Beloved members and friends of Foundry,

We continue to communicate our progress with plans for the return to indoor in-person gatherings and worship at Foundry. Our clergy and staff remain keenly focused on reentry issues, working closely with the Reentry Implementation Task Force.

Last week, we heard much interest from congregants regarding details of the upcoming Evensong worship services. These in-person services begin July 14 in the Foundry Community Commons, and will be held weekly on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. through the end of August. We ask that attendees wear masks to the Evensong services.

More about Evensong worship services:

Location and Social Distancing

We will be joining together in our Community Commons, as our main sanctuary space undergoes necessary AV work and safety protocols are finalized. Chairs will be arranged three feet apart, with rows four feet apart.

General Order of Service

This service will be modeled as a UMC evening praise and prayer service, to include congregational singing and musical leadership from members of our Foundry Choir, scripture, prayer, and an evening reflection delivered by a member of the clergy team. Pastor Ginger will provide the opening meditation on July 14.

Our Foundry Prayer Team, part of our Hospitality and Care Ministries, will also be present to pray one-on-one with people following worship.

Accommodations

• Childcare for children under four years old will be provided. For questions regarding childcare, please contact Rev. K.C. Van Atta-Casebier at kcvc@foundryumc.org.
• Our Operations Team is working with Deaf Access Solution, our ASL provider, to provide ongoing ASL interpretation which honors their COVID protocols.
• Bulletins will not be prepared; however, worshippers will see elements of the liturgy on screens, and hymnals will be placed in chairs.
• Evensong services will not be live-streamed. This will be an in-person worship experience only.

Attendance Check-in

We will test the use of electronic keypads to sign in both members and guests. These will be similar to airport check-in kiosks in addition to staffed kiosks for first-time visitors. Servant Leaders will be available to assist with these sign-ins.

Parking

As the city continues to reopen, only street parking will be available for the Evensong services.

Audio Visual (AV) Upgrades

Necessary AV upgrades, enhancements, and improvements are underway. The Board approved expenditures to cover the cost of equipment and services required to deliver effective, high-quality audio and video from the sanctuary for those joining us online.

Looking Forward

The reentry process has many facets. Foundry’s staff is hard at work executing the various timelines in place for us to return safely to in-person worship in the sanctuary later this summer. The Reentry Implementation Task Force continues to meet on a weekly basis and address issues as they arise, tapping into the knowledge and resources of numerous experts.

We remain focused on turning the corner together toward a return to full in-person Sunday worship in the sanctuary by Sept. 5 at the latest. Please continue to read these emails for updates on topics that are important to you.

Foundry's Reentry Implementation Task Force

We are grateful for the leadership and guidance of Foundry’s Covid Reentry Implementation Task Force. This Task Force is composed of: Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli (Senior Pastor), Gwen Williamson (Chair), Nick Jessee, Matt Hansen, Sam Kilpatrick, Paula Blair, and PJ Taylor.

Please feel free to submit comments and/or questions to reentry@foundryumc.org.

To read previous reentry updates, please visit foundryumc.org/covid19.

In peace,



Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli
Senior Pastor
Foundry United Methodist Church

Beloved members and friends of Foundry,

We continue to make progress with plans for our return to in-person gatherings and worship at Foundry. Our clergy and staff are keenly focused on reentry issues, working closely with the Reentry Implementation Task Force on everything from building hours to intinction protocols.

The Board is also involved, having recently approved a plan to ensure that Foundry has the technology it needs to continue providing a high quality, meaningful online experience once we return to in-person worship later this summer. We are all looking forward to being together again in-person, and efforts are underway for us to be able to do that safely!

As we re-enter Foundry’s physical space, all are encouraged to act in keeping with the spirit of our Covenant of Consent and Sensitivity that respects individual needs, concerns, and preferences around mask usage, social distancing, and other safety matters related to the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

A non-exhaustive list of decisions that have already been made is below. Many other matters are still under review. Throughout the summer, we’ll continue to be in regular contact to share progress we’ve made (and obstacles we’ve faced) as we “Turn the Corner Together.”

Building Hours and Phones

Beginning July 15, the Foundry phone lines will be staffed and the building will be open to the public on this schedule:

• Monday: Closed for deep clean
• Tuesday: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Wednesday: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Thursday: 9 a.m.-9 p.m.
• Friday: 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Saturday: Closed for deep clean
• Sunday: 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Events on the Plaza

• Before July 15: Visitors may only use the restroom in the Narthex (to the right inside the front doors) while masked.
• After July 15: Visitors will have full access to the building’s restrooms while masked.

