Our Response to COVID-19

COVID-19 brought with it not only sickness and death but unprecedented restrictions in every facet of life. For the life of the Church, though, few seemed as consequential as the long-term restrictions around in-person gatherings. Yet despite the onslaught of confusion/division going on around us, we remained (and still remain) emphatically resolute at both maintaining embodied/in-person Gatherings and loving/caring for neighbor by complying with local health orders.

For over 10 months through parts of 2020 and 2021 we gathered as smaller groups outside at multiple homes (scattered throughout Sonoma County) and worshiped together — never ceasing to be the church and never ceasing to continue to care for our neighbors and one another. At the end of March 2021, we transitioned to ‘All Church Outdoor Gatherings.’ It was so good to get the whole church back together in-person. Then, with the advent of Fall (along with its cold/wet weather), it seemed the time was right to move back to meeting inside at Meadow Elementary School. With all that we knew about the virus and all the measures to keep ourselves/each other safe, we believed that we were able to safely meet together inside and were elated to get closer to our normal Gathering rhythm.

At that point, we asked everyone to bring and wear their masks while inside. Yes, we hated that as much as anyone. And truthfully, we didn’t fully understand the logic behind some of the mandates — especially in light of the high vaccination/inoculation rates throughout Sonoma County by the Fall of 2021. But our conviction is and has been that as long as the health mandates (which carry with them the weight/authority of the law) are not asking us to sin (cf. Acts 5:29) we should follow them both to obey the Scriptures but also to be a witness to our community.

We have been committed this entire time to help everyone be and feel as safe as possible. We’ve followed the leading healthcare guidelines (which, to be honest, have often seemed confusing and frustrating with how often they change and lack scientific clarity). We have made every effort to let our people know that none of the decisions we have made regarding meeting in light of the virus and the subsequent health guidelines were done lightly. We’ve explored the Scriptures deeply (i.e. Romans 13, 14, 1 Corinthians 10, 1 Peter 2, etc.). We’ve explored ideas such as jurisdictional transgressions and jurisdictional overlap. We weighed the theological implications of covering our faces, especially in the context of the gathered church. We wrestled through it all. One thing that feels important to highlight is that we absolutely DID NOT (nor would we ever) acquiesce our convictions/call towards gospel faithfulness to a government.

What we did arrive at during the height of the ‘mask wars’ was the question: “Even though wearing a mask may impose upon the church’s purposes for fellowship, might the imposition here be small enough, while the cost of civil disobedience to another aspect of the church’s mission—its witness in the community—be big enough that, as a matter of weighted judgment, wisdom recommends obedience?” Our answer, prayerfully, was yes it does. That doesn’t mean it always will. But for the context of that time period (Fall 2021), we believed that following the “health” orders to be the least of all the unclear options.

At the end of the day, we believe Jesus when he says the greatest commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.“ We also believe that one of the great imperatives of the Christian faith is to “consider others greater than ourselves.” Being fervently committed to these very realities — even/especially in light of the ever-increasing polarization we find ourselves in — are a great way we can make known the love, mercy, and grace of Jesus.

As of February 16, 2022, Sonoma County health orders have removed [nearly] all mask mandates for vaccinated individuals. That means that starting Sunday, February 20, we will no longer be asking individuals to wear masks at our Gatherings. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

*** If you want to read a further resource that we’ve found incredibly helpful, check out this article by Jonathan Leeman from 9Marks. If you have any questions/comments/concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.***