Session Expands Worship Capacity

Greetings, Redeemer family!

I hope this letter finds you well. I want to pass along to you some updates regarding capacity for our in-person worship services which the Session recently adopted.

As you know, since early September Redeemer has been holding two in-person worship services on Sundays with an attendance cap of 175 worshippers per service. These services have gone very smoothly and have been well attended. As your pastor, it has been such a joy to see you again in worship! The Session is also thankful for the congregation’s faithful observance of the safety measures we have put in place for our services. Thank you.

We are likewise encouraged that San Antonio’s local Covid numbers have remained stable during this first part of the fall. In light of all these factors, the Session has decided to increase worship service seating capacity by 25 percent starting this Sunday, October 18^th, providing spots for up to 225 people per service. We will also expand the capacity of the Redeemer Nursery by 25 percent, taking up to 22 children per service by reservation. The 11 a.m. service will still be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person.

Here are a few things to know about this change:

• Starting on Sunday, all rows in the Redeemer sanctuary will be open for seating. We ask that you continue to leave two vacant seats between you and the next individual or family group. When choosing your seats, please try to stagger your spacing so that you avoid sitting directly behind or in front of another family or individual. Please also be responsive to our ushers, who may ask you to move to make room for others. If you have room in your row, move toward the center to make it easier for everyone to find a seat.
• All of Redeemer’s protocols for worship services remain in place, and masks are required for all worshippers 10 years of age and older for the entire time you are in the building. You may review our full Guide to Returning to Worship here.
• Sign up is still required to attend a worship service so that we can maintain our attendance cap. As a reminder, worship service sign up opens every Monday afternoon at 5 p.m. at redeemersa.org/SignUp.
• Registration is still required for the Redeemer Nursery. Review the nursery’s policies here.

The Session continues to monitor the Covid numbers in San Antonio as we move forward. We are committed to the health and safety of the congregation and our city and we continue to be in prayer for you.

While there are still more months in front of us to navigate, I think we are getting our legs underneath us and learning how to move forward. It brings to mind Paul’s wisdom to the Philippians, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (Phil. 4:11-12). Indeed, through Christ we can not only endure hardships, but grasp how God is at work in their midst to advance his Kingdom purpose in and through us.  May it be so!