Masks & In-Person Gatherings

• As a general rule, in-person participants at Foundry events will be masked through the end of August unless the event is held outdoors and all present (for smaller groups) agree that masks may be optional.
• As of July 15, people can be in the building when masked. There will be no limits on group sizes or the frequency of group meetings. (Work is underway to facilitate hybrid online/in-person meetings at Foundry).
• Baptisms, memorial services, and inurnments may be scheduled for inside the building starting July 15. Services will be arranged/customized following our Covenant of Consent and Sensitivity.
• When we return to full in-person Sunday worship in the sanctuary, the following schedule and mask policy will apply:
  9 a.m. service, which enjoys significant attendance by families with young children, will require all participants to be masked.
  11:15 a.m. service will be mask optional (with masks made available on-site). Masks will be required in Community Commons during this service for those who wish to gather in a distanced, masked environment utilizing the existing screens in that space.
• Both 9 and 11:15 a.m. services will be streamed on our current channels with staff support for online engagement.

Mission Activity

• We will operationalize our Covenant of Consent and Sensitivity for ministry with with neighbors who are unhoused, undernourished, or with unknown vaccination status.
• The ID Ministry is now using the Narthex (space immediately inside Foundry’s main door) for client meetings, given the summer heat and direct sun on the Plaza.
• Cooking missions will resume on-site when community partners and teams are ready, following the Covenant of Consent and Sensitivity and additional food preparation protocols.
• Vaccinated youth will be participating in the highly popular summer mission activity — Appalachian Service Project (ASP) —as well as a week-long local mission experience.

Children & Childcare

• Childcare workers will be required to be vaccinated and follow safety protocols established by the CDC, local health authorities, and industry standard protocols for childcare facilities.
• We plan to hire additional childcare staff given the number of new births/young children at Foundry and are exploring options for additional space to accommodate the increased number of infants and toddlers.

Music & Choir

• The public-health focused Reentry Ministry Team has advised that there is no need to remove hymnals from the sanctuary.
• Congregational singing will be allowed when we return to in-person worship.
• Choir members will participate in an anonymous survey to provide data for finalization of safety protocols for choir rehearsals and worship leadership. Additionally, they will be asked to enter into a Covenant of Safety and Comfort with choir members and other contributors in this valuable ministry of the church.

Coming Soon

As our clergy, staff, and Reentry Implementation Task Force continue to work together to address the needs and concerns of our community, we will focus on some of these topics:

• The offering: How do we lift the offering in a post-covid environment?
• Weekly Attendance: How do we register attendance on a weekly basis?
• Communion: How will we receive the elements of Communion safely?
• Ushers & Greeters: How do ushers and greeters ensure overall safety protocols while offering radical hospitality?
• Parking: What parking options can be made available?
• Ventilation & HVAC: Which windows are openable and which are painted shut? Planning the instillation of new air filters in the HVAC systems and choir rooms.

Foundry's Covid Reentry Implementation Task Force

The Covid Reentry Implementation Task Force is composed of: Rev. Ginger Gaines-Cirelli (Senior Pastor), Gwen Williamson (Chair), Nick Jessee, Matt Hansen, Sam Kilpatrick, Paula Blair, and PJ Taylor.

Please feel free to submit comments and/or questions to reentry@foundryumc.org.

Beloved members and friends of Foundry,

Thank you for responding to the survey released earlier this month to gauge the readiness of our congregation to resume in-person congregational life as Foundry Church. Of the 321 completed surveys, 76 percent of respondents indicated they are ready to return to in-person worship. 99 percent report being fully vaccinated. Key concerns identified in the comments relate to the safety of children and vulnerable populations as well as the need for clear communication of safety/hygiene protocols and continuation of both online and in-person options to participate in worship, classes, and other groups.

Foundry clergy and staff, along with members of the Foundry Board, the Science/Public Health Reentry Ministry Team, and a special Reentry Implementation Task Force, are working collectively to ‘turn the corner’ for a resumption of worship and group gatherings in our building spaces. It is extremely important that we navigate these uncharted waters carefully, to protect young children who cannot be vaccinated; care for persons with health conditions that preclude their participation; and remain aware that everyone may not be willing to reveal their vaccination status.

