Brothers and Sisters,
The COVID pandemic continues to add new entries into our lexicon. The latest one is "delta variant" (sounds like something from math class!). Experts say that this variant is even more contagious than the original 2019 coronavirus, and the number of cases are quickly rising again in Southern California.

After consultation with our task force (including in-house physicians), we are making a few changes beginning this Sunday as safeguards, while trying to keep church life as "normal" as possible.

Because the children's population is not yet vaccinated, many of these changes affect them, so parents/teachers please take note:

Sunday:

• Everyone (children and adults): please wear masks while indoors, vaccinated or not.
• Outdoor masks not necessary.
• All kids 12 and under will have temperature checked at check-in. We kindly ask parents of any child with a temperature over 100 to return home together.
• Children's worship will meet in the worship hall beginning this Sunday. No Zoom option. 
• Sunday School classes: please contact your teacher by Saturday morning if you need a Zoom option.
• Social distancing or capacity limits are not necessary.
• No changes to food service and consumption.

Family Retreat:

• Again, we ask everyone to wear a mask indoors 
• Children & youth housing: Pastor Steven will contact you separately to discuss rooming arrangements.
• All children 12 and under will have their temperatures checked daily
• Anyone with a temperature or showing symptoms will unfortunately need to return home with our love and prayers. The retreat program will continue as scheduled unless mandated otherwise.

General guidelines and reminders:

• COVID testing: wait at least 5 days after possible exposure before getting tested to avoid false negatives. While waiting for results, please refrain from unnecessary contact with others, including church activities.
• For those who test positive, repeat testing is not necessary before returning to church, One can continue to test positve for months, but the infectious period lasts only 10 days after symptom onset for the healthy. These individuals are good to return after 10 days quarantine.
• Air circulation helps prevent infections: Keep doors and windows open.
• CDC guidelines for masks indoors are not universal, but are strongly recommended in communities where infection rates are growing, and in crowded rooms.
• Masks are not 100% effective, but they are helpful; your cooperation is appreciated! Please continue to smile from behind your masks--your eyes will show it!
• Vaccines are also not 100% effective. However, almost all severe cases of COVID currently are among the unvaccinated, so vaccines help reduce both the possibility and the severity of infections.

Finally, brothers and sisters, let these words bring comfort to our souls as we once again contend with this seemingly endless pandemic:
Romans 8:35–39 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can (COVID or) affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing (including the Delta variant!) will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.