As we watch the world around us beginning to re-open from the restrictions we have lived with since the COVID 19 pandemic began, we are all eager to know when and how we can begin moving forward into new ways of being a Saints James and Andrew that provides us the joy, comfort and inspiration we value, but which is a safe and responsible environment for everyone involved.

The Episcopal Church in Massachusetts has issued a set of guidelines to accompany the state’s guidelines for houses of worship;  we will also receive a set of guidelines, in June, with further guidance for parishes in our Diocese.  These documents make it clear that getting ready to move forward in compliance with diocesan and state requirements is not going to be quick or easy.  Until such time as we have a world in which the coronavirus is no longer a serious threat to human wellbeing, it is not going to be safe for us to return to the ways of being that we’ve fondly thought of as “normal”.  The conversations we’ve been part of and plans we’ve read from others have increased our awareness of how very complex the challenges before us are. 

• How can we worship together in person in a way that ensures health precautions that comply with CDC and WHO guidelines and follows the recommendations of front-line health-care providers?
• If we are required to limit the size of our gatherings, whether worship or ministry activities, how can we do so while still living out the values of hospitality and inclusion professed in our Statement of Mission?
• How can we maintain appropriate levels of disinfection as we use the spaces of our buildings going forward?

The guidelines we anticipate from the Diocese will be only that, guidelines.  It will be our job as a parish to figure out how to apply and implement those guidelines within the specifics of our own spaces and needs.  The job will require lots of careful thinking and planning, and we want everyone to understand our thinking and be able to offer input as we make decisions and develop plans; determining how to move forward will take time in order to be done well.   

We have outlined a process for developing specific guidelines for our parish and making decisions about moving forward; primarily responsibility lies with the Vestry and other key lay leaders, but we have also provided for parish-wide input.

In the meantime, we will keep being the Church in both virtual and traditional ways for as long as necessary. Our love of God and neighbor comes before all else.

Peace,
Rev. Heather & Rev. Molly 
on behalf of the Saints James and Andrew Vestry

A Process for Moving Forward 
Saints James and Andrew, Greenfield 

Goals:                        

1. We will keep being the Church in both virtual and traditional ways for as long as necessary. Our love of God and neighbor comes before all else. 
2. We will move slowly, cautiously and prayerfully, following the guidance of Bishop Fisher, Governor Baker, the CDC, and WHO.  We fully recognize and understand that even after the phased reopening of our buildings, we may need to close them again depending on how the virus spreads. 
3. ​We will be transparent in our process with all staff, parishioners, and community members. 
4. We will strive to communicate with consistency and clarity, providing updates and FAQs that will be posted on our website, social media, and in our newsletter. 
5. We will offer opportunities for feedback from the parish throughout this process. 

May 19
The Vestry met and adopted a Process for Moving Forward.

We reviewed Bishop Fisher’s latest Pastoral Directive, stating that our buildings will remain closed until at least July 1.  The Directive states that diocesan guidelines for moving forward will be made available no later than July 1.

We identified three working groups who will be prepared to meet, discuss, and plan how we will implement these new diocesan guidelines:

• Worship Working Group:   Rev. Heather Blais, Rev. Molly Scherm, Rev. Deacon Ann Wood, Kathryn Aubry-McAvoy, Ella Ingraham, Bill Hattendorf, and Elle Morgan
• Property Use, Outreach, & Events Working Group:  Rev. Heather Blais, Rev. Molly Scherm, Kathryn Aubry-McAvoy, Alan Kurkulonis, Andy Levchuk, and Maggie Sweeney
• Zoom Church Chats Working Group:  Rev. Heather Blais, Karen Greene, Charlie Houghton, and Rudy Renaud

July 1 or before
Diocesan Guidelines will become available.

Working groups will begin to meet approximately once a week to identify how we will live into these new guidelines.
​

To Be Determined
1.  The Worship Working Group and the Property Use, Outreach, and
Events Working Group will each draft a document with instructions for implementing new diocesan guidelines at SsJA, while the Zoom Church Chats Working Group will draft a plan for church chats and/or other means through which parish members will be able to ask questions, share concerns, and provide feedback to the thinking of the Working Groups.

