Volume 5, Issue 11
March 20, 2020
THIS SUNDAY: March 22, 2020
Fourth Sunday in Lent

8:00AM
CHURCH SERVICE CANCELLED
Service available online and via phone, see info below

9:30AM
CHURCH SERVICE CANCELLED
Service available online and via phone, see info below
UPCOMING EVENTS
Lenten Bible Study
"Walking with Jesus through Holy Week"
Monday, March 23 th
CANCELLED

Preschool Spring Break
Monday, March 16 th - Friday, March 27 th
EXTENDED ONE WEEK
7:15AM - 5:15PM
Sloggett Center

Ministry Council Meeting
Saturday, March 21 st
CANCELLED

IWC Meeting
Saturday, March 21 st
CANCELLED

One O`hana Habitat for Humanity
Saturday, March 21 st
CANCELLED

RECURRING EVENTS
ALL RECURRING EVENTS SