Greetings Rockport Family:
I hope this message finds you well and staying cool. It’s hard to believe that summer is finally here!
Many of you have been calling, texting, and emailing to ask about our plans to resume in-person activity at Rockport UMC. Since I wrote to you last, I’ve been in contact with several folks and have asked them to serve on our reopening team to establish guidelines and best practices for a return to in-person activities. Our reopening team consists of the following persons:
Rev. Lorrin Radzik
Kira Holchin
Jane Newman
Ellen Todia
Jim Spallino
Nick Berardi
As we look forward to a return of in-person activities at Rockport, we will all need to keep in mind that things will look different when we return, in an effort to care for our community. More details and specifics will come soon as our reopening team puts some of the pieces together. Please keep us in prayer as we begin meeting.
We also want to make you aware of some staffing changes on both the church and childcare sides. Christine Stock and Kozeta Velaj are no longer working with us. Sara Chapman has been hired full time, in a hybrid position doing administrative work for the church and the childcare, as well as filling a need in the RECC classrooms. With Kozeta’s departure one of the most critical needs Rockport has right now is a groundskeeper/custodian to help us maintain and clean our facility. We cannot open our building for in-person activities until we have secured and trained someone in proper cleaning and sanitization procedures. You can keep your ears open for people who might be a good fit, and you can join us in prayer that the right person will come our way soon!
As you might remember from a previous email, the Radzik family will be taking some time away in the week ahead (June 14-21). Together we plan to celebrate Sophia’s birthday (on 6/15) and enjoy some technology free time. On Sunday, June 14, 2020, we invite you to worship with Rev. Dan Bryant, Rev. Laura Jaissle, and congregation at Lakewood United Methodist Church at 10:00am. Click here to find Lakewood UMC’s online worship information. There will be NO online worship on the Rockport YouTube Channel or the Facebook page that day. (You’ll have to wait to see Sophia’s joy until 6/21!) There is no Zoom dial in worship on 6/14 and Coffee with the Clergy will not take place on 6/16.
As always, we remember this community in our prayers and we continue the work of ministry through our Take What You Need Cabinet and other vital ministries of our church. We encourage you to continue giving in support of our ministries and out of all that God has given first to us. You can give to Rockport by dropping off or mailing a check, by giving online through our online giving platform (click the link at the bottom of this email!) or through your online banking platform.
I continue to keep you all in my prayers.
Wishing you peace,
Rev. Lorrin Radzik
Pastor, Rockport UMC