2.  The Vestry will review the draft documents and make modifications as appropriate. 

3.  Relevant Ministry Team leaders will be consulted and provide feedback on the current drafts.

4.  The working groups will make additional modifications.

5.  The Vestry will review and finalize the documents. 

6.  The clergy will merge the documents into draft Parish Guidelines and use both Diocesan Guidelines and draft Parish Guidelines to create a FAQs document. 

7.  The parish will be sent a link to Diocesan Guidelines, the draft Parish Guidelines, and a series of scheduled Zoom church chats (and/or other means of joining the parish conversation) in the newsletter.  This information will also be made available on our website and social media. 

8.  The parish will gather through Zoom church chats to share feelings and discuss concerns about moving forward and to offer feedback on the proposed Parish Guidelines. 

9.  The feedback from the church chats will then be used to modify and update the Parish Guidelines.

10.  The Vestry will vote to approve the Parish Guidelines.
​
 Eventually
Based on the Diocesan and approved Parish Guidelines, along with government guidelines, we will begin to move forward in phases, as appropriate.

We are writing to notify you of changes we will be making to our worship, beginning this Sunday, in response to a Pastoral Directive we received from Bishop Fisher this past Monday.  In early March, when the global pandemic began to take root in the United States, local churches were encouraged to adapt their worship in a way that made most sense for their context.  Here at SsJA, we opted to live stream virtual communion each Sunday. As the weeks have unfolded, bishops and theologians across The Episcopal Church have had time to consider the thinking behind the varied approaches practiced at local churches.  With the benefit of this time and consideration, a consensus has arisen that virtual communion, the invitation for parish members to consume consecrated bread and wine at home, is “an experiment born of a pastoral longing to satisfy hungry hearts”, but is not consistent with  the liturgical traditions of The Episcopal Church. If you are interested in learning more about this thinking, we commend you to read “A Reflection on the Eucharist During the time of COVID-19” by Bishop Andrew Doyle of the Diocese of Texas.
 
In this week’s Directive, Bishop Fisher provided clergy with four options that can be practiced at local churches.  We discussed these options on Tuesday with the clergy and wardens and then in the evening with the Vestry. After hearing the wisdom of church leaders, we have decided to alternate between Morning Prayer and Holy Eucharist with Spiritual Communion over the course of each month.
 
For many who grew up in the Episcopal Church, Morning Prayer on Sunday mornings will feel a bit like welcoming a long lost friend.  Prior to the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, Morning Prayer was regularly a primary Sunday morning worship service.  However, for many of us this worship service will be altogether new.  To help us gain a better understanding of Morning Prayer, we will have an instructed version on Sunday, May 10th at 10 a.m. 
 
Holy Eucharist with Spiritual Communion is a service of the Eucharist without consumption of the  bread and wine; it involves participation in the Eucharist without partaking in communion itself, and the request to God to receive its graces in the heart. Prior to COVID-19, this has been a part of our tradition, especially in the Armed Forces. During the worship, at the moment we would normally distribute and receive the consecrated bread and wine, we will take a moment of silence and say together a modified version of a prayer in the Prayer Book for the Armed Forces:
 
In union, gracious God, with your faithful people at every altar of your Church where the Holy Eucharist is now being celebrated, we offer to you praise and thanksgiving. We remember your death, O Christ; we proclaim your resurrection; we await your coming in glory. Since we cannot receive you today in the Sacrament of your Body and Blood, we beseech you to come spiritually into our hearts. Cleanse and strengthen us with your grace, Lord Jesus, and let us never be separated from you. May we live in you, and you in us, in this life and in the life to come. Amen. 
 
This Sunday we will have our first Holy Eucharist with Spiritual Communion, and during the sermon we will discuss Episcopal eucharistic theology and our thinking behind our choice to adopt a rotation of Spiritual Communion and Morning Prayer. We ask that everyone join the clergy in this fast from the Eucharist, by abstaining from consuming bread and wine for communion. We do hope you will continue to create sacred space in your homes--light candles, print a picture of a meaningful icon, put some forsythia or tulips on your table as you prepare to join us for worship. 
 
No matter what worship service we feature on a given Sunday, you will still be able to find the links to Facebook Live, an electronic copy of the worship leaflet, virtual offertory plate, and virtual coffee hour on our website: www.saintsjamesandandrew.org  We will also continue to use the Sunday Lectionary readings each week. Another modification we will be making is to sometimes simplify the service by reducing the number of readings we feature from the lectionary each week.  When we do, we will be forgoing the second lesson, and have a lesson from the Hebrew scriptures, a psalm, and a gospel reading. 
 
