Thursday, January 21^st, 2021
A weekday e-mailer from
Matt Matthews
 
To Members and Friends of 
First Presbyterian Church
Champaign, Illinois
 
Friends,
 
Our Covid-19 Response Team has not ceased meeting. Here’s the latest:
 
January 15, 2021 
Minutes from Covid Committee Meeting via Zoom on 1/12/21. 
The Covid Committee met via Zoom on 1/12/21 to touch base after news of vaccine availability was noted by several in the congregation. In attendance were Matt Matthews, Eric Corbin, Judi Geistlinger, Mark Schoeffmann, Carol Miles, Tom Ulen and Ruth Craddock. We welcomed Tom and Carol as new session reps for Physical Plant and Worship committees respectively. 
We reviewed that Illinois Region 6 remains in Phase 4 with Tier 3 mitigations, starting November 20 and scheduled to persist until 2/6/21 per the IDPH web site information. Note was made that while the 7 day rolling percentage rate was dropping some, the hospitalization rates and ICU occupancy were such that Tier 3 mitigations could not yet be reduced to Tier 2 mitigations in Region 6. We also noted that our previous decision to postpone face to face worship in light of increasing cases of Covid 19 was predicated on the state of Illinois’ call to go to Tier 1 mitigations when the 7 day positivity rate exceeded 8 % and that we would be able to consider reconvening face to face services when the 7 day positivity rate fell below 6.5 %. Now we all read on the web site that the Tier 3 mitigations would be reduced once the rate was below 12% along with adequate access to both ICU and hospital beds. With fewer cases overall, and with adequate ICU/hospital beds available, the state would then reduce restrictions on activities gradually, moving from Tier 3 to Tier 2 and eventually back to Tier 1 mitigations, and then eventually removing all mitigations to resume the Phase 4 Restore IL plan as outlined on the public health web site. 
We made note of 2 community options to receive a corona virus vaccine locally, and referenced information about vaccinations readily available via local news outlets on TV and in print, as well as the Champaign-Urbana Public Health Department via phone and website. The current community options for vaccination are available for people over age 75, provided after the vaccinations of health care providers; the vaccine will be offered for people over age 65 in the next week or so, and we noted that at this time of change in federal leadership, details about the vaccination process will likely be changing and all are optimistic that the vaccine rollout will soon be much improved locally and nationally. We would recommend that as many people in the congregation as are able and willing should get the vaccine.
Matt brought to our attention a concern of a member of the congregation about a small group meeting in Westminster Hall; it was unclear whether the group was meeting weekly or monthly, but it was known that the group was fewer than 10 individuals. We reviewed that in the fall of 2020 the committee had agreed that Matt and originally Peter Yau, when he was still on the committee, would be able to make decisions on a case by case basis as to whether or not various groups requesting to use church space for meetings would be allowed to do so, and that the entire committee did not need to meet to make those decisions. All groups meeting at the church are following protocols which include wearing masks, signing in to allow for contact tracing, taking temperatures etc. We reviewed that there had been several possible exposures to various people in the church, both in the groups that meet as well as the staff, but the origin of the exposures was difficult to pinpoint, and thus far no severe disease or outcomes were noted. We did discuss that the group in question meeting in Westminster Hall was able to socially distance in that space, whereas they would be in closer quarters were they to meet in someone’s home, and reviewed that it was their choice to meet, and not a mandated meeting. 
Recognizing that we likely have not yet seen the peak of Covid 19 cases following Christmas and New Year’s, we agreed to meet again in later January or early February to see where things stand in terms of local, regional, state and national cases, with the hope that as more people get vaccinated and that as the number of cases comes down, we will be able to plan for face to face worship again. Matt reviewed that the online worship format aired on Sunday mornings remains the ‘flagship’ worship service and that if we can resume face to face worship in a few months, it will be socially distanced with masks, without singing etc as discussed in previous meetings. 
Respectively submitted, Ruth Craddock 
Covid-19 Response Team
1 Ron Deering
2 Judi Geistlinger
3 Carol Miles/worship
4 Ken Chapman
5 Matt Matthews
6 Eric Corbin
7 Mark Schoeffmann
8 Ruth Craddock, chair
9 Tim Young
10 Tom Ulen/Grounds
 
News
 
When we get wind of Covid vaccine schedules, we are forwarding them to you as soon as we receive them. The schedules fill up by the next day, so be diligent. 

* * *

The Nurture Committee invites you to join them over Zoom on Tuesday, January 26, at 7 pm for the next Virtual Dessert.  Bring your favorite dessert or beverage.

Email zoom@firstpres.church for the link.
 
* * *
 
Pray for our Session. They meet this evening.
 
Humor (Hard times really need godly laughter): 
 
Thank you Bill Marble:
 
I read that by law you must turn on your headlights when it’s raining in Sweden but how am I supposed to know when it is raining in Sweden? 
 
* * *
 
Pyro parable, perhaps apocryphal
from Bill Gamble
 
An early settler in East Central Illinois was building a small log cabin, small because logs were scarce in the tall-grass prairie.  He needed stones for a fireplace, also scarce in the prairie.  He eventually located some nice black rocks in a creek bed, and built the fireplace. 
 
Sometime later he built the first fire in the fireplace, but soon it was much warmer than he wanted and then it became a raging inferno, consuming first the fireplace and then the entire cabin.  Guess what:  Those “nice black rocks” were coal!
 
A version of this was once published as a warning to building designers:  Pick your building materials carefully.
 
(There is no black rocks in our new kitchen. I don’t think. [ed.])
 
Good Word: 
 
Mark 1:14-20                      
14Now after John was arrested, Jesus  came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, 15and  saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near;  repent, and believe in the good news.”
 
16As Jesus passed along the Sea of  Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for  they were fishermen. 17And Jesus said to them, “Follow  me and I will make you fish for people.” 18And  immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19As  he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John,  who were in their boat mending the nets. 20Immediately  he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired  men, and followed him.

Let us pray: 

 
Holy God, when our “personal” experience of You allows no room for others,
      help us to seek your forgiveness.
When “church” becomes a sanctuary only and never a launch pad,
      help us to seek your forgiveness.
Forgive us, Holy God, for the ways we seek a personal relationship with you to the exclusion of the whole world. 
      Hear our prayer.
Open us to new friendships. 
      Hear our prayer.
Inspire us to be curious about ways of thinking different than our own. 
      Hear our prayer.
Forgive our pride that proclaims “my way is the best way.” 
      Hear our prayer.
Help us to listen and to hear. 
      Hear our prayer.
Help us repair our community with hospitality and friendship, in the manner of Jesus.
      Hear our prayer.
Grow our kinship with the world you love and have so graciously redeemed in Jesus Christ. 
      AMEN.
 
* * *
 
Much, much love to you all.
  
Matt Matthews
Cell: 864.386.9138
Matt@FirstPres.Church