There are some things that are fun to do in this time of staying at home. One is browsing other church websites to see what they are doing in their online worship and other programs. There is a large variety--from simple morning prayer or other daily office services led by a single person all the way to an elaborate mass with excellent music (recorded) and everything in between. Depending on local restrictions, these may take place in a priest's study, a living room with a home altar, or in a church or cathedral chancel. They may be streamed live, pre-recorded and scheduled for a later time, or a hybrid of both live and recorded. The simplest involve using a smart phone and just pushing a button to record "off the cuff." These can include some amusing moments--most often the appearance of the family pet. Others are quite intricate involving expensive equipment and editing technology, perhaps producing a video that includes clips of various parishioners doing readings or musical offerings in their homes and combining these with the rest of the liturgy. The creativity is quite amazing.

        I usually just pick churches I know of, go to their Facebook pages and look to see what is on offer. Of course, I have more than one purpose in mind--one is to take part in worship. But I am also looking for ideas and some sense of what is possible at the simple end of the spectrum that doesn't require thousands of dollars of equipment and skilled technicians to create and operate. For the human resources required to do a fancy production is as challenging as the hardware and software requirements!

      My online browsing is because if our re-opening plan proceeds as we hope, there will be another shift. We will have people continuing to worship online from home as well as those who will return to the church to worship in-person. So, how to do both of those things? If possible, both groups will be included in the same service rather than being split into separate services. I do not know yet if this will be possible--and, more important--if the result will be reasonably acceptable to both groups. I expect that there will be some experimentation as we go along, some tweaking and glitches. Just as we have experienced over the past three months. I am most grateful for the patience you have had thus far and am hopeful that you have a bit more for this next step.

      The plan right now is to Zoom again this Sunday from my home, but to move from Morning Prayer to Holy Eucharist with spiritual communion. Then, the next Sunday, we will do the same, except from the church. There will be no congregation that day, but Robin will join me at the piano, and I hope the lector and intercessor will also be there. At that point, I expect that in order to get that sense of being in the church, we will need to limit our gallery view of all our faces to specific points in the service. And, then, barring a spike in cases of the virus, we will go live in the church and online with Holy Eucharist with all of the safety protocols in place.

      The most important thing here is, of course, safety. So, no one should feel compelled to attend in-person if there is any doubt. And, certainly, anyone who is having symptoms should plan to stay home to protect the rest of us. Some of our signage has already been posted, supplies of sanitizing products are being stocked, training will be taking place, and within the week the plans and protocols will be released to everyone. We must be prepared to adjust as we go along and continue to focus on the positive aspects of coming back together to the extent that we are able.

      We will feel the loss of those things we cannot practice at present. We will, I'm certain, be grateful to be back in our holy space whether physically or virtually. In any case, our church is not the building. It is the community of faith, and we will continue to worship our God whose gifts and blessings are abundant. I can't wait!

See you on Zoom!

Gloria+

Wednesday Morning Study Group

Pentecost Season Worship

Wednesday morning services and Bible Study are also on Zoom each week. If you would like to add your name to any of these  participant lists, please e-mail the church office.

Ministry of Care

Here at Grace, The Ministry of Care has organized regular phone and e-mail contact with our most vulnerable members. If you are in need of assistance,or pick-up and delivery of prescriptions or emergency supplies, please contact Bonnielynn Kreiser.  Also contact her if you are able to help out. And, of course, your clergy are available by phone, text, and e-mail to provide pastoral care, 

Current list of needs for needy in Galena: 

Other Outreach News

During this COVID-19 pandemic, donations have  been made to the ARC for the childcare it is providing for children of essential workers and to the Hispanic Council, Galena Chapter for assistance to those in need. Like our other regular donations, the funds come from the portion of Endowment income allocated to the Outreach Ministries. Its budget, in addition to recurring local, regional, and international organizations, includes a portion that unables us to address unexpected crises and needs.