The Grace Blog

Session Summary August 17, 2020

• The Session met via Zoom and began and ended the meeting with prayer.
• We received a report from the music task force. They met twice before Sean Foster left.  Based on the most recent studies available the task force recommends that we allow masked singing in worship.  The most recent data shows that singing while wearing a well-fitting mask is no more dangerous that talking in a wellfitted mask. Social distancing rules still apply. If a group (band or singers) rehearse, singing should be limited to 30 minutes in one space. The Session voted on this recommendation, and it passed with a majority.
• We received a Deep Roots campaign update.
• We received an update on the first evening worship service.
• There was a motion to return to in person worship on September 13 at 9 am and 11 am. The motion was then amended.  The amended motion was to have one indoor in-person service and one outdoor in-person service Sept 13, Sept 20 (outdoor at OJ Watson Park), and Sept 27.  This motion passed unanimously.  The indoor service continues to be streamed.
• The Christian Discipleship Team will offer a class called The Good Neighbor Experiment. One hope is that this class furthers conversations that started with the 14-Day challenge.
• The financial reports were approved and received.
• We have several candidates for the interim music coordinator position.
• Darcy Eads and Fred Heismeyer served as delegates to the August Presbytery of Southern Kansas meeting, which was held on zoom. They reported.  This was the first big introduction of the new Presbytery Executive, Gail Doering.
• The nominating team has begun its work.
• The Session revisited the issue of Grace being a voting site for November. We are a voting site for the election (and early voting.)