Reopening Information

We are excited to worship with you in the church building once again! The following information is intended to help us transition to in-person worship as smoothly as possible:

1. Sunday Service Guidelines
2. A statement of thanksgiving to God for his provision through the vaccines and advice to congregants from the Medical Task Force.
3. Family Ministry Guidelines

Section 1. SUNDAY SERVICE GUIDELINES

These guidelines were developed and approved by the Reopening Work Group (ROWG) after considering many factors. The ROWG received counsel from the Medical Task Force (MTF) as well. The ROWG comprises five staff, two elders, and one member of the MTF. The ROWG will continue revisiting these guidelines and make further adjustments as needed.

• The 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM, and 4:00 PM services are now open to all worshipers!
• Masks are not required, but the MTF advises all who are unvaccinated (including ministers, choir members, ushers, greeters, adults, and children) to wear masks during the services and at all times while in the building.
• There will be no social distancing required on the floor of the sanctuary, though this may be practiced as attendance allows.
• The balconies will be reserved for socially distanced seating and for those wearing masks.
• The Fellowship Hall will be open as an alternative place for worship. The service will be streamed and masks will be worn and social distancing will occur.
• Singing will occur throughout the services on the floor and balcony of the sanctuary but not in the Fellowship Hall.
• Stay-at-home or outdoor virtual worship will be supported. If you are gathering in a group to worship virtually and would like support, please contact us!
• The Welcome Center will be used before, between, and after services for fellowship.
• No pre-registration will occur for worship attendees, but families will be required to pre-register in Realm if planning to use Children’s Church and Nursery to ensure we have proper staff and volunteers to care for our children.
  • See the Family Ministry statement below for more information.
• The facilities are available for use by ministries of the church. As always, space must be requested from and approved by the Facilities staff prior to use. Please contact them here to request space.

 
Section 2. GIVING THANKS TO GOD & A NOTE FROM THE MTF
Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! – Psalm 115:1

With grateful hearts we praise our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who alone is the Healer of all diseases (Exodus 15:26). The God of all mercy is the reason for the end of this pandemic. We are deeply grateful for the many clinicians who risked their lives during the pandemic, and the scientists and public health providers who have tirelessly developed and distributed the Covid-19 vaccines. Even so, we are especially reminded that it is God in His providence (Proverbs 16:9) who gives us every breath to understand (Job 32:8), opening the human mind to scientific discovery (Daniel 2:21), who is the true Healer in this pandemic (Psalm 103:3). Like the leper who returned to Jesus with thanksgiving for his healing (Luke 17:15), even so we return thanksgiving for His merciful provision received through the Covid-19 vaccines.

In light of this good gift, we have asked the Medical Task Force to offer final advice to congregants concerning health questions pertaining the Covid-19 vaccines. As followers of Jesus Christ and fellow congregants, the Medical Task Force has helped the church navigate these health complexities. We are indebted to this dedicated and talented team of clinicians and scientists, who are also disciples of Jesus, and our brothers and sisters, who have taken considerable time to counsel the congregation on these confusing health-related questions.

A note from the Medical Task Force to the congregation:

Dear Fellow Park Streeters,

It has been a long time of being away from each other in worship and other vital activities of our Park Street community during this pandemic. Our congregation has been blessed to continue in worship some in person and some virtually and all safely, by God’s grace! We are grateful to be returning to in-person worship services. In light of regathering, we offer the following information in support of our fellow congregational members.

