We are following a plan to safely reopen our doors and worship in person.
Welcome back to indoor worship!
We are following a plan to safely reopen our doors and worship in person. Our first priority remains the spiritual and physical wellbeing of our parish community. We are confident that, as Bishop Craig Loya has said, we are “learning to negotiate risk with love.”
Masks are recommended for all worshipers regardless of vaccination status. We encourage worshipers to use personal discretion and to respect the space and choices of those around them. People who are sick or have been exposed to someone with Covid-19 should stay home.
We recognize that everyone is not yet ready to resume indoor activities. For those choosing to stay safe at home or are otherwise unable to attend, we will continue to livestream the service on our YouTube Channel each Sunday.
You can be part of the fun again by joining us for our online Coffee Café using Zoom video conferencing.
Miss visiting with your friends after church?
Want to catch up on the news from your fellow parishioners?
Join us for our online Coffee Hour Sunday mornings at 11:30 using Zoom video conferencing.
Never used Zoom? No problem. Deacon Maureen can get you set up to join us. All you need is a computer, tablet, smart phone, or even an old fashioned telephone.
“Lawn Chair Liturgies” in the Memorial Garden at St. Mary’s beginning at 9:30 on Sunday morning, July 5th, weather permitting.
At a recent meeting with clergy in charge of parishes, Bishop Loya gave us discretion to begin limited outdoor worship as of July 1. It is my intention to hold “Lawn Chair Liturgies” in the Memorial Garden at St. Mary’s beginning at 9:30 on Sunday morning, July 5th, weather permitting.
Our order of worship will be quite abbreviated, and there will be no celebration of the Holy Eucharist at this time. Worshipers will be expected to comply with all current disease transmission prevention guidelines including:
Stay home if you feel sick
Wear an appropriate face covering/face mask
Observe a minimum of six feet of physical distancing between household groups
We recommend you bring lawn chairs or a blanket to sit on — no chairs will be provided. Remember that the Memorial Garden lawn is a bit uneven and the grass may be quite wet from dew or overnight rain. Worship materials will be provided for one-time use each week.
For now, we will encourage everyone to depart immediately following the worship service. We may be able to stay for some form of a BYO coffee and fellowship time later in the summer if disease transmission levels continue to decrease.
The church building and Guild Hall remain closed pending authorization to reopen from Bishop Loya.
I have mixed feelings about gathering again, even outdoors. While I long to be together with all of you, I have an even greater longing to keep everyone safe and healthy. Most of us fall into the “at increased risk” category for Covid-19 infection. We are relying on you to follow our safety and health guidelines to protect yourself and others.
The danger of infection has not passed, and we must all be diligent in adhering to the disease transmission prevention guidelines. We may need to suspend outdoor worship if there is an increase in the Covid-19 infection rate in the future.
We know that some of you may choose to stay safe at home for a while longer, and we will continue to provide worship resources and pastoral support by email and telephone for the foreseeable future.
Stay safe, stay well, and I look forward to seeing you again soon!
Join us on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 for our Lenten Soup Supper Series focusing on The Way of Love: Practices for a Jesus-Centered Life developed by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry.
Our Annual Harvest Festival Potluck Dinner and Dance is Saturday, November 2. Music by the Back Porch Band begins at 5:00 pm with dinner at 6:00. Bring your friends, neighbors, family and a favorite dish to share. Suggested donation is $10 per adult.
All proceeds benefit area food programs through Second Harvest Heartland Food Bank.
How are we, as people of faith, called to care for the “least of these” in our community?
Join us for our Second Saturday Study Group to learn how we are called to serve the “least of these” who suffer from hunger, homelessness and addiction. This series of discussions will be held on the second Saturdays of October, November and December. We will learn how hunger, homelessness and addiction impact our community and society at large, and we will begin to discern how we are called to respond. “Just as you did it to one of the least of these…you did it to me.”
We are blessed to have a beautiful worship space at St. Mary’s,
and preserving and maintaining our historic church building is an ongoing priority
for your parish leaders. Recently we have had two unexpected expenses. Our
furnace fan motor failed (during Holy Week) and we have two broken or failing
windows to replace in the Narthex (entry area). These two projects resulted in
$2,500 of unbudgeted costs to the parish. We hope you will join our parish leaders
in contributing financially to offset these unexpected expenditures. Every gift—large
or small—will help us preserve our beautiful church building for another 150
years. Please mark your gift as “Building Fund” so we can properly credit your
donation. Thank you for your continuing support of St. Mary’s!
