1. Regathering/COVID-19 Protocol Update
Please take a few moments to consider the on-campus protocols at Grace in light of the lifting of the statewide mandates for the state of Texas.
- Who is annoyed with wearing a mask?
- Who is done with always trying to be aware of social distancing?
- Who misses greeting others with handshakes and hugs?
- So many of us are!
Yet isn’t it amazing that Grace Presbyterian Church and Grace School have zero evidence or reports of spread of the virus from person to person while people have gathered on our campus?
Because our current protocols and procedures have enabled us to keep our students, members and staff safe, Grace Presbyterian Church will maintain our methods outlined in the Regather Plan (https://gpch.org/regather/). We thank you for your patience and your diligence in loving our community well.
We have so much to be thankful for and to praise God for:
- Over the summer, we were able to host eight drive-thru food distributions for families in need through a partnership with West Houston Assistance Ministries, the James Harden Foundation, and Kroger.
- During the fall, Grace school started the school with protocols for in-person and provided an option for online students. This week the school communicated that they will maintain these protocols (https://graceschool.org/reunite-grace/).
- Also during the fall, the congregation returned to in-person worship services in English and Spanish while the staff worked continually to improve and offer online worship.
- Prior to Christmas, we began to offer space for classes and small groups to connect and include online participants utilizing technology.
- We have installed a special air purification system across the campus in our buildings that mitigates the spread of the virus.
- This month, we launched two EPIC courses with a total of 45 participants.
- Just last week, we relaunched The Backyard and outdoor small groups for elementary kids.
- We are serving fresh brewed coffee from our café and are putting in place a plan to have the café fully operational again in the coming weeks.
- Our success with these protocols means we have now moved into Phase 3 of our Regathering Plan.
Over the next several weeks, the Session will continue to observe the metrics, evaluate our plan, and consider next steps. We appreciate your diligence to help create and maintain a place for everyone to be comfortable with gathering and connecting on campus.
If you have any questions, please contact Hardie Morgan (or 713-267-5028).
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