Dear Friends,

Happy New Year to you all! I hope that this message finds you well.

I am writing with an update on our plans for navigating the approaching winter storm. Following a staff huddle this afternoon, we are moving forward with our regular schedule of worship and fellowship this evening, Sunday, January 5. That includes the Celtic service at 5:30 p.m., followed by our Sunday supper and the sung Compline service at 8 p.m. All will go forward as planned, with the only exception being that we will not have our normal nursery care available during the Celtic service.

On the other hand, with the expectation of a significant storm overnight and hazardous road conditions in the morning, we are making the decision now to close our church offices tomorrow. All events and activities scheduled for Monday, January 6 will be cancelled or postponed. This includes our Monday distribution at the St. Stephen’s food pantry. At this point, we hope to simply shift that distribution to Tuesday, but we will assess the condition of the roads and the accessibility for staff, volunteers, and clients. 

A staff team will convene tomorrow afternoon to assess the impact of the storm and make a determination about Tuesday’s office hours and activities. We will send out another parish email tomorrow with a further update.

If you have any pastoral emergencies or concerns – related to the storm or otherwise – please call the main office number (804.288.2867) and follow the prompts to contact the clergy person on call. Some staff members will be working from home tomorrow, while others are not able to work from home as easily. No one will be in the office to answer the phone, but the emergency number will remain active.

Stay safe, stay warm, and make a snow angel if you’re able!

Faithfully,