May 6, 2021
Dear Doubters of Great Faith,
I hope and pray that you continue to find your spiritual needs met in the two different forms of service offerings currently being made available at St. Thomas the Apostle. We continue to see growth in the 10:30 am in-person worship service as more people feel comfortable venturing back onto the campus and into our sacred worship spaces. I believe one reason for this comfort is that the Regathering Committee strives to be completely up-front and transparent about each and every detail, in advance, that worshipers will encounter so that nothing is a surprise when they arrive.
One of the details that we have been clear and forthcoming about in our Parish Hall worship is that the doors to the hall would remain open for a good supply of fresh cross-ventilation. That has worked well the first two Sundays of our in-person worship together. However, the distinct change in weather, particularly the “Houston-like” humidity that we experienced last Sunday, was a reminder that North Texas summers will not be forgiving, and it will be necessary for us to forgo the open doors in the Parish Hall as spring merges into summer.
Thankfully, at the suggestion of the Regathering Committee, your Vestry made the decision last year to install “Air Scrubbers” in the two HVAC units of the Parish Hall (along with the other air handlers on campus). Without getting too detailed, these units act as additional filtration systems on the air handlers, reducing by over 99.9% the airborne virus that causes COVID-19, along with significantly reducing many other contaminants and pathogens. These units use the latest “ActivePure Technology,” which provides continuous surface decontamination and air purification, safely removing allergy and asthma triggering contaminants.
These components are an investment that we will utilize in tandem with the other CDC-recommended safety guidelines already in place to continue to make your safe worship at St. Thomas our top priority.
I have been advised that when used with our other mandated precautions (masks, social-distancing), our in-person worship will continue to offer a safe, comfortable worship experience for all who decide to join us on campus. I also remain sensitive that each person assesses their own level of risk-awareness and tolerance, and to that end, each is allowed the space and grace to be where they are on this continuing COVID-19 journey.
If you have any questions, or want to talk about any of this, I hope you will reach out to me!
Yours on this journey,
Fr. Christopher+
