Dear leaders and attendees of meetings held at Greenpoint Reformed Church,

The church consistory, which comprises eight members, including Reverends Jennifer Aull and Ann Kansfield, has been closely monitoring the phased COVID-19 RESTART guidelines set forth by Governor Cuomo. As of this week—commencing July 20—we are in Stage 4 of scheduled reopenings.

A few of you have inquired about our plans to reopen the church to in-person meetings. We’ve explored this subject in depth and, in consideration of present data, have decided to remain closed until we can guarantee a safe environment that is free of health risks.

That said, you may have noticed that the Hunger Program is still serving the community. We elected to remain open to this particular group because the number of people in food insecure households has doubled since the start of COVID-19. (We anticipate this number will increase as closures and layoffs continue.) The social distancing needed to safely execute the Hunger Program’s deliveries requires the use of the entire building. As a result, sharing the space is not possible at this time.

Additionally, we are in the midst of executing much-needed renovations; specifically, the construction of a bathroom on the first floor, which will benefit all who enter our building in the future. These renovations also require social distancing and safety precautions.    

Like you, we’re eager to host our congregation in face-to-face worship again. The connection it creates plays a vital role in our mental and spiritual health. But in the interest of mitigating risk of infection, we’ll continue worshiping via Zoom until we can confidently and safely reopen.

In lieu of connecting in-person, we’ve initiated additional virtual meetups as a stop-gap for those in need of a little extra support. We share them in hopes that some variation of one or more will be useful to your group. They include:

• hosting post-worship breakaway chats, weeknight prayer services, and meditation workshops
• connecting individual congregants with like-interest congregants for regular check-ins
• encouraging congregants to share anecdotes, prayers, and messages of support on our Facebook and other social platforms.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience with us as we navigate this uncharted territory. We’ll revisit and review this subject on an ongoing basis, and we’ll be sure to share our insights and discoveries with you as we go. Until then, stay well, safe, and healthy.

Sincerely,

The Consistory and Pastors of the Greenpoint Reformed Church