask to drink and maintain social distance outside.
Please continue to follow the guidelines that are included in the most recent COVID update below.
UPDATE: Thursday, June 24, 2021
In Person Service Guidelines:
Please observe the following health guidelines:
UPDATE: Thursday, June 17, 2021
As cases continue to decline and restrictions are lifted in many contexts in Minnesota, St. John’s will also begin to lift some of our restrictions. Because children under age 12 cannot yet be immunized, we do not believe it is wise to suspend the mask wearing requirement for indoor worship at this time. Here is what to expect over the next several Sundays:
As children aged 5-12 are anticipated to be immunized toward the end of the summer, our remaining restrictions will probably ease at that time. As always, since this pandemic has been a time of constant and rapid change, please continue to check the weekly e-news for the most current information.
If you have any questions or concerns about how we are lifting restrictions, please contact our Rector Lisa Wiens Heinsohn or Senior Warden Stacy Walters.
UPDATE: Thursday, May 20, 2021
Recently the CDC, the Governor of Minnesota and our own Bishop Craig Loya have provided updated guidelines about COVID safety precautions, some of which have been relaxed or eliminated. Because Hennepin County positivity rates are now below 5%, and because vaccination rates are steadily climbing, we will begin our beautiful indoor worship including music and Eucharist every Sunday at 10:00am, starting May 30! (This coming Sunday May 23, we celebrate Pentecost outdoors at Beard’s Plaisance). We will also livestream these services so that you can access them remotely.
Because things remain very fluid, St. John’s leadership has decided not to select predetermined dates for our staged re-entry. Rather, we will update you on a month-by-month basis about what the following month’s COVID protocols will look like. This communication will always be in the Thursday e-News falling 1-2 weeks before the first of each month, and it will also be on the COVID page on our website.
Here is what you need to know about the indoor services in May-June (May 30, June 6, 13, and 27; June 20 is an outdoor service at Beard’s Plaisance):
As with all aspects of our lives right now, we are in transition, so you can expect some trial and error as we see what works. We have been so grateful to continue to journey together in life and faith, and can’t wait to see you in person in our beautiful sanctuary.
With any questions or concerns, you can always contact our Rector Lisa Wiens Heinsohn, Deacon Rex McKee, Senior Warden Stacy Walters, or Junior Warden Mark Lindberg.
UPDATE: Thursday, May 13, 2021
Because positivity rates remain at 5% in Hennepin County and several surrounding counties, we will not have indoor worship on May 16. Given that rates have steadily been declining, however, we hope to be able to begin limited, socially-distanced indoor services on Sunday, May 30.This plan is not yet confirmed, but we will let you know in next Thursday’s e-news either way. Please plan to RSVP to any indoor service you attend in order to ensure we do not exceed the number of people that can safely be in our sanctuary at this time.
UPDATE: Thursday, May 6, 2021
Because positivity rates remain above 5% in Hennepin and neighboring counties, we unfortunately must postpone our plans to have indoor worship until further notice. Please check the e-news each week for updates about when our plans can resume.
UPDATE: Thursday, April 22, 2021
Because Hennepin County positivity rates remain at 7%, and up to 11% in neighboring counties, we unfortunately must postpone our plans and will not have indoor worship beginning on May 2 and until further notice. Please check the e-news each week for updates about when our plans can resume.
UPDATE: Wednesday, April 14, 2021
As you may have seen, COVID cases in Hennepin County and throughout Minnesota have been rising sharply despite the huge numbers of people getting vaccinated. Currently, the 14-day positivity rate in Hennepin County is 7%. Unless these numbers go down, we will be forced to delay our current plans to resume limited indoor services for those 65 years old and older on May 2. However, because we believe we can minimize risk during outdoor services, we will still plan to have our outdoor services at Beard’s Plaisance this Sunday, April 18, as well as May 23 and June 20 regardless of what happens with our indoor worship plans.
We will be monitoring the positivity rate closely and will make a final decision about the May 2 indoor worship date and communicate that decision in next week’s e-news, on Thursday, April 22.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate these unprecedented times. We are seeking to provide indoor services as soon as we safely can. Meanwhile, we will continue to provide virtual options for worship every week until this pandemic is well and truly over. Please continue to pray for the St. John’s community and our nation throughout this time.
Wednesday, March 24, 2021
Dear people of St John’s,
With the Governor’s most recent guidance on “turning the dial” to loosen some COVID restrictions, and the fact that both Minnesota and Hennepin County have trended below 5% positivity rate for COVID, we are now able to envision more ways to gather together in person in our beautiful sanctuary! These changes build on the information we shared in early March and follow the required “return to church safety plan” approved by the Episcopal Church of Minnesota.
More details will be shared as dates get closer – but, God willing, here’s what we have planned. All events will follow safety protocols, including masks and social distancing:
Upcoming in-person outdoor services of Holy Eucharist at Beard’s Plaisance:
The in-person indoor events will also require advance registration and be limited to approximately 40 people:
Upcoming in-person indoor offerings at church:
What we will continue:
What else will change:
Important: Volunteers needed
We’re so excited to be able to start transitioning back to in-person services! And, this moment of transition and return will require many hands on deck to ensure we can come back together safely. In particular, there are five roles we need additional volunteers to help fill: 1) Altar Guild, 2) Ushers, 3) Greeters, 4) Cleaners between services, 5) Technology/Filming support. Each of these are critically important jobs in the life of the church and we particularly need new people to join us as we move back into the building and offer some online and outdoor options. If you are interested in volunteering (or just learning more) about these roles, please reach out to the people listed below. Thank you for considering being part of these ministries!
What else is coming?
While no one has a crystal ball, our hope and prayer is that we can return to full in-person worship in August or September. This will depend on current vaccination and COVID rates, and ECMN, MN Dept Health, and CDC guidelines. We will continue to monitor Hennepin County 7-day COVID positivity rates. If they again approach or exceed 5%, we will have to go back to our former online-only worship, though we have every hope that this will not happen as more people are vaccinated.
We also plan to lead the congregation through reflection about what we have learned during this pandemic and how that impacts or changes our future worship and way of being church. If you would be willing to be part of the team that engages this deeper discernment, please email Lisa at lisa@stjohns-mpls.org.
Please share any comments, concerns or questions with me, as our staff prepares to once again open our red doors! I am delighted, and deeply moved, to even imagine seeing your lovely faces again, to break bread together, to pray and see one another in person. I can’t wait!
Faithfully, in Christ’s love,
Lisa
The Rev. Lisa Wiens Heinsohn, Rector
St. John’s Episcopal Church