Returning to Church is still a thing This past Monday, the WCC issued Returning to Church 5.0, the latest in its series of COVID-safer guidelines for churches and other faith communities. I assume most of you are aware of this by now, so I’ll include only the briefest of synopses here: We set everything in the context of the pandemic that…
WITH PATIENT ENDURANCE Simplified Guidelines for Faithful Care Download as a PDF in English or Spanish Introduction: Living Into The New Normal Three years into the COVID era, residents of Wisconsin are presented with an ambiguous situation. For the most part, the pandemic has settled just below the threshold of public awareness, yet it is a persistent and continuing reality.…
I’ve been meaning for a while now to talk about long COVID and the effect it might have on your community. And so I will today. The view from 30,000 feet: there’s a lot we’re uncertain about. But we do know long COVID hurts people physically, emotionally, and financially. But before we get to that: Combination flu and COVID vaccines won’t…
The story arises from a reconsideration of evidence by the U.S. Department of Energy. The DoE used to think it unlikely that COVID started in a lab. But based on undisclosed intelligence, it now says that it did, more likely than not.
You can guess from that last sentence that this is not a firm conclusion. And indeed, it’s not. The DoE says that it has “low confidence” in its theory. To my knowledge, none of the other U.S. intelligence agencies have said they have conclusive evidence one way or another.
In fact, news reports are that the intelligence community is divided on this question. Some say COVID had natural origins, some say it didn’t.
With One Body And One Spirit: Returning to Church 3.0 1. The theology, ethics & values which guide these recommendations are anchored in 1 Corinthians 12:26-27, “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.” In times of…
We are in the midst of updating our Returning to Church, COVID safety recommendations for churches but wanted to offer a brief update and guidance while we work on a more formal document. Vaccinations completed in WI: 48.5% Source: WI DHS COVID-19 Vaccine DataDaily New Cases/100K population = 2.8 (7 day average) Source: globalepidemics.org Daily Positive COVID tests = 1.8% (7-day average) Source: WI DHS…
BEARING WITH ONE ANOTHER IN LOVEA “Returning to Church” SupplementReleased April 16, 2021 The most recent consultations with our public health advisers indicate that the benchmarks for safe gathering in the Wisconsin Council of Churches’ Returning to Church 2.0 document released in January 2021 continue to be sound. These benchmarks address thresholds for safer gathering options based upon vaccination rates…
March 23, 2021 Faith Leaders Covid-19 Thank You As representatives of the interfaith community in Wisconsin, we want to say thank you to Health Care Workers and First Responders. You have been providing emergency care for over a year under very difficult conditions. Every day you have shouldered the responsibility of showing up for neighbors in need, respecting their humanity…
This resource and brainstorming list has been created by WCC staff and pastors in idea sharing conversations during Wednesday Clergy Check-in. Bookmark this page for updates. General Articles It’s Time to Talk About Advent in a Pandemic – Faith & Leadership Worship and Other Resource Kits Brim 2020: An Unexpected Gift Worship Design Studio : I Believe Even When Illustrated…
On an October 1st call with faith leaders, Lt. Gov. Barnes and Department of Health Services (DHS) Staff shared the news that Wisconsin is currently in a crisis situation with respect to COVID transmission. We share a summary of key points from the call for leaders who were unable to join: Mask up EVERY time you leave the house. Avoid…