There are multi-level planning decisions and process modifications required to ensure safety and the depth of spiritual experience desired for those joining us online and in-person for worship and engagement. In a recent staff retreat, it became clear that a seemingly simple decision is quickly complicated by many valid, contextual questions—all needing their own answer. Foundry’s leadership continues to identify the critical considerations and to weigh them against the impact of local practices as well as guidance from the science/medical community.

Currently, we are on schedule to return to a phased-in worship schedule starting mid-July, to include a Wednesday evensong service. August will be a time to assure our safety and hospitality protocols and audio/visual systems are all in place and working effectively. We hope to move toward some Sundays in August in the sanctuary for worship with limited, then increasing, capacity. We will ease into full capacity at Foundry to ensure the safety of persons who call Foundry home! Presuming there is no surge in COVID-related health threats, we anticipate being back at full capacity by the beginning of September.

I ask for your patience and prayers as we do our best to address your concerns post COVID. Reentry updates from the Implementation Task Force will be published regularly as we discover new ways to connect as the Body of Christ

As we turn this corner together, let’s remember to Love God, Love each other, and Change the world.

Important Message from Pastoral and Lay Leadership

Important message from Pastor Lani

Reopening Plan

Foundry Action Opportunities

Foundry Action Opportunities

Foundry Action Opportunities

REOPENING PLAN

REOPENING PLAN

Foundry family,

Can you believe that we are already one week into May? And while we typically start our updates with pleasantries such as “we trust all is well,” I am keenly aware that many of us are tired of seeing that statement. If you’re like me, the answer for the last several weeks has been “Nope, not well, tired of isolation, need to get outside, want to see my people, desperate to go to the beach, nothing right now is normal or well…except maybe my puppies.”

I am reminded daily from our clergy devotionals that as frustrated and zoom-fatigued as I am, there are many blessings to be found as we patiently wait, endure, lament, and pray during this season of uncertainty. One of those many blessings has been watching each of you and our collective staff, create spaces of meaningful, innovative worship and fellowship in brilliant ways.

Our clergy team is encouraged by the responses to the Facebook daily devotionals and energized by the participation in the newly launched Waypoint midweek virtual worship.

We take comfort in familiar faces providing spiritual resources on our website at The Well. and find joy in the relational photos captured through social media with #thisishowifoundry.

We are humbled by the overwhelming generosity of those who continue to give to our Greatest Need and General Fund, enabling us to make an immediate and direct impact for the most vulnerable in our community.
While we had hoped to be back to some sense of regularity by mid-June, we now know that this shift in lifestyle and routine will be much longer than anticipated. As such, we will continue to follow the science and guidance of the CDC, WHO, and District officials. Under no circumstance will we jeopardize the safety or health of our beloved staff and congregation, for the sake of being in the building.

Rest assured we have established a task force of lay health professionals, staff, and one Board member to determine the proper training and timing of a phased re-opening. This task force meets together regularly and has been actively participating in weekly denominational meetings with other UMCs, national panels with faith-based executives, and medical professionals for updates on contact tracing.

This team has also assisted in the development of a brief congregational re-entry survey to gather empirical data, while simultaneously taking a pulse of our community. We encourage you to participate in this survey as the task force will use the data to determine a definitive plan and timeline of when the building will be opened to the general public.

Finally, our Hospitality team has been working diligently towards offering an opt-in only online directory of Foundry folks to help us all stay connected. More information will be coming from that team this week, with specific instructions explaining how to update your contact information as well as your privacy settings.

Friends, that was a lot of information and it is my hope that we keep you updated in a timely manner. Please know you can reach out to any of us with specific questions or concerns. We miss each of you and pray for you and your loved ones often.

Stay resilient, stay healthy, find joy.

Lani Willbanks
Business Administrator

Foundry family,
Holy week is upon us and I find myself anticipating resurrection Sunday with an unfamiliar feeling of heaviness and despair. This year has lacked the vibrant, pastel colors of plastic eggs and decorated lilies. I already miss the excitement of seeing the tent in the courtyard, the smells of Ms. Rosa’s hospitality spread, and the sounds of our glorious choirs and musicians. There will be no pre-dawn run through this year and my robe and stole will remain on a hanger. The most peculiar part of Easter 2020 will be sitting in a guest bedroom, 6 feet from my colleague and friend as she delivers the Gospel story from the intimate and vulnerable space of her own home. Is this really happening?

