Our Varied and Wonderful Community
A message from Dean Churchwell
Dear St. Paul's,
I hope you find the following video message to be one of comfort and encouragement as we come to terms with the changing nature of how we gather as community.
It used to be a little more clear cut: you were either here or not here.
Now, especially as we begin to hold more in-person opportunities at St. Paul's, we have so many new and sometimes daunting options for gathering. In-person and inside. In-person and outside. Virtually only. Small group or larger group.
As you consider how you wish to interact and engage with community here at St. Paul's I wish you to know that the safety and health of you and your family should be your primary concern.
Please know that the addition of in-person opportunities does not mean that you have to attend them or that you are somehow not as connected if it makes the most sense for you to stay home. I as your Dean, and the St. Paul's Staff and Vestry are committed to ensuring that regardless of how one chooses to engage with worship, formation, or fellowship, that they know that they are fully part of the St. Paul's community.
Currently, we are only having outdoor (masked and distanced) and virtual Stewardship gatherings.
We will soon be adding in-person worship, assuming that it is safe to do so and it is allowed by the Bishop. The start of in-person worship will be concurrent with our ability to livestream services (which we do not have currently but are actively working toward--thank you Jr. Warden Mike Murphy!)
I am deeply committed to worship being equal and available to all. So, if you choose to worship from home or wish to sign up for in-person worship, everyone will have the same worship. This will be a shift from our current practice of emailing out a previously recorded service. We will communicate more about what that will look like in the coming weeks.
As always, I am available for conversation (in any format) about this or anything else.
I hold each of you in my prayers, and I hope to see you soon (whether online or in-person)
With gratitude,
Dean Churchwell