This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I saw a Facebook post by member Bill Bacon the other day. Bill is a football coach, and he wrote a post about the beginning of the high school football season, which technically begins this Friday with the first sanctioned practices. He pointed out the responsibility each student and parent has to show up prepared. Food, water, medical forms, parent signatures in the right places, and a good attitude. He also pointed out the importance of practice and preparation. Friday night games in the heat, underneath a South Carolina moon, is the reward for the hours and hours of practice and preparation!

In many ways, I feel like St. Martin's has been in the midst of a period of practice and preparation. We have worked hard and we have planned. As the start of our program year approaches we have HUGE projects on the horizon.

First and foremost is our Habitat for Humanity Build. This is an opportunity to provide for a family in need. The second is the opening of our preschool. St. Martin's Preschool is primed and ready to open. Employees have been hired, teacher training starts on the 16th, and nearly every spot available for a child in the school has been filled!

And, finally, with the hiring of a youth minister, we're set for a school year filled with both adult and youth Christian Education opportunities. We will have everything from podcasts to in-person classes for people of all ages. The prep work has largely been done. It is an exciting time.

Quite frankly, the biggest risk to the success of all of this rests in each of our hands. Please, be careful. Please get vaccinated. Please, if you are feeling sick, stay home. Masks are for our mutual protection. I am confident in our church's vaccination rate as I know that the overwhelming majority of our parishioners have had both shots. Still yet, I know of at least one parishioner with a breakthrough infection. I ask that we continue to follow our zone system. I also ask that we continue to keep our space. For families with young children, please know that on Aug.15, I will bless backpacks at both the 10:30 a.m. service and the 5 p.m. service. I also will offer a children's sermon at each, and I will be masked during those services. If you are still trying to avoid crowds, please consider coming to the 5 p.m. service. There is more than enough room at that service for physical distancing.

The prep work has been done. The story of the rest of 2021 lies in each of our hands.

In Christ,

Mitch+