COVID-19 UPDATES | firstumcjupiter

UPDATE: April 5, 2022

We do not require masks and we no longer have roped off areas in our sanctuary. Our sanctuary is equipped with ample space for you to sit with a friend or to sit separately if that makes you feel more comfortable during worship. We will continue to be as safe as we can with plenty of cleaning and ample hand sanitizer stations throughout the church. Our number one priority as we enter into Holy Week is to celebrate the risen Christ and to continue to love God and love people. Click here for a direct link to our channel.

UPDATE: January 5, 2022

As positive cases surge in our area, we will continue to follow the CDC guidelines. We do not require masks; however, we do highly encourage wearing masks if it makes you feel more comfortable to be present in worship. Pews in the center of the sanctuary are not roped off; however, we do offer pews roped off for extra space on both sides of the sanctuary. Hand sanitizer is placed at all doorways and our offering plates will continue to sit at the back of the sanctuary so they are not passed from person-to-person. If you are not feeling well, please stay home to protect yourself and others around you. We do offer a livestream option of worship every Sunday morning on YouTube. Click here for a direct link to our channel.

UPDATE: July 30, 2021

Dear Church Family,

As most of you know by now, the CDC has updated their recommendations to say that all individuals, even those vaccinated against Covid-19, should take precautions by wearing a mask indoors. The purpose of this is to not only protect ourselves, but, also to protect and care for one another.

Since the beginning of this global pandemic, our Covid team has said we would listen to the scientists and the medical professionals. We have chosen to follow the CDC guidelines and the guidelines of The Florida Conference of the UMC. The Florida Conference is encouraging us to take the newly updated CDC updated recommendations into consideration while making our local church guidelines.

In the past week, I have had two separate medical professionals share that the Jupiter Medical Center’s Covid unit is now full. Given the rise of new cases in our state, the impact on our local hospital, and the CDC recommendations, I want to gently invite you to wear a mask to worship on Sunday. However, at this time, we are not making mask wearing a mandate. I do not look forward to wearing a mask again at all, but I will wear one as a way to help care for others. Those leading worship will wear masks unless singing or speaking.

Hopefully, we will soon be past all of this and life can return to some sort of normal.

In Christ,

Pastor Susan

UPDATE: May 15th, 2021

Dear Church Family,

As most of you know by now, the CDC released updated guidelines yesterday afternoon. When the pandemic first began and the Covid Team was formed, we decided to use the CDC, Palm Beach County Health Department, and the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church guidelines as our resources for making our local church’s Covid response policy.

Last night, our Covid Team met to discuss the updates. In accordance to the CDC updated guidelines we are making the following changes:

1. If you are vaccinated you do not have to wear a mask. If you are not vaccinated,

we gently ask that you do wear a mask.

2. We WILL keep the ropes up for social distancing.

3. We WILL return to congregational singing. If you are vaccinated you may sing, if

you aren't vaccinated we ask that you don't.

Each person and family has to make the decision around vaccinations according to what they believe is best for themselves and their family. I urge us not to add to the voice of judgement on either side of the aisle.

As a church family, our greatest priority is loving one another well and not causing harm to one another. As such, we will trust each one of us to follow these guidelines accordingly. There will not be anyone checking vaccine cards at the door or micromanaging who is singing and who is not.

We understand some people who are vaccinated may still desire to wear a mask and that is ok.

What we do not want to do is create division between those who are vaccinated and those who are not. It is a personal decision and one that we are each entitled to make for ourselves.

I look so forward to being with you all on Sunday where we will confirm 14 young people into the Christian life of faith! We will have live stream and the screens will be back up and running.

Stay healthy and love one another well.

With God’s love,

Pastor Susan

UPDATE: February 10, 2021

We have been worshipping in person and online simultaneously now for 4 months. It has been pure joy to see so many faces return as well as hear from many of you who are watching online. We are continuing to work extra hard to keep everyone safe by having our pews marked off everyone other one, requiring masks, and providing many hand sanitizing stations. We will be offering 2 opportunities for Ash Wednesday next week, February 17th. We are looking forward to more small groups and opportunities to safely gather as we move into the Lenten season. We are also looking at our larger community programs, such as Egg Hunt and Vacation Bible School and how we can safely offer these vital community ministries.

UPDATE: October 3, 2020

Welcome Home! In person worship begins Sunday, October 4th. For a better understanding of what to expect and the safety measures our church has taken, please WATCH THIS VIDEO. If you would prefer to continue to worship at home, we will begin live streaming our service at 9:30 AM. Every service will also be recorded and can be viewed anytime on our YouTube channel. Click the icon below and you will be directed to our channel.