Since this global pandemic erupted, many of us have been wondering when things might “go back to normal”. As we have lived nearly two months in these strange times, we have come to the realization that there will be no going back to normal.  Some parts of life before COVID-19 will not return.  We have grief to work through as we live into this new reality.  Some parts of life will be changed as a result of COVID-19.  For example, we have had numerous people who would never have walked through the front doors of our church who have joined us for online worship.  Even after we re-enter our building, we may want to continue streaming our worship services as another form of radical welcome, or for those who may feel unsafe to leave their home until there is a vaccine.  
 
On Tuesday, Governor Baker extended the stay at home advisory until May 18th, and Bishop Fisher extended the suspension of in person worship until May 18th, as well.  We wish we could give you a date for when we can be back together in person.  What we do know is it will not be right away, it will be a gradual process guided by instructions from the national church, our diocese, the CDC, and Governor Baker.  
 
We also want to thank you for doing your bit by staying home, washing your hands, wearing masks, sending in donations, supporting our mission and outreach, joining virtual coffee hours, bible study, online worship, and praying without ceasing. We have long known the church is not a building, but rather a people. Now more than ever, we are showing the world what it means to be the Church. 

We realize this is a lot to digest, and we want you to know our virtual doors are open. Please do not hesitate to give us a call or email us if you have questions or concerns. 
 
Peace,
Rev. Heather & Rev. Molly 

P.S. We also recommend reading Presiding Bishop Michael Curry’s Word to the Church: On Our Theology of Worship. ​

It all belongs to God.  In his book, Ask, Thank, Tell,  Charles R. Lane says, “We live by the gracious hand of God, not from our own accomplishments. God doesn’t give gifts, at least not in the way we use the word gift. When we use the word gift, we imply that one person has given something to someone else, who then owns that item and are free to do with it as they please. This is not the way it is with God and us. God continues to own everything. When we give a gift to someone, we understand that a transfer of ownership has occurred. We give up our claim to the gift and what the owner does with it is now in his/her control.

This isn’t the way it is with God and us. No such transfer of ownership occurs. God has created all that is and God continues to own all that is. Everything we have still belongs to God. We are given the privilege and responsibility to care for that which belongs to our heavenly Father.” 

The arrival of COVID-19 has meant that people cannot attend church—with services cancelled altogether. We have seen the creation of some innovative ministries that have adapted to the crisis. Zoom Bible studies, meetings, and coffee hours, Facebook live worship, take-out meals, all require resources to continue. For SsJA to keep supportIng people during this crisis, it will require us all to continue to give whatever we can. 

How can we pass the offering plate when people aren’t there to pass the plate?  

Here are the ways SsJA can receive our donations and pledges:

1. Mail in a check.  We have a person who comes in once a week to count and deposit checks received in the mail. 
2. Online Bill Pay.  Payments can easily be set up through your banking institution. This method gives your bank permission to send out a check to us for any amount you request. These payments can be automated to be sent out at regular intervals, weekly, bi-monthly monthly, etc., and can be stopped at any time.
3. Tithe.ly.  Electronic giving platform.  This option requires a Debit or Credit card. Go to our website at:  https://www.saintsjamesandandrew.org scroll to the bottom of the screen and click the GIVE button. Fill out the short pop up form, and please select “yes” to cover the processing fee. Once you have your form filled out, you can save it for future use by selecting the “remember me” option. These payments can also be scheduled for recurring automatic giving.  Here is what the form looks like: https://tithe.ly/give_new/www/#/tithely/give-one-time/79040
4. Text to Give. You can even use your phone! This option requires a Debit or Credit card. Add the Text to Give number into your phone contact list: (978) 525-0712. Click on send a message. Type the word Give into the message field and click send.  A link to Tithe.ly. will be sent back to you. Then simply fill out the Tithe.ly form.

Above all, in this strange and uncertain time, we need to keep being the Church. The most important thing we can do right now is to glorify God and to love our neighbors.

In the words of the Rev. Heather Blais, “Our doors may be closed, but we will keep being the Church in virtual and adaptive ways for as long as it takes--for worship, for mission, for everything.” 

Faithfully yours,
Di Kurkulonis, Stewardship Chair