Important Updates, July 30
The number of new COVID infections in Tulsa County has increased 500% in the last four weeks. Most new COVID cases are among unvaccinated people. There are a small (but increasing) number of “breakthrough cases” among the vaccinated. This is an important update for us to heed.
The increasing numbers (use this link to access the latest data for Tulsa County) should not move us to fear. If you are vaccinated, you are more likely to die from a lightning strike than to die from COVID. But, you may still contract the virus if you are vaccinated and spread it to others. (The Pfizer vaccine is 94% effective against the Alpha variant of COVID, but that drops to 88% effective against the Delta variant.) We have a responsibility to protect each other, vaccinated or not.
For this reason, our staff has decided we will return to wearing masks in the building except when alone in our offices. We will not eat together and we will limit our close contact with each other as much as possible. Our weekly meetings will remain on Zoom. This means, you will see us in masks on Sunday morning, and we would highly encourage you to wear a mask as well. We are not requiring masks, except in the office and in our kids and youth wings. If there is a city-wide mask mandate, you can expect it to be so in our building.
The single most important thing we can do to avoid the spread or contraction of COVID is to be vaccinated. I want to encourage you, if you have not been vaccinated and you don’t have a health condition that prevents being vaccinated, to take the step and become vaccinated. This is as an act of Christian discipleship, reducing the risk not only of contracting COVID, but of spreading it to others if you do contract it. This is one tangible expression of agape – of selfless love – as you seek not only to protect yourself from COVID, but to protect others who might contract it from you.
I have experienced many feelings since receiving guidance from the CDC earlier in the week (masks for everyone, even if you’re vaccinated.) Mainly, I find myself overwhelmed. To be able to visit you in the hospital, to sit at table with you in a restaurant, or just to visit “maskless” in my office was so wonderful! To think of going back to masks makes me tired. You’re likely have your own feelings about the changes we’ve faced ever since this began and feeling as if we are going backward. When I am overwhelmed, I remind myself that you matter to me and each other. I’m tired of wearing a mask, but I’m not tired of you. I want all of us to be around for a good long while. So, I will wear a mask again.
I have a few more important updates to share with you. We are pleased to welcome Alec Davis to our staff as Director of Youth Ministries on an interim basis. Jonathon Garrett shared this news with the parents and students in Faith Youth earlier this week. Alec has accepted our offer to fill this position, but encouraged us to keep the position open. Our application pool has been extremely thin over the last three months. I know Alec will do an amazing job as we prepare for the fall launch. We are blessed to have his talent and leadership. Since we are continuing the search for a permanent hire, please continue to ask your contacts for any referrals.
Our Administrative Council met on Sunday afternoon, July 25, for our regularly scheduled meeting. We heard the good news about Alec’s hire. We also reviewed the financial report for the first half of 2021. The summary of the first six months is that our contributions are $30,000 short of budget and our expenses are $63,000 short of budget. That leaves us with a net income for the first half of the year, but it will likely mean a more conservative budget for 2022.
Right now, when we lose a staff member due to retirement or resignation, those staff positions are not being replaced. In addition, our staff has done an excellent job in holding down their program area expenses. Fortunately, we’ve faced only minor repairs to our facility this year. As our finance chair, Ron Hoffman, told us on Sunday, “We aren’t sounding the sirens yet.” But, the trend is clear. We are receiving less income than we projected and we will likely have to live with a smaller budget next year.
As I close, let me offer you a word about your contributions. Your church is grateful to everyone who gives to support our life together, no matter the amount. However, your church is not the One who calls you to give. God is the one who calls you to give. Giving to God first and giving to God what is asked -- the tithe -- is not so that our budget can be funded. Rather, your gifts are in response to God’s gift to you. You won’t ever hear from me a plea to give to the church. What you will hear from me is a call to the spiritual discipline of generosity. Friends, don’t give because the church needs your money. Give because you are responding to God’s ask of you.
Blessings and peace, Pastor Charla
We welcome Alec Davis to our staff and pray God’s blessings on his family…Jenny, Tucker and Thatcher.