UPDATE: September 18, 2020

Let's social distance worship "together" from the safety of our cars. Join us this Sunday, September 20th at 9:30 AM in the East Parking Lot. Arrive early to get parked and tuned in to the designated FM radio station. It will be a short worship and we are asking all participants to stay in their car. If you are unable to join us, the service will be posted here on our website as well as our YouTube channel later the same day.

If you would like an order of worship, you can follow along HERE or feel free to print one our prior to the service.

UPDATE: August 20, 2020

Greetings Church Family!

I pray this email finds you and your families healthy and well.

It would have been hard to imagine when we missed those first few Sundays of

In-Person worship we would still be here today, nearly 6 months later. These are most unusual times for sure. However, we have learned a good bit about the life of the church and about our own lives in the midst of this time of self-isolation and quarantine.

This time has proven to be a profound reminder of what is essential for the church. While we all love our worship space, we are reminded that worship can happen in Spirit and in truth just about anywhere. What is essential to the church is you! While our doors have been closed, you all have been an essential part of keeping the mission and ministry of our church moving forward, and for that, I am truly grateful to each of you.

As you know we have a Re-Launch team which has been meeting regularly throughout the summer to discuss when and how to resume In-Person worship. The following proposal was presented to the church Leadership Team and approved earlier in the week. While we know some of you will not be comfortable returning to In-Person worship yet, we are ready to make available an option for those of you who are. We will have live stream capabilities by the end of September. Those of you who are not yet comfortable returning will still be able to worship with those who are ready to worship in-Person in the sanctuary. Our worship schedule will be the following:

Worship Schedule: 9:30 am

August 30 – Drive-In Worship for Back to School Blessing

September 6 – Virtual Worship

September 13 – Virtual Worship

September 20 – Drive-In Worship

September 27 – Drive-In Worship

October 4 – Resume In-Person Worship with Live Stream Capability

I am beyond excited to be able to share this news with you! It is my deepest prayer that each one of you will prayerfully consider which option will be best for you. There is no right or wrong decision—only the decision which is best for you.

Our Re-Launch team has written a set of guidelines for resuming In-Person worship which we will send out closer to October. It is our hope to do everything we can to make our return to In-Person worship as safe as possible for as many as possible. Worship may look a little different, but the faces with whom we worship will look oh so familiar! Our Re-Launch team, Staff, and ER Team will be ironing out the details in the weeks to come. Please keep this work in your prayers.

Additionally, our church office will be open for church family on Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 AM to noon. Masks are currently required.

As always, please feel free to call me if you have any questions or any needs. I will be taking a vacation and traveling to Indiana to see family from September 3 – September 16. If you have any pastoral needs during this time, please call the church office at (561) 746-8116.

I miss all of you dearly and look forward to seeing some of you very soon!

With the mighty love of God

Pastor Susan

UPDATE: June 5, 2020

White UMC Bishops call upon all United Methodists to stand and see our black brothers and sisters. A Pastoral Letter to the United Methodists of the Southeastern Jurisdiction can be found HERE.

Cabinet Statement in Response to Racial Injustice:

From the Cabinet of the Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church

We join in the outrage expressed by multiple groups and leaders within our connection. The outrage is not only over the death of George Floyd (and countless others) but over the way in which systemic racism and white supremacy are imbedded in the history of our nation and of our church. This act of violence was perpetrated at the hands of those charged with protecting citizens and maintaining the peace. Racism is not new. White supremacy, xenophobia, and white privilege are interwoven within our social, political, and religious structures. Racism is a sin and is blatantly incompatible with Christian teaching.

As Jesus' people we begin with the knowledge that all persons are created in the image of God. We believe all lives won’t matter until black lives matter.

We seek to name the injustices within the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church and work toward healing and unity. We acknowledge our complicity and our collective need to develop greater self-awareness. We repent of our individual and collective sins of omission and commission, particularly our silence and when we have not actively worked for racial justice.

We commit to listening. We commit to peace with justice. We commit to the urgency of educating ourselves. We commit to change. We commit to further training of our clergy and resourcing local churches in order to create heart transformation for all Florida United Methodists. We encourage Florida United Methodists to work toward eliminating obstacles to voting. We ask people to move towards one another and build new relationships.

We join you in prayer with a commitment to build a future with hope. The truth of this statement will be made known as we witness these words put into action.

