Light at the end of the tunnel!

Hello Members and Friends of Head of Christiana,

We hope you are all staying safe and well during this COVID-19
pandemic. I don’t think any of us anticipated living through such a historic and
challenging time. I wanted to update everyone on the situation regarding our
worship services and ministry activities at HoC. Last fall, the session made the
difficult decision to suspend all in-person indoor worship services and activities
for the remainder of the 2020 calendar year. Though this was a tough decision, I
believe it was the right one to make, given the pervasiveness of the COVID-19
virus and the vulnerability of our congregation and broader community.
I know that not gathering together for worship in our sanctuary has been a sacrifice, and I
appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation with this decision.

With the distribution of new vaccines to effectively protect people from the deadly COVID-19
virus, we have discerned that it is prudent to begin making plans to resume in-person worship in
our sanctuary. We have appointed a task force that is meeting to make concrete plans and
develop a timeframe for safely resuming in-person worship in our sanctuary.

Tentatively, we are aiming for resuming in-person services in our sanctuary on Easter
Sunday, April 4, 2021, with appropriate safety precautions. This date is tentative, and dependent
upon conditions related to virus spread, local case numbers, and vaccine distribution. A final
determination will be made 30 days prior to this date. This timeframe may be altered if conditions
warrant so doing. We will continue to keep the congregation informed of our decision-making
progress.

There are some things that you can do right now to help us facilitate this process:

1. Please get your COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible. This will not only protect yourself
from this virus, but will also slow the spread and improve the overall transmission numbers in our
community. Here is where to find detailed information and timelines of the COVID-19 vaccine
distribution by state:
Delaware: COVID-19 Vaccine – Delaware’s Coronavirus Official Website or by calling
1-833-643-1715.

Maryland: Coronavirus – Maryland Department of Health – Vaccine or by calling
1-410-996-1005.

Pennsylvania: COVID-19 Vaccine (pa.gov) or by calling 1-877-724-3258.

2. Please pray for the pastor and session members as we discern and plan how and when
to safely resume in-person worship services and activities in our church building. This is a
challenging process that will assume a certain level of risk for all involved. Pray that we
make wise and faithful decisions, balancing safety risks with the spiritual needs of our
congregation.
3. Continue to be the church! I’m so proud of everyone for all the hard work and sacrifices
we’ve made over the past year to continue worshipping, fellowshipping, caring for one
another, and serving our neighbors in Christ’s name. I believe we’ve made a powerful
witness to our community by demonstrating Christ’s love to the most vulnerable in both our
congregation and community. I urge everyone to continue that good work!
I know that it has been a long slog, but let us not become impatient or despondent. There is
a light at the end of the tunnel, and we are very close to reaching it! Stay strong! Stay safe!
We’ll get there!
Blessings,

             Pastor Hilary