Case numbers in the tens of thousands. Empty shelves and supply chain pressures. Events cancelled or changed at short notice. And a preoccupation with RATs. All courtesy of the omicron variant of the corona virus.
GSF Postponed until April
As parents who had enrolled their children in GSF already know the rapid increase in case numbers has convinced us that it is wise to postpone GSF to April. That was disappointing for the children and for all of us involved but we made the decision for three reasons which I will share with you, as GSF is valued and supported by the whole church.
Firstly because of the risk to families. While children do not, in general, become seriously ill with omicron they do transmit it, and GSF is not like church where we can spread out. The children are side by side at the craft tables, sitting next to each other in small groups. If a child becomes infected at GSF the whole family will be isolated for a week, and they may even transmit it to more vulnerable people. We did not want GSF remembered by a community family or your family as the place where they contracted Covid, the Covid that they unwittingly passed on to elderly grandparents.
Secondly, because of the risk to the team. While all the team are fully vaccinated and would wear masks, GSF involves close contact. With the rapid spread of infection we were concerned that some days we would not be able to adequately staff GSF or some sections of it, and may even have to cancel a day at short notice.
Thirdly, to our reputation. On Monday the tenth Martin Foley, the health minister, was reported saying in the Age “We should not be doing anything to bring that spike on faster or quicker. The weight of numbers threatens the operation of our hospitals, our GPs, [our] critical services.” The health services are under stress and we do not want to be seen to be recklessly contributing to the acceleration of the spike. We should be thoughtful about the difficulties our health care professionals, a number of whom are in the congregation, are facing and act in ways that support them where we can.
We should be thoughtful about the difficulties our health care professionals, a number of whom are in the congregation, are facing and act in ways that support them where we can.
But it is only postponed and will run, Lord willing, in the first week of the school holidays over April 11th-14th. The postponement of GSF, and not its cancellation or moving it online, reflects our conviction that, as suggested by the health professionals, the increase in infections will peak over the next few weeks and then subside as the virus finds fewer and fewer people to infect so that, Lord willing, as we move through first term the opening up of our society will continue without repeated disruptions.
Changes to our services
But we do need to get through these next few weeks in a context where we are now, individually and collectively, responsible for keeping ourselves safe. Infection prevention is in our own hands.
What does that mean for church? Our services on Sunday will continue with only minor changes. There will be no morning tea or supper, and you will be encouraged to have your conversations after the service outside. We think, where we continue our covid safe measures, particularly mask wearing and social distancing, this is safe, and there is ample room with the hall opened for people to be safely distanced in family groups.
Returning to three services this Sunday, 9, 11 and 5, will increase the space available. It is also the case now that you won’t be forced into isolation as a close contact if someone attends a service who subsequently finds out they are Covid positive. I encourage you to keep attending if you are well for your own encouragement and the encouragement of your brothers and sisters, and for the encouragement of those joining us on the livestream. It helps to see people in the building, even if you are prevented from being there. Meeting together is good for us.
I encourage you to keep attending if you are well for your own encouragement and the encouragement of your brothers and sisters
Expect a bumpy road ahead
But we know and should all expect that over the next few weeks attendance will be bumpy. Some are still on holidays; some will be sick or isolating; some have health vulnerabilities that make it wise to avoid larger gatherings; some will be there one week and not the next as they try and ensure being available for an important appointment; others, especially those with uncertain employment, won’t want to risk becoming infected and losing work. All our circumstances are different.
That bumpiness, caused by the prevalence of the virus in the community, also means that we should all be ready for rapid changes in our situation. We might be on a serving team but have a positive RAT that morning and have to cancel. Or we might be asked to fill in at short notice because someone else has tested positive. An event might be scheduled, but be cancelled because there aren’t enough leaders, or changed because a key person has fallen ill. The unpredictability we have known over the last few years will be heightened over the next few weeks even as the general direction our society is moving in - away from lockdowns and community wide measures and towards increased personal responsibility and an open economy – continues, and the need for flexibility, creativity, and a willingness to help will continue as well.
The unpredictability we have known over the last few years will be heightened over the next few weeks... and the need for flexibility, creativity, and a willingness to help will continue as well.
This time will pass. Already we are seeing people recovering from Covid and returning to their usual activities and isolation times being reduced. Boosters and the immunization of children will also have an effect. We are planning for ministries to start, Lord willing, at the beginning of the school year, perhaps in a modified form for the first week or two depending on case numbers but building back to their usual activity as confidence grows as the term progresses.
And we are also planning in the short term to alleviate some of the disappointment for families from the cancellation of GSF by running family games outside next Wednesday, Jan 19th, 10:00 am at Norris Bank Park. This is open to all, whether you had planned to be at GSF or not, and a safer way to catch up and enjoy games and a bbq.
How we start in the new year without the impetus GSF gives us each year, and how we build over the term, will depend on us and our determination to maintain our common life and witness, that is it will depend on our determination to live out the obedience of faith, trusting our good Lord. He calls His disciples to make disciples through preaching the gospel and teaching all that He has commanded, and He calls His people into congregations to help each other in that joyful task. Our life together is a gift to both us and the society around us, a gift to sustain our faith and encourage our doing good and to witness to our faith in our Lord Jesus to our community. We should be determined to maintain it.
Our life together is a gift to both us and the society around us, a gift to sustain our faith and encourage our doing good and to witness to our faith in our Lord Jesus to our community. We should be determined to maintain it.
Our God is sovereign in all these events and we honour Him by keeping on trusting His promises and living His way through these times, relying on and giving thanks for His steadfast love for us in Christ, and in turn persevering in encouraging, serving and loving one another. That is always the right way to live as we entrust ourselves to Him in prayer and look forward, not just to less bumpy times, but to the revelation of the glory of His Son, our Lord Jesus and the grace coming to us on that day [1 Peter 1:13].
Our God is sovereign in all these events and we honour Him by keeping on trusting His promises and living His way through these times
