Most of you on e-mail will have received this some time yesterday. I am sharing it here for parishioners who may be unable to access e-mail and for others who follow our parish weblog -- for his words of enouragement and comfort, and for information that is useful for remaining connected during this prolonged period of isolation and separation. May it bless your day.
[Dear Parishioners]
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ.
We are a community defined by worship, fellowship, education, proclamation, and service. The new health guidelines throw a wrench into the works, so we need to be creative.
I hope to remain in touch with you by email and phone, as we look for ways of being church without being at church. With that in mind, I would welcome your thoughts on what you think will work for us. This email newsletter is one such idea.
I would like to inform you of some of the operational changes we are facing. The Commissary has informed us that, regrettably, "all public worship in the Diocese of Calgary is suspended until further notice" and "church buildings must remain closed to the general public." The rationale for this extreme measure is health and safety. A consequence of this is that we will not be having Easter Week services in the same way we have traditionally.
Some diocesan events have also been postponed and some future events may be. Michael Harvey's visit to the diocese in April has been postponed. For those of you who have seen Michael before, you might be interested in his new workshop, "Invitation to Heal":
I found his talk intriguing. I look forward to seeing Michael when he comes to the diocese. Both the Clergy Conference (in May) and our Synod (in June) might be postponed, but the decision will be taken closer to the dates. We will see how events unfold.
"Social distancing" is really a misnomer. It should be "physical distancing" because we require to continue social connectedness. Quarantine, self-isolation, and physical distancing demand that we focus on our social connection, solidarity, and mutual support. We need to reach out to our family, friends, and community. It may be just a phone call, a text, or an email, but it will be appreciated. For some, it might also mean a card or a written letter. The more technologically practiced amongst us might be using Skype, FaceTime, Zoom, Discord... there are many video conferencing applications.
I would like to encourage you to look at what our synod office and other parishes are providing for online worship and advice. At these web sites you can see some of what other congregations in the diocese are doing. Maybe we can adapt or adopt something others are doing.
In response to some of your questions, Brian and I think the best way to continue to give is by mail. Maybe consider a single monthly donation and pop it in the mail. The church mailing address is:
5005 C & E Trail,
Lacombe, Alberta
T4L 1N5 Lacombe, Alberta T4L 1N5
Some may want to consider signing up for pre-authorized deposits. Please talk to Brian if you are interested in trying that. See the financial forms page for the Pre Authorized Donation Form.
How we can best continue as a faith community at this time? What are our needs and what are the needs of those around us?
Please feel free to call, email, or text me. I will be reaching out too.
Yours in Christ,
Rev. Robert
587 679-6879 (work cell phone)revrobert@oldsnet.ca
revrobert@shaw.ca
www.stcyprian.ca
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