1. We believe that it is safe for vaccinated individuals to regather for normal worship and other church activities in light of declining numbers of Covid-19 cases and deaths in Massachusetts, with recent rapid improvement due to vaccinations.
2. We urge all congregants to not delay in seeking vaccination. The vaccination of one person in our community contributes to the health of our whole community.
   • The Covid-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested using the best available science without cutting corners. After examining the evidence, we have full confidence that the vaccines are trustworthy and safe.
   • The vaccines are highly protective from multiple strains of the virus.
3. At this time, with regard to in-person worship and activities:
   • We advise all unvaccinated people to wear masks while in the church building.
   • Vaccinated people need not wear masks, although they are welcome to continue wearing masks if they wish.
4. When singing, unvaccinated attendees are not protected from sending or receiving aerosolized virus even when wearing a mask.
   • We recommend that immunocompromised people and unvaccinated people who want to come to church but are concerned about aerosols generated by singing, worship in a space reserved for them during services. In this space, all congregants can sit together to watch the live streamed service. They will all wear masks, sit distanced from each other and will not be singing.
5. Getting a vaccine will speed our return to normal here at Park Street, while protecting those who cannot get vaccinated or are immunocompromised.

If congregants have additional questions about the safety or efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccines, as fellow congregants and followers of Jesus, we are available to answer questions or concerns. For more information about Covid vaccination, please see the health information from the CDC.

 
Section 3. FAMILY MINISTRY GUIDELINES
 
Family Ministries has reopened all regular summer Sunday programs at limited capacities. We have one nursery available for ages 0–2 and Children’s Church (8:30 AM — ages 3 to 6) (11:00 AM and 4:00 PM — ages 3 to Grade 3) at all three services. Pre-registration is required for your children to attend. You will pre-register your children through Realm, similar to how pre-registration for services has been happening. You can register by clicking on one of the links below.

Registration Links for August:

• August 15
• August 22
• August 29  *No Activities

SUMMER COVID GUIDELINES

1. Children must be pre-registered (registration closes at 11:00 PM the SAT before)
2. There will be no health screening form.
3. If your child presents symptoms or tests positive for Covid after attending a family ministry program, please contact Adam Herndon.
4. Nursery-aged kids are not required to wear masks.
5. We ask that all non-vaccinated children attending Children’s Church wear a mask as recommended by our Medical Task Force.
6. Per EEC guidelines, Nursery and Children’s Church volunteers are still required to wear a mask.
7. When you arrive to the church, please go the Family Ministry Check-In area to pick-up your child’s nametag and parent security tags.

Dear Park Street Church,

Churches around the world are struggling with how to navigate the pandemic, and we are no exception. This has been hard for everyone, both individually and corporately, for a variety of reasons. By God’s grace, we’re making it through this together—thanks in large part to some of our medical professionals who love Jesus and love PSC and have graciously served on our Medical Task Force—and my prayer is we’ll continue to walk in unity. The divergent opinions we have about the pandemic and how the church should respond (should we meet? or not? mask? or not?) should never divide us. Let’s remember Paul’s exhortation that we are to “be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4.3).

Given the situation with the Delta variant and the increase in COVID cases, the Board of Elders made the decision last night to keep the protocols the same for the 11 AM and 4 PM services but to require all congregants to wear masks at the 8:30 AM service. We will have masks on hand for any who may need a mask to come into the 8:30 AM service. This enables us to provide one service where the unvaccinated (including, of course, children under the age of 12) can worship with the added protection of everyone wearing masks. These protocols will be evaluated regularly.

As a reminder:

• At all three services, the balcony will remain reserved for those wearing masks and seating will be socially distanced.
• At 11 AM and 4 PM, the service will continue to be streamed online and to the Fellowship Hall. In the Fellowship Hall, those who gather will be masked and socially distanced and no singing will occur.
• We will continue to meet outside (weather permitting) for refreshments and connection in the Boston Common across the street from the church after each of our services. These receptions last Sunday were wonderful, and I enjoyed the chance to meet and talk with many of you after the services. Do join us on the Common and strike up a conversation with someone you don’t already know.

In coming to this decision about the 8:30 AM service, the Board sought to balance both spiritual and physical needs with wisdom, while navigating the divergent perspectives that exist within the Board and within the congregation. We did weigh and consider recommendations from the Medical Task Force in making this decision, though we did not follow their recommendations in full. Our present approach is to offer a variety of options that we hope will serve the widest range of our congregants.

