Greetings New Bethel Congregation, Friends, Family, and Neighbors,

I am pleased to inform you that Session elected to resume in-person church services. Starting this coming Sunday (March 28^th), our morning services will be held at 9:45 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will continue the Sunday school Zoom meeting with the same login instructions as the past few Sundays.  Our worship Service will begin at 11 a.m. We will be live-streaming the service and archive all recordings.  The live stream will be accessible through the New Bethel website or by going to the New Bethel YouTube channel.  We hope you will be with us this Sunday for our services choosing the way you are most comfortable (Live or Online). 

We request that everyone read and follow the CDC guidelines that best fits your current status. If you are attending the live services, please adhere to the suggestions that apply to your level of vaccination, whether you are fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated, or not vaccinated.  Efforts will be made to keep our church as clean and safe as possible. 

Have You Been Fully Vaccinated?

People are considered fully vaccinated:

2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, like the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or

2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, like Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine

If it has been less than 2 weeks since your shot, or if you still need to get your second dose, you are NOT fully protected. Keep taking all prevention steps until you are fully vaccinated.

What has changed?

If you’ve been fully vaccinated: According to the CDC you may gather indoors with fully vaccinated people without wearing a mask.

You can gather indoors with unvaccinated people from one other household (for example, visiting with relatives who all live together) without masks, unless any of those people or anyone they live with has an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

If you’ve been around someone who has COVID-19, you do not need to stay away from others or get tested unless you have symptoms.

However, if you live in a group setting (like a correctional or detention facility or group home) and are around someone who has COVID-19, you should still stay away from others for 14 days and get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms.

What has not changed?

For now, if you’ve been fully vaccinated: You should still take steps to protect yourself and others in many situations, like wearing a mask, staying at least 6 feet apart from others, and avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces. Take these precautions whenever you are:

In public: Gathering with unvaccinated people from more than one other household

Visiting with an unvaccinated person who is at increased risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19 or who lives with a the person at increased risk

You should still avoid medium or large-sized gatherings.

You should still delay domestic and international travel. If you do travel, you’ll still need to follow CDC requirements and recommendations.

You should still watch out for symptoms of COVID-19, especially if you’ve been around someone who is sick. If you have symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested and stay home and away from others.

These recommendations are taken from the CDC website, updated March 9, 2021.  The link for this site is  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated.html

The Session members and I want to thank you for your continued support of the New Bethel programs during this difficult time.  We look forward to resuming services in God’s House, especially during this Easter season when we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior.

May God Bless You and Keep You,

Scott Wise, Pastor