I am grieving. I want to see my colleagues, our neighbors, our congregation. I want to hear the bells in person, touch the plants in the Columbarium, stuff visitor swag bags with candy. And yet here we are, trying to digest and fact-check rapid paced information and countless distractions while trying to remain present in the season. Some of the information has slowed down and like many of you, we’ve heard rumblings that this new normal will take us well into the summer. Your operations team stands ready to adapt with every shift and offer info and updates as things evolve:

The building is secured. We have identified individuals to routinely check on the facility and the utilities. Our grounds are still being cared for, the plants in the Sanctuary and Columbarium continue to be watered, bringing fresh life into otherwise still places.

Mail is retrieved on Thursdays. While we strongly encourage all financial gifts be made online, we know that checks are often pre-scheduled and difficult to re-route. We are also holding all vital documents for our ID Ministry neighbors, collaborating with the respective service agencies to get these to the individuals in a timely manner.

Quarterly Contribution Statements will be emailed. Later this week you will receive an email from me with a link to log in to retrieve your contribution statement. This method of delivery does not list the balance on your estimate of giving. The email will have instructions for you if you’d like to know your balance.

All Clergy and Staff teleworking. While you may not see everyone on the Sunday worship video, rest assured our team is in good health and caring for each other in new ways. We are grateful for the generosity of so many through which we are able to extend compensation to each staff member during this season.

CARES Act benefit for non-profits. Through coordination with the Board and Finance Committee, our Finance Office worked diligently to prepare all necessary information required for the Small Business Association Paycheck Protection Program offered through our banking institution. The application and supporting documentation were submitted on April 3 and April 6 respectively.

Our building has endured the changing landscape of 16th and P for over 100 years. Through all that time—and certainly in this time—Foundry has stood as a beacon of faith, hope, and love. Even though the building is empty right now, it continues to emanate our shared life and all that we stand for. Family, we will continue to show up and give our best, for however long it takes. We miss each and every one of you deeply and pray for you every day.

Much Peace and Health,
Lani Willbanks
Business Administrator

Foundry family, There are moments in our lives where the right decision is painful and the pull to make an easier, wrong decision is strong. For Foundry, making the painful, right decision has meant moving worship and gatherings out of the building and onto virtual platforms as we continue to take all recommended precautions to keep our team and greater community healthy and safe.

In that spirit and in following with our Bishop’s and Mayor’s guidance for the District of Columbia, our staff has taken the necessary steps to work from home for the foreseeable future. Given that most of you are practicing this, don’t be surprised if members of our team reach out to you for best practices, how to put the filter on Zoom, or simply take time to laugh with you while in our pajamas.

This shift means that worship during this season will change—even from what we’ve experienced the past two weeks. Worship will look different and will feel different, since our team will be sharing, praying, and preaching from our respective homes. We ask that as we step into this unknown, you pray for our staff, our Senior Pastor, and our ministry partners as we fervently seek fresh ideas and creative shifts to help us stay connected with God, with one another, and with the needs of our greater community. Please extend and be willing to receive copious amounts of grace and hold tightly to the spaces, practices, and people that ground you.

Family, we will continue to show up and give our best, for however long it takes. We miss each and every one of you deeply and pray for you every day.

Much Peace and Health,
Lani Willbanks
Business Administrator

• Foundry UMC will continue with one online worship service at 11:15 a.m through May 10, 2020
• Effective immediately, Wednesday Lenten Evensong will be online at 6:15 p.m.
• Holy Week events will be online
• Easter Sunday will be online at 11:15 a.m.
• The building will remain closed to the general public, indefinitely

Additional updates regarding specific ministry areas and social services will be posted at a later date.

Foundry UMC takes the personal health and safety of our congregants, staff, and clergy seriously. In this season of uncertainty, we pause to reflect on the words found in Psalm 46;

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountain shake in the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the LORD; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us.”

After much discernment, prayer, and deep concern for our most vulnerable populations at risk of exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19), effective immediately, Foundry has decided to temporarily close the building for worship and subsequent community gatherings through March 25. Recent developments from Mayor Bowser’s office, the Episcopal and Catholic Diocese, and Bishop Easterling, affirm our decision.

SUNDAY WORSHIP
Regular Sunday worship will stream online, with Foundry clergy conducting one virtual service at 11:15 a.m. on March 15 and March 22. You are encouraged to participate using the following online platforms:

Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/FoundryUnitedMethodistChurch/ no login or password required.
Foundry Website Online: https://foundryumc.churchonline.org/ no login or password required.
Foundry Vimeo Channel: https://vimeo.com/user85227976 no login or password required.

