COVID UPDATES

March 2022

Dear St. Andrew’s Family,

The Pima County mask mandate has expired.

The COVID-19 community spread is still high within Pima County, so we encourage you to remain vigilant with best practices as recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). We invite you to wear a face covering if you are compelled to do so for any reason, and we ask that you stay home if you are unwell or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Groups and ministries may continue to determine specific practices based on the unique factors faced by those ministries, including the Music & Worship and Preschool & Kindergarten Ministries.

With appreciation,

St. Andrew’s Business & Operations Office

St. Andrew’s COVID-19 Update
December 22, 2021

Dear St. Andrew’s Family,
The Pima County Board of Supervisors voted yesterday, Tuesday December 21, to approve a resolution reinstating a countywide mask wearing mandate. This mandate instructs people in public indoor places to wear a face covering when not able to maintain a continuous distance of at least six feet.

Link to the Pima County news release here.

Link to further clarification, rationale, or exemptions to this mandate here.

In solidarity with our community, and to be consistent in providing an environment that feels as safe as possible to everyone who comes to worship and serve at St. Andrew’s, and consistent with the parameters of the Pima County resolution, we will encourage people to wear masks indoors when
physical distancing is not possible (allowing for exceptions outlined in the resolution). We also ask everyone to continue to be diligent to practice self-care, maintain regular hand-washing and cleanliness habits, and to stay home when you are sick.

We lament the long duration of this pandemic. We lament the whelming impact on our healthcare system and the disproportionate stress on healthcare workers. We lament the polarization of our society and stress that arises around issues when reasonable people disagree.

We rejoice that we are not hindered from gathering in person for worship! We rejoice that we have the capacity to continue to live-stream our worship services, including for our Christmas Eve worship this Friday evening! We rejoice that the object of our faith is the incarnate, crucified, and resurrected Jesus Christ, who invites us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Please join us in praying for the entire community and doing what we can to contribute to the healing and restoration of the world, as Jesus calls and equips us to do so.

Warmly in the Light of Christ,

The Rev. Dr. Pete Seiferth, Interim Pastor/Head of Staff

The Rev. Mat Grover, Associate Pastor

Brad Engel, Business & Operations Director

St. Andrew’s COVID-19 Update
October 2021

Dear St. Andrew’s Family,

The previously established protocols for indoor gatherings have been lifted. Gathering spaces may be
used at full-capacity, self-serve coffee and water is available upon request, and self-serve shared food is
permitted.

The COVID-19 community spread is still high within Pima County, so we encourage you to remain
vigilant with best practices as recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC). We invite you to
wear a face covering if you are compelled to do so for any reason, and we ask that you stay home if you
are unwell or have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

Groups and ministries may continue to determine specific practices based on the unique factors faced by
those ministries, including the Music & Worship and Preschool & Kindergarten ministries
With appreciation,

St. Andrew’s Business & Operations Office

August 13, 2021
Dear St. Andrew’s Family,

With the number of COVID-19 cases on the rise in our community, I want to ask all of you to remain vigilant to do your part in maintaining protocols intended to reduce further spread. Over the past eighteen months, we’ve all learned helpful habits to continue in our everyday lives: regular hand washing, applying hand sanitizer, monitoring your health symptoms, and wearing a facemask if symptomatic, immunocompromised, or without immunity.

While not required on the St. Andrew’s campuses, I encourage you to wear a face mask if you are compelled to do so for any reason. The SAPC Session met this week, is monitoring the situation in the community, and will communicate with the congregation if any changes in protocols for worship or gatherings are decided.

I encourage you to remain in fervent prayer for the physical and mental health of people in our church family and the wider Tucson community.

Counting it all joy,

Pastor Pete

May 22, 2021
Dear St. Andrew’s Family,
This week, the SAPC Session met to discuss the current CDC, Pima County, and City of Tucson recommended safety guidelines for gatherings. As we continue to worship together in-person, the Session voted to modify our guidelines. At this time:
  • We will no longer be requiring reservations for worship services.
  • We will not require masks for those who have been vaccinated.
  • We continue to encourage safety through vaccines and staying home if you are sick.
  • We welcome masks for those who are more comfortable wearing them.
  • We will continue a modified social distance for seating.
To learn more, please view the Session document below. We thank you for your continue grace and cooperation during these ever changing times.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Mat
April 6, 2021

Beginning April 6th, our Church will reopen to in-person, indoor gatherings. It will be up to the ministries whether they are ready to begin meeting indoors.  Below is an updated list of our protocols; we ask that groups be responsible for ensuring group members adhere to these safety measures.  As a reminder, room reservations are still required and can be made through the Church Office.  At this time, we are still closed to events/meetings for partner ministries and unaffiliated organizations.

