Advent blessings of hope, peace, joy and love to you all!

Governor J.B. Pritzker announced new Tier 3 mitigation guidelines that went into effect on Friday, November 20, 2020, due to the recent spike in COVID-19 cases and to avoid overwhelming hospitals. As of this date, there have been no changes to these mitigation guidelines (coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-mitigation-plan) and it does not appear that there will be any before the end of the year.

Therefore, I want to emphasize these mitigation guidelines again as we approach the last weeks of Advent and Christmas Eve/Day services. The people of Illinois are encouraged to stay home “to the greatest extent possible.” While the guidelines do not reference worship specifically, meetings, social events, and gatherings (including weddings, potlucks, etc.) are included, specifically restricting home gatherings to household members, closing meeting rooms, and limiting funerals to 10 family members in attendance. Therefore, churches in the Northern Illinois Annual Conference should refrain from all indoor in-person worship until the state mitigations are lifted.

Some of you are doing some very creative worship experiences outdoors, but there is still a need to practice all precautions, including social distancing. And we need to refrain from opening the church building or congregating in any way.

I understand that there are other churches in your communities that are holding in-person worship, including Christmas Eve services. These services hold a high risk of infection, as people attending may have traveled and/or may not be using precautions. This is not the time to let our guard down. If you and your community or family have not been touched by COVID-19, don’t let one of the holiest days of our Christian faith be the cause of contracting or spreading it. 

I know how hard this is, but please keep up the smart, safe, and healthy practices that will mitigate getting or giving the disease. Do no harm and do good!

My prayers will be that the Spirit of Christmas will abide with you. 

Sincerely,

Sally Dyck