Thank you’s and four questions
Easter Blessings to each of you.
I am thankful to have returned to work full-time and must begin by offering a huge “Thank you” to Nancy Hunter, our Senior Warden, for her tireless service, especially while I was on medical leave. Thank you also to the dedicated All Saints’ staff who has continued to prepare worship online and even managed in-person outdoor worship for Sunrise Easter Vigil Eucharist.
Here are four questions that are presenting themselves for attention.
1 When will we begin in-person, indoor worship?
As more people are vaccinated, this question has come up more frequently. People are excited by the “opening up” that they see around them and wonder when they will be able to gather for indoor worship at their church.
Unfortunately, the higher vaccination rates have also been accompanied by higher infection rates. The test positivity rate for Cabarrus County is, at the time of the writing of this article, 7.8%, higher than the diocesan maximum allowable of 6.5%. Rates for several surrounding counties are even higher. Sadly, past experience shows that higher test positivity is followed by higher hospitalization and death rates.
Epidemiologists studying COVID-19 rate indoor gatherings of large groups of unrelated people as “most risky” for infection.
We are close to putting this pandemic, if not behind us, at least to the side. But we are not there yet. People are traveling for spring break, meaning those test positivity rates may go even higher. Given all of this, we will not take up the question of indoor, in-person worship before May.
2 When will we have a Director of Youth and Family Ministry?
I am working to assemble a search advisory team so that we can begin the hiring process for this position. This is a very important staff position in our ministry. I ask your prayers for God to lead us to the right person, the person God has already prepared for this work.
If you are interested in being a part of this discernment process, please let me know. The first step for the team will be to review a proposed job description and get that distributed.
3 What does ministry at All Saints’ look like post-pandemic?
In March of 2019, we began asking the question, “How do we to take ministry out of the building?” and then suddenly in March of 2020 we were out!
An early mentor told me “never waste a crisis.” The people of All Saints’ have worked to not only adapt, but thrive during this pandemic. We have offered worship online, Sunday morning, Tuesday evening, Wednesday mid-day. We have attended to the needs of our neighbors, started new ministries and created more opportunities for people to engage in Christian formation then we had prior to the pandemic.
This has been important, God blessed, work. Even as we long to gather in-person, we also have learned valuable lessons about what can be possible in virtual community. Your vestry and parish leaders are actively engaged in looking forward at what God is calling us to become.
4 What needs to happen to open the Lockhart Child Development Center?
Deacon Jackie has been working through the various inspections required for initial licensure.
Parishioners on the taskforce have been cleaning and sorting through the furniture and materials we have accumulated over the decades. A director has been hired and I look forward to introducing the director to each of you.
We continue to work with county officials to bring this collaborative relationship forward. Dedicated people, both in the church and in the community, are committed to making it happen. The Holy Spirit is moving and we are powerfully blessed!
In Christ,
Nancy+