January 29, 2021

UPDATE FROM PASTOR MAT:

If you are like me, my heart continues to sing Isaiah 40:31 “They that wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.” The last year has been hard and unpredictable. We appreciate your patience and continued support! This week, the Session of St. Andrew’s voted to resume In-Person Worship during 9:00 am and 10:45 am services starting February 14 with the same protocols we had prior to Christmas. We will send out more information as we get closer to that day!

January 8, 2021

 

Dear St. Andrew’s Family,

 

As you know, our Session voted in December to pause our In-Person Worship Services with a target return date of January 10. We met again this last Tuesday and again voted unanimously to continue our pause on In-Person Worship with a new target date of January 31. As Arizona became the leader of COVID cases in the world, we felt an extra couple of weeks of online-only was the right thing to do.

 

I know some of you will applaud this action and I know others will be sad and frustrated. I totally understand both sides. Know that these decisions are not made lightly. In fact, these decisions are made with a great deal of prayer, discussion, and discernment for where God is leading our community. Our hope is that we will be back in person soon! Thank you for your patience, your love, and prayers for the church, the front-line hospital workers, and our community.

 

We are all longing for connection points, so this next week we will be re-instituting our Wednesday Drive-Up Check-In on our NE Campus near the Church Offices from 9:30 am – 11:00 am. We would love to see you, chat, and pray for you! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me and I would love to chat. May God bless you and may He continue to lead us as a church and grow us more into His likeness every day.

 

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Mat Grover

December 17, 2020

Dear St. Andrew’s Family,

 

Last March the Session of St. Andrew’s decided, in the interests of health and well-being of all of our members, friends, and community, to suspend all in-person worship and continue with online services only. Since that time, the Session has continued to monitor protocols and possible safety measures and in October voted to resume in-person worship under certain guidelines and subject to specific protocols and procedures. The Session has continued to meet bi-weekly and sometimes weekly to discuss all of that information and any changes that have occurred.

 

Session has had concerns over general public health and safety, not only for our congregation but our community at large.  Sparked by Amphitheater School District’s decision to not return to in-person schooling after their Winter break and Pima County’s letter issued on December 10, 2020, which recommended staying home as much as possible to help reduce the spread of the COVID-19, the Session has made the difficult decision to once again suspend In-Person worship. This will be effective this Sunday, December 20, through January 3, with a targeted return date of January 10. All services, including scheduled Christmas Eve services, will be online only.

 

The Session has struggled for weeks with the tension of balancing the needs of the congregation during this Advent season and protecting the health and well-being of our community.  We are confident in the Lord’s faithfulness to meet each of us at this time.

 

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?
We are here to come alongside you with Christ’s compassion and grace so that we may all experience His transforming love and healing as we go through this together. If you would like someone to pray with you over the phone and offer encouragement or if you need additional resources over these next few weeks, please reach out so we can support you. To share a prayer or care request with us click here. Our team is standing by to pray for you and support you.

 

IF YOU NEED HELP
This is a stressful season and we want to be available to bring comfort and offer encouragement as we travel this journey together. Email care@sapctucson.org with prayer requests or care requests, including requests for assistance if you are self-isolating.

 

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Pray for our church family, community, and world that God will bring good out of this crisis. Pray for wisdom for our leaders as they make important decisions on how best to prevent the spread of this virus. Pray that we can come together as a country during this crisis.

 

Keep in touch with each other through all the various means of communication available to us. Again, this is a rapidly changing crisis so please check our website frequently to stay aware of the needs of our congregation. Although we may be somewhat physically isolated from each other during the next few weeks, there is no reason why we cannot remain connected and encourage one another.

 

Giving Opportunities – Our staff is still working, our mission partners are still depending on us, and our bills still need to be paid. Please be diligent about keeping up with your regular giving. Click here to give online or you can mail your contribution to the church at 7650 N Paseo del Norte, Tucson, AZ 85704. In addition, new needs may arise which we may respond to as people in our community and world are affected by this pandemic.

 

We love you, are praying for you, and are available if you need us. Take special care of each other, your loved ones, and neighbors, and know that the “God of all peace” is with you and will never abandon you. May you feel the presence of God’s joy in this Advent season. It is especially during times like this that we can let our light shine and bring comfort and love to others. Keep in touch and, together with God’s grace, we will weather this storm and come out of it a stronger community! We are the church, let’s continue to be the church wherever we are, acting out of love and God’s peace, which passes all understanding.

 

Grace and Peace,

 

The Session of St. Andrews