As we come to the end of November, having kept the Thanksgiving Holiday in whatever way we could, taking time to give thanks, I am thankful for the staff and volunteers who have worked to provide worship services throughout this pandemic and who continue to strive to make worship as engaging as possible. But like many of you, I miss the greetings in the hallways and the conversations around the tables in Ihrman Hall. So, the past several weeks, I have been attempting to call every household in the church simply to ask how you are doing. (If you received a phone call from a number you did not recognize, that might have been me.)
Some of you shared the struggles you are facing: medical issues, loneliness, but all of you ended the conversation by saying you are fine and then, as good Christian friends, you asked me how others in the church are doing. And whatever I may have been feeling at the time, including COVID fatigue, your concern and compassion for others always lifted my spirits. Something more to be grateful for.
Many of you also shared stories of how you are getting through this time of isolation and I have learned of basements refinished, closets and kitchens reorganized, and other miscellaneous household projects and repairs completed. And it is in that spirit that I want to share some news about the church. For as you have been attending to projects, so we have been fixing a few things here at the church.
First, the roof. We have contracted with Carlson Roofing to replace the entire roof of the church, all but the steeple. That will happen as soon as the weather permits next spring. In the meantime, repairs have been made to address any leaks and potential leaks to get us through the winter.
The ceiling in the sanctuary. You may have noticed places in the ceiling where paint was peeling. These were not caused by roof leaks, but by leaks from hoses in the air conditioning units in the ceiling that had come disconnected. That has been addressed.
With the guidance of Steve Comeau, our audio/visual technician, Christopher Hansen and Steve Hansen, we are upgrading our audio/visual equipment to improve our ability to record our worship services (and any other services in the sanctuary including weddings, funerals, concerts, etc.) and to allow viewers to participate via Zoom or Facebook. When it is prudent to return to worshiping in our sanctuary, we will also be able to continue to include others from anywhere there is internet service, to participate in worship as well. Worship, weddings, concerts, funerals, and more will no longer be limited to those who can be physically present in the sanctuary, but to virtual viewers as well.
Tina, our church Sexton, has been using this time when the building is mostly vacant, to deep clean the sanctuary, classrooms, and restrooms, and to refinish the floor in the lower level.
The Building and Grounds crew has used this time to touch up worn spots in the floor at the front of the sanctuary and in the chancel and put down a protective finish.
To decorate our sanctuary for our recorded Advent and Christmas Eve services, we have purchased a dozen artificial poinsettia plants and they, along with the new nativity set purchased from memorial funds for Trudy Gibson, will ornament our chancel.
We have been preparing our Stewardship Campaign for 2021, which we will launch next month. The presentation will be a bit different from previous years and I hope you will find it engaging and inspiring.
Our Church in a Box continues to attract more participants. We now have teams who take turns preparing the themes and materials for each month. More parents and grandparents are signing their children up, and we have had requests to develop a Church in a Box for our senior citizens. If that is something you would like, let us know by calling or emailing the church office.
There is more to report, but I’ll close with my appreciation for all those who volunteer in our Food Pantry. Not only have they hustled to keep up with the increasing numbers of visitors, they have had to reorganize their space to continue providing boxes of food while keeping themselves and our guests safe.
Well, one more thing, if you have fallen behind in your regular contributions to the church, and you have the means to do so, it would be helpful and appreciated if you could catch up on your pledge.
The Spirit of the risen Christ has led people through wars, famines, plagues, and more. And the Spirit of the risen Christ will lead us through this pandemic. And when Christ walks us through this valley of shadow into the light of a new day, we will be wiser, more compassionate, more just, more appreciative of all that we have, and more resilient as we address the challenges of this time.
Grace and peace to you,
Pr Mark
