COVID Task Force Update 9/18/20

Welcome Back! 

The Standing Committee and COVID Task Force welcome you back for the start of the church year. Enclosed a quick update from the COVID Task Force. Watch for upcoming additional announcements from The Standing Committee.

  • Worship Will Remain Remote With health & safety as our primary concern, we will continue to keep our building closed on Sunday mornings until we have safety protocols in place with the resources and people to implement them. We plan to continue with remote worship, faith formation for our children and youth, and social hour.
  • Limited Building Usage As stated above, health & safety is our primary concern, we are limiting the usage of our building. Staff and essential volunteers continue to work in the church as needed. There are currently two AA Groups meeting on Thursday and Saturday mornings. Community Table is considering restarting and would use the kitchen and vestry.
  • Purchase Of Video Streaming Equipment To Support Continued Live Stream Worship Church leadership is exploring how to make live streaming for worship available into the future, even after the building is opened and people begin to assemble in person. Our commitment to accessibility, especially for our most vulnerable, remains strong. At the State of the Society Meeting, the congregation will be asked to approve an expenditure of approximately $17,000 to install video streaming equipment in the sanctuary.
  • Covid Task Force The task force is your point of contact for any ideas or questions you might have related to COVID and crisis management at First Parish. The Task Force objectives are to:
    • Keep the Staff, the Congregation and all who enter our church as safe as possible from contracting or spreading the virus
    • Provide a central place for discussion and planning across First Parish with relevant committees and for input from the congregation
    • Establish policies and procedures for when and how we might re-open our church for worship, programming and building usage by the congregation and 3rd parties
    • Create generic policies and procedures for crisis management
    The members of the task force are: Dolores Heredia-Wood, Rev. Ellen Spero, Gail Burati, Jim Curley, Michelle Hillman, Steve Zocchi and Tom Coffey, abd can be contacted at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
    In faith together,
    the Standing Committee.