Hello Reunion,

With the beginning of a new year, the ongoing pandemic has brought yet another challenge to our door as omicron surges across the country. Recognizing the ease with which this new variant can spread, the staff and elders have decided that our Sunday gatherings will temporarily return to an online-only format.

Since Christmas, over 50,000 new cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Massachusetts, and hospitalizations and deaths have been on the rise. Closer to home, several members of our staff and their family members have already tested positive and are now quarantining. While all signs suggest that omicron causes less dire health outcomes, we know that the virus remains dangerous, especially for the immunocompromised and elderly members of our community. In the next few weeks, we will be watching the case numbers and consulting health experts to determine when re-gathering is appropriate.

This decision is a hard one, especially as we look forward to the exciting things in store for Reunion Metro and Reunion North, but we know that COVID cannot stop us from pursuing the mission God has given us as a church. We are a community dedicated to helping people find their way back to God, and we know this is only possible when we choose to live like Jesus. Often, that means putting others before ourselves, and that is what we are doing as we put a pause on our gatherings to help stop the spread of the virus.

While we might not be able to gather in person, there are still a million ways to get plugged into the community during this brief season.

Join a Community Group. Community groups will be starting back on January 30th, and most groups are meeting completely online. Now is a great time to reach out to a group leader and find a group that works for you. Get connected to a group leader here.

Invest in Reconnection. Pandemics don’t put a pause on friendship! Stop waiting for “normal” to reconnect with the people you miss. Email someone you haven’t seen in a while or set up a virtual coffee date with a pastor, and chat. Seriously, you’ll thank yourself when you do.

Contribute Your Time. Even though we won’t be meeting in person, there are a lot of ways you can contribute to the life of Reunion by dedicating your time and talents to enrich the community. From leading a group to playing an instrument, or even sweet Photoshop skills, you probably have something that can benefit the community. Reach out to a pastor to find out how you can help!

Pray. You knew we were going to say it. Prayer moves mountains, and there are some mountains that could use moving. Pray for Reunion, our community, our world. Especially pray for staff and elders as they navigate the turbulent waters of the (still!) ongoing pandemic, and as some of them recover.

Thank you all for remaining invested in this community despite the ups and downs of the times. We remain convinced that God has exciting things ahead for Reunion and that this temporary online season can be used by God to advance His Kingdom. Let’s keep serving and trusting God together!

We love you all,

The Reunion Team

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