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August 12 Update from Rev. Dr. Bob Fuller


August 12, 2020 Pastor Update

Dear First Family,

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This has certainly been an unusual summer and I want to thank you for allowing me to take some time to be with my family at the end of July.

It was a wonderful joy to return to San Antonio and FPC as the church re-opened for in-person worship on August 2. Now that we have re-opened our worship services, we also feel ready to open our campus and ministries more broadly.

On Monday evening, August 10, your Session voted to allow in-person, church sponsored meetings on campus again! Beginning Monday, August 17, 2020, we will resume our regularly scheduled business hours here at the FPC campus. We will also begin opening the campus to be available for small group meetings, Bible studies, and other ministries.

During the business week, the campus will be accessible by FPC members for necessary business and ministry. However, the door will not be left unlocked. (Just let the staff receptionist know you are here to let you in).

To open more fully and remain open, we must take the necessary steps to provide for the health of our congregation and community. During this stage of reopening, our gatherings beyond worship will follow the principle of “Safe and Small.”

On Monday, the Session passed the following resolution for the health and safety of our congregation and community.

 All persons entering the church building are REQUIRED to wear a protective mask at all times while in the public areas of the building, including but not limited to, all hallways, meeting rooms, restrooms, the workroom, the choir area, the kitchen area, as well as those areas where worship services are conducted. This requirement shall remain in effect until such time as the Session sees fit to discontinue this policy.

The Session passed this resolution to clarify that FPC takes seriously both the congregation’s health and desire to gather together. If wearing a mask presents a medical or mental health issue, please alert the staff so that we can make appropriate accommodations. We want everyone to be together, but we want to gather in a healthy way.

In consideration of the health of our members, we recommend that the most vulnerable At-Risk Worshippers in our congregation please continue to wait for overall conditions to improve. The state and CDC recommend that those 65 and older and those at high risk[1] refrain from returning to on-site worship until public health conditions are more stable. We encourage all who are unable or uncomfortable to join us in-person to join us for worship online.

We will continue to encourage social distancing and adhere to our newly adopted deep cleaning protocols. We will also continue to support and encourage virtual platforms for a variety of meetings and small group gatherings. This will be the case especially for participation of at-risk members.

There will be many questions related to specific activities and opportunities. As we move into fall, we will gradually reopen more and more ministries. Please be patient as the leadership of the church continues to move into uncharted territory. We look forward to seeing you in our 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship services, and during the 10:00 a.m. Sunday School hour, on-line or in person. Most of all, we are grateful that the Lord is providing ways for us to gather again.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob Fuller

[1] “At-Risk” is defined as those who are 65 or older, especially those with chronic lung disease, moderate to severe asthma; chronic heart disease; severe obesity; diabetes; chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis; liver disease; or weakened immune system)


Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. – Isaiah 41:10