Regathering Update (7/25/21)

We are excited to be coming together for worship again.

Whether you are a newcomer or a long-term parishioner, please join us for an in-person 10 am Sunday worship service.

The 10 am livestream on Facebook continues. Our 5 pm service also continues on Zoom, with a gathering in the courtyard on the second Sunday of each month.

There will be refreshments in the courtyard this summer following our 10 am service. We call it coffee hour, but for the summer we are serving just lemonade, ice water, and Popsicles. These items will be provided at the church so volunteering to do “coffee hour” this summer will just mean set up and clean up. You can volunteer online by emailing seniorwarden@stmarks.net or sign up on the clipboard on the table at coffee hour.

5pm worship in courtyard, with children playing

5 pm Worship in the courtyard, second Sunday of the month

We are taking numerous precautions during the Covid-19 pandemic. We expect everyone to uphold our community’s Regathering Covenant (PDF), the promises we make to each other about how to regather in a spirit of love and mutual care. We ask that you wear a mask and maintain physical distance from people outside your household and limit attendance to approximately 50 parishioners. We do not differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated people for in-person worship. Details: What to Expect

See Rector Michele Morgan’s May 14th e-Gospel announcement of regathering here.

As of July 25, registration is no longer required, as 10 am in-person worship continues.

There is no need to register in advance. We will ask you to check in when you arrive, to wear a mask in the building, and to observe physical distancing. More here.

Worship Experience

As we learn how to have people in-person and continue to livestream at the same time, and as we adjust to changing COVID guidance, we will take a number of initial precautions. Read What to Expect [updated 5/28/21].

Become a Regathering Volunteer

As we resume in-person worship, we will need a corps of volunteers each Sunday to help with welcoming, check-in, and ushering in the nave.

Sign up now by sending an email to regatheringvolunteers@stmarks.net. We will send you job descriptions.

Thank you for considering volunteering to help make our in-service worship experience safe and welcoming.

Background: Planning Regathering

The St. Mark’s Capitol Hill Committee to Study Reopening and Regathering presented a report to the parish at a Rector’s Forum on Zoom on March 28, 2021. Discussion followed. Following approval by the Vestry, the Diocese accepted our Regathering Plan.

To learn more about how we got here: Watch the Rector’s Forum on YouTube. Review the Reopening and Regathering Committee’s presentation. Read the St. Mark’s Reopening Plan as of April 20, 2021.

Some members of our parish community may not be comfortable returning for in-person worship or live too far away to join us in person. So that we might all be present to our community, we will continue to livestream our 10 am service and the 5 pm service on Zoom.

The Episcopal Diocese of Washington remains committed to following CDC and DC government guidelines for safe reopening during the pandemic.

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