August 2021 Update: Delta Virus Edition

Ah, summer in New York. The heat shimmering on the sidewalk, the kids splashing in public pools, the weddings in Central Park. For the last two months, we at Vineyard One NYC have celebrated summer and the waning of the covid virus by holding hybrid in-person + virtual meetings at the Errigo-Rosen home in Staten Island.  They’ve been a joy, with our attendees about evenly split between those on-site and those joining us via Zoom. We’ve connected with new visitors and old friends and seen God work in some amazing ways. We’ve been able to hug people we haven’t seen in the flesh for over a year.

Unfortunately, now we have the Delta variant, which can infect and be transmitted by even vaccinated people and is causing a resurgence of infections and hospitalizations.  Given this game-changer, we’ve made the difficult decision to pause our in-person gatherings for the time being. Even though everyone teen and adult that came in-person has been vaccinated, we don’t want to risk transmitting the virus to those in our circles with fragile health, not to mention children under twelve who are not able to receive vaccinations yet. Ultimately, in order to protect our church family and our communities, we think returning to exclusively online services is the best thing for now.

We continue to be so thankful for the technology that allows us to stay connected and for the flexibility and resilience of our church family all over the world. And for all who continue to support us through these rocky and uncertain times. And we pray for those who are ill and those who care for them, whether medical professionals or loved ones. (A quick PSA: Please get vaccinated if you haven’t already! This is a tangible, practical, quite likely lifesaving way to love your neighbor as  yourself.)

Our sermon series is “Inner Peace Through Friendship with Jesus.” This Sunday, August 15th, we’re talking about God’s generous sharing of his love and resources with us – and through us. We hope you’ll join us at 10:30 am on Zoom at  https://us04web.zoom.us/j/9983878948.

And, if you need a moment of quiet encouragement, please listen to the new contemplative reflection at soulspace.center on 1 Peter 5:7-10, “An Invitation for Restoration.” We hope you will find encouragement in Jesus’ promise to be with us in suffering and to take on all of our worries and cares.

Always in the hope of Christ,

Carrie Myers

Spiritual Director, Vineyard One NYC

 

 

Photo credit: Charles Parker from Pexels

 

What’s Ahead for Vineyard One: Finding a New Normal

Dear Family and Friends,

With vaccination rates rising and covid-19 infections and death falling to the lowest levels since a year ago, we’ve taken our first step towards returning to in-person services for the first time since March 2020! A few of us met in the backyard of the Errigo/Rosen home in Staten Island, and we Zoomed our service from there. We had some expected technical difficulties with wifi and sound (Zoom is just not meant for music!), but overall, the hybrid in-person/Zoom meeting actually went okay! And afterward, the kids got to swim in Mary Lynn and Steve’s pool, in spite of the freezing water.

This summer, we’re going to keep moving towards a new “normal” in a not-quite-post-covid world by having one in-person Sunday service per month at the Errigo/Rosen home. We’re still trying to figure out the best technological solution for bringing together people who are meeting in the flesh in Staten Island and people who are meeting virtually from the other four boroughs, 2 additional states, and four additional countries on any given Sunday. We’re looking at live streaming our services, with a chat feature enabled, so people can “talk” to each other during the service, and then opening up Zoom rooms at the end of the service for ministry time, contemplative prayer, fellowship, and children’s church. But we imagine that plan will evolve as we research and test our options.

We’re also still praying and discerning about starting something – we don’t know quite what – in Elmhurst, Queens. Perhaps starting a ministry or partnering with another church or organization that is already in the neighborhood.  Ryan and other leaders have begun hanging out in the neighborhood, talking to folks, seeing where God might be leading. We’re trusting God to help flesh out the details in his time.

One thing we do know for sure: our new normal will look nothing like our old normal! We can’t go back to a pre-covid reality. For one thing, we will not return to our old location, P.S. 132 in Brooklyn. For another, we will still have masking protocols for our meetings, especially for those who aren’t vaccinated, including children under 16, and for anyone who is feeling unwell or who has a health condition that makes them vulnerable to infection.

Whatever the specific shape of things to come, we are excited to discover with you what God is doing in our midst! We are thankful for the perseverance, generosity, and kindness our community has demonstrated during the pandemic, and for how God will continue to use us to love him, love each other, and love our neighbors in the year to come.

 

May God’s Peace Be With You,

Carrie Myers

Spiritual Director, Vineyard One NYC

 

Photo credit: Dale Brooks from Pexels