DISCIPLESHIP and FAMILY MINISTRIES
Foundry discipleship and family ministry classes and groups are encouraged to meet virtually using any of the technology platforms such as Zoom, Google meetings, etc. More information regarding training and best practices for online meetings, along with updated curriculum, will be shared soon. All other building events listed in previous communications will remain postponed until further notice.

SOCIAL JUSTICE
At a time when social services are stretched to unimaginable limits, Foundry’s Social Justice department will continue work supporting community partners who provide direct services. More information about our modified practice will be communicated directly to the Social Justice Ministry teams. We strongly encourage each of you to check in with one another, call your small group friend, and stay connected in the safest way possible.

In Peace,
Foundry clergy and staff

In response to the latest development from the DC Health Office regarding communal gatherings, the subsequent building updates have been made:
The following events have been postponed until further notice:

• Choir Rehearsal Wednesday, March 11
• Orchestra Rehearsal Saturday March 14
• Special Music Sunday March 15
• Funeral for John Harden postponed, date TBD
• The Howard Thurman Retreat postponed, date TBD
• Great Day of Service postponed until October

The following events this week remain as scheduled, as of 3:00PM this afternoon:

• Lenten Evensong mid-week worship
• Sunday Worship with New Members see 3.10.2020 response to modified worship experience
• ID Ministry
• Recovery classes
• Cooking classes
• ESL
• Discipleship classes
• Books 2 Prison

We encourage folks who are in any of the identified vulnerable people groups outlined by the CDC, to selfselect their level of participation in any of these activities. Our primary goal is the health and safety of our congregation. We will continue to monitor CDC, WHO, and DC Health updates as they develop.

In Peace,
Foundry clergy and staff

Foundry continues to monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation closely participating in the Bowser Administration’s Update and Preparedness for Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and Faith Leaders, publications from the CDC and WHO, and working closely with other community leaders who are recipients of the various ministries extended by Foundry.

Out of an abundance of caution, and in addition to the measures already taken and listed in our 03.06.2020 update, Foundry has made the following adjustments to the facility and Sunday worship experience as follows:

SANCTUARY
Effective immediately, there will no longer be tissue boxes or black binders in the pews. We would kindly ask that you submit all prayer requests through our online link found on the main page of our website at https://www.foundryumc.org/prayer. We are also asking folks who are present in Sunday worship who would normally share their attendance with us through the black binders, to check in online through the Church Center App. If you have not yet downloaded the App, it is available on both IOS and Android devices.

SUNDAY OFFERING
Effective immediately, Sunday morning offering will be collected in stationary baskets located at the back of the Sanctuary, Bell Tower Lobby, and Community Commons. We will have ushers stationed at these areas to ensure proper collection, monitoring, and transferring of offerings to the Finance Office. If you have not done so already, we invite you to utilize our online giving platform through the Church Center App or directly through our website at https://foundryumc.churchcenter.com/giving.

NEW VISITORS Effective immediately, we will ask all new attenders or visitors to fill out their information online through a form found directly on our website at https://foundryumc.churchcenter.com/people/forms/111028

COMMUNICATIONS A new link on the main page of our website will have this information, as well as building updates for any cancellation of classes, meetings, or events until further notice.

In Peace,
Foundry clergy and staff

Foundry UMC takes the personal health and safety of our staff, clergy, and congregants seriously. As a result of the growing concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Foundry offers the following recommendations to remain safe:

• Hand-washing is your best self-defense against the spread of germs. Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds, specifically after using the restroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
• Utilize one of the hand sanitizing stations throughout the facility.
• Substitute handshakes with elbow bumps, peace signs, or hand-waves, particularly during Passing of the Peace.
• If you are not feeling well, or experiencing any signs of illness, please take advantage of our online worship through Facebook live or our Vimeo link on our website.

Foundry staff and clergy will continue the following practices:

• Washing hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
• Sanitize hands repeatedly during communion.
• Wiping down door handles 2 times a day, 4-6 times on Sundays.
• Closely monitoring updates by both the Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization.

Out of an abundance of caution, Foundry is also doing the following:

• Advising staff to telework, as outlined in our personnel handbook, with any signs of illness.
• Prepared to serve communion in the following months using individual, pre-filled, sealed, compostable communion cups and individual wafers.

We will continue to update this document as the need arrives.

In Peace,
Foundry clergy and staff