COVID 19 Update
Dear Friends of St. Andrew’s,
These are challenging days with breaking news on the hour, and it can become overwhelming. As we come to the end of the first week of the state of emergence, please take care to stay connected to your family and friends via telephone, texting, Face Time, Skype, and other modes of communication. Today we have such a wide variety of choices.
As your church, here’s how we’re staying connected to you: The church office is open to answer telephone calls, and many of our elders are calling on our vulnerable members. We will email regularly to keep you updated on the latest news about the church. And we are keeping in touch with those on Facebook with a new group called “Congregation of St. A’s.” This is a closed group for our church family, which means what is shared is read only by members of our church.
As you know, church services and all programs and meetings have been cancelled until March 31. We are in communication with our national church and will reassess as we get closer to that time. However, Sunday School and other children’s programs are cancelled until after Easter, along with our Sunday Supper and Soup Kitchen. The support cards are available for you if you need them.
For those of you online, you have many resources to keep up your spiritual life. Some people have asked if we will do livestreaming and at the moment, we are not pursuing that avenue. But we will share some of our favourite livestreaming with you. In the meantime, let’s be kind and patient with one another, and be ready to listen as we all try to come to terms with our fast-changing world.
Here is a prayer we can say together:
Heavenly Father, you tell us: “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Give us the faith to trust You in this trying time and not to be afraid.
We pray for those who have lost their loved ones during this pandemic, comfort them and give them Your peace. We pray for our healthcare workers facing danger, we pray for their protection, and fast results in finding a vaccine for this terrible virus. We pray for all those who govern our country. Give them wisdom and understanding as they have to make difficult decisions. We pray for our families, especially those who are struggling emotionally, physically and spiritually. We pray for ourselves, that you will bear in us the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and faithfulness. Amen.
Peace of Christ be with you all,
Linda Park
The Rev. Linda Park
The Rev. Bob Quick