A Message from Mitch
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
As we finish up this year's stewardship campaign, I was recently informed about a parishioner who pledged last year, but has not this year. They said they would not give to the church until we were re-opened and could worship inside. Hearing this made me think that it might be helpful to offer a reminder of what we can and can't do from both a theological perspective, and a rules standpoint.
Currently, based on diocesan rules, St. Martin's is approved for 30 people to worship, physically distanced, inside our space. Included in this 30 are worshipers, clergy, and any others serving in the liturgy. With our membership hovering between 600 and 700 members, having indoor services is not feasible. Other churches with different spaces and floor plans have been approved for different numbers. The Cathedral, for instance, is approved for 85 people to be indoors. This includes worshipers, clergy, and the cathedral's worship team that works to sanitize their space, scan temperatures as people enter, and monitor face coverings during the service.
Each church has been approved for different numbers based on their floor plans, HVAC systems, entrance and exit spaces, Average Sunday Attendance (ASA), and worship service protocol. As you recall, before the pandemic, our church regularly worshiped together at 80 to 90 percent capacity (our ASA pre-pandemic was approaching 350). Because we know that limiting our indoor services to only 30 people is not feasible, we have improved our live streaming, and, of course, added outside services where we can safely worship without having to limit our numbers.
While the above explanation is about diocesan policy, there are also theological questions we as a church need to answer. Questions like: "What is the acceptable risk of going to church?" "Is there an acceptable number of infections that can be passed from one member to another or from clergy to parishioners at, say, communion?" "How do we honor the needs of one member who says 'I am not afraid and I want my pew back' while also honoring another member who had a heart transplant as a teen who also wants to pray safely in community?" "How can we safely pray and break bread together in community during a time of disease?"
During this time I believe God is calling us to creativity, compassion, and service.
In 2021, we will continue to offer (sometimes in modified ways) all of the sacraments of the church. As vaccinations progress, indoor opportunities will, of course, be opened, but with seven active families (both parents and children) dealing with COVID and its ramifications, that time is not yet here. Compassionately, the church will continue to seek to respond to those in need through prayer, worship, pastoral care and education. The Bible has not changed; the prayers are still the same; Christ's presence in the Eucharist is as it always has been. While the delivery of these things may be different, their efficacy has not waned.
Finally, service. St. Martin's has long been a leader in mission and service in the community. Right now our community's greatest need is for the COVID pandemic to end. I believe the medical professionals who say vaccines are our ticket back to normal. To help our community get there, St. Martin's has volunteered to become a vaccination site. Our circle drive and The Commons have both been offered up for use. While that may take place down the road (phase 3 or 4), I look forward to serving our community in this way. Beyond that, volunteers are standing by to help people get vaccination appointments. Finally, beginning next week, St. Martin's members will be joining the ranks of community volunteers who have been helping with COVID-19 vaccinations. I will be serving at the fairgrounds on Wednesday of next week, Friday of the following week, and I intend to join other community leaders in volunteering as much as I can for the next six months.
If you are in good health, I would like to ask you to prayerfully consider joining me in this effort. The COVID-19 vaccination plan is among the world's greatest needs right now. Volunteering to help with this need is a way we can serve our nation, state, city, community, and church. It is a way we can honor Christ by loving our neighbor.
Click on the REGISTER TO HELP button to take part. COVID is not going away on its own. We each can do our part by staying physically distanced, washing our hands, and if we are able, helping ensure our community gets vaccinated. Beyond that, we can each do our part by remembering that worship and ministry, even in the Episcopal Church, can take place in many forms and ways. While sitting together in pews is not currently available, other worship services and modes of mission are. I encourage you to seek the “holy” in each of them.
In Christ,
Mitch+