Probably like all of you, I was hoping that COVID would be behind us as we entered the fall. That is obviously not the case, but I trust we will move forward together, assured of God’s sovereign care in our lives and our community and committed to expressing that care to others.

In Christ,

Mark

Park Street Church is hiring for the position of Ministries Administrative Assistant. Previously advertised as part-time, the position has recently changed to a full-time role. This position will report directly to the Senior Minister while serving as part of the Ministries Team. The Ministries Administrator will work in collaboration with the Missions Administrator and the Administration Administrative Assistant as well as the Church Administrator, Financial Controller, Director of Facilities Management, and Director of Communications to better enable the church to faithfully fulfill its mission.  To apply or view a fuller job description, click below. 

APPLY

Park Street Church partner, World Relief, is responding to the crises in Afghanistan and Haiti. You can join them by giving directly to their efforts to alleviate the suffering caused by war and natural disaster. To give, click the button below and scroll down to select the response effort you would like to support.

GIVE

DivorceCare will host its fall kickoff on Zoom on THU, SEP 9 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM.  We meet weekly through DEC 16. If you are interested in attending, please register by emailing [email protected], and we will send a link for the meeting.  

Would you like to provide childcare during the week for a few hours a day?  Nursery Director, Stephanie Verrengia, needs help in the nursery for a few hours in the morning, three days a week. If you enjoy working with kids, please consider applying. This is a paid position. 

To apply or find out more, email Stephanie.

Welcome the nations’ people whom God has brought to our doorsteps. More than 60 nations are represented in the multiethnic community of Park Street Church, including many who are enrolled in our English as a Second Language (ESL) Program. All classes are taught by caring volunteer teachers from Park Street and surrounding area churches. Would you like to learn more about our ESL ministry? You can!
 
In preparation for the upcoming fall semester, the ESL ministry of Park Street will be holding a teacher training and informational workshop on SAT, SEP 18, 9:00 AM-12:00 PM, for all who are interested in learning about this program and how to get involved. Please register by TUE, SEP 14. To register e-mail Karen Patschke, our ESL Coordinator. This is an in-person event.

 REGISTER 

Please join us for All-Church Prayer on SAT, AUG 28 for a special focus on our work in Asia. Come hear from our missionaries in that part of the world and learn more about what God is doing there. Stay connected to Missions news and updates by signing up for our monthly newsletter at www.parkstreet.org/newsletters.

Questions? Contact the Missions Office. 

PRE-REGISTER

after all services

We invite you to join us for refreshments and fellowship on the Common this Sunday (weather permitting) in lieu of our usual indoor coffee hour. Look for a welcome team on the grass immediately across from the church after the 8:30 AM, 11:00 AM and 4:00 PM services.

Park Street Church is looking for qualified applicants for the Director of Facilities Management. This position is responsible for managing Park Street’s downtown properties, as well as overseeing the stewardship of the Wilson House campus in Cambridge, MA, and the operational infrastructure (mechanical, electrical, security, HVAC, technological, etc.) of these critical assets. The position is also responsible for safety and security of the church’s properties and the church’s technology footprint and its efficient and secure operation.

VIEW THE JOB DESCRIPTION

See job description in “Announcements” above.

Park Street School is hiring for a Toddler Associate Teacher for the 2021–2022 school year.

Located in the heart of Boston’s historic Beacon Hill neighborhood and offers a continuous, integrated, Christian-based learning environment to students from toddler to grade six. Park Street School exemplifies a Christian worldview and strives to maintain a faculty and staff with varying backgrounds and cultural experiences.

Please email Jenny Exilhomme for a complete job description and application instructions.

Lexington Christian Academy (LCA) is hiring a Residential Life Coordinator and Dorm Parent positions. Are you interested in education and youth development? Are you looking for a creative way to tackle the high cost of housing in the Boston area? Are you working part-time or taking graduate classes? Consider being part of the residential community at Lexington Christian Academy. 

Find more information about these and other LCA job openings at the link below.

LCA JOBS