UPDATE: May 11, 2020

As Palm Beach County begins Phase 1 and reopen many local establishments, we are continuing to wait per the request of the Florida Conference. It has been recommended to not return to in person worship until after June 15th. It is unclear at this time what that looks like; however, we have a team that is prayerfully considering all aspects of this next phase. The safety of our church family is our priority.

UPDATE: April 27, 2020

You are invited to join in a live discussion and Bible study to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on our Rwanda orphans. Please RSVP by April 27th to Stephanie at srklovell@comcast.net in order to receive the Zoom ID and password. Please watch the video below for more information and a personal invitation.

UPDATE: April 26, 2020

Sunday was Announcement Day for the Florida United Methodist Conference. We are excited to announce that Pastor Susan Gray will be leading our church family for another year! Praise God!

UPDATE: April 18, 2020

Greetings Church Family and Friends,

I hope you have been able to join us in virtual worship these past few weeks. As you saw in the Bishop’s letter, we will be continuing in virtual worship through May 15th. We will continue to worship together either through Facebook FUMC of Jupiter Tequesta or here on our website. Hopefully, we will soon be together in person again! I do encourage us all to take great joy in knowing that while the church doors may be closed for worship—the church is still at work. We have given over 800 bags of food to local families through the Weekend Food Program. We have also given many masks to local front-line workers. Thank you to all of you who continue to give generously of yourselves.

I also want to say thank you to all of you for continuing to give financially. Because of your generosity, ministry at First UMC of Jupiter-Tequesta continues even in the midst of these most unusual times. When we return to the sanctuary, what joy it will be for all of us! I pray you are all staying well and bearing through these days of sheltering in place. I look forward to seeing you online on Sunday where we will continue our sermon series, "Encounters with Christ"! In the words of John Wesley, “...and the best of all, God is with us!"

In Christ,

Pastor Susan

UPDATE: March 27, 2020

Calling all sewers and even non-sewers. Our local healthcare workers are in need of face masks. We have attached 2 patterns that can be used HERE and HERE. If you can please help be the hands and feet of Jesus in this very tangible way, please contact the church office and we will have a team member retrieve them safely from you. Thank you!

UPDATE: March 27, 2020

Dear Church Family,

In a season of COVID-19, we face a rapidly changing reality. Day by day new information emerges, and the church adapts as a response. We are now being asked to shelter at home through Easter. What does this mean for the church? Sadly, it means that we will be cancelling all public worship (including drive-in worship) and all of our traditional Holy Week activities. This is how we love our neighbor. This is how we serve our community. I encourage us to settle into Lent and trust in the One who will bring resurrection.

I will post a message tomorrow both on Facebook and on our website. If you would like to have home church, I will be sending out an order of worship through constant contact. please call the church office and leave your email address if you'd like to be added to our mailing, 561-746-8116.

With abiding love of Jesus,

Pastor Susan

UPDATE: April 5, 2020

We worshiped together online to celebrate Palm Sunday and to welcome Jesus on His triumphal entry. In case you missed the service, you can see it HERE.

UPDATE: April 6, 2020

It it is our tradition to share in Holy Communion on Easter Sunday, and we will do that virtually. God’s Kingdom is one of Spirit so we will celebrate in our ONE SPIRIT. Please try and get some grape juice (or any fruit of the vine), even wine will do if you are able to partake. Also, be sure and have a cracker or piece of bread. We will break bread and drink from the cup and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior on Easter Sunday.

UPDATE: March 23, 2020

Due to Covid-19, all in-person activities are suspended. Although our church office is currently closed, our church staff will be checking the mail, checking voice messages, and paying bills. If you need assistance, please call the church office and leave a message, 561-746-8116.

In order to help our church family navigate this time, we will update our website and social media regularly. Although we have all been limited on what we cannot do, let's take time to consider what WE CAN DO.

WE CAN...

*STAY CONNECTED! We will be uploading videos, devotions, music, and worship ideas regularly to our website and social media.

*CALL, TEXT, OR EMAIL a friend. Now more than ever it is great time to catch up with old and new friends.

*SPARE A SQUARE! Check on your neighbor or introduce yourself to a new one and make sure they have what they need (including toilet paper).

*READ SCRIPTURE or start a new habit of a daily devotion. YOU VERSION Bible App has lots of options to choose from for daily devotions. You can even create a private group with friends to discuss the daily reading.

*WORSHIP! Keep watching your email and the website for updates to our worship schedule. You can also find new ways to worship through a daily walk, quiet time, or music.

*PRAYER WALK. One of our talented church members has used her gift of gardening. Drive by and visit the prayer garden on the west side of the chapel building. You will find suggested scriptures to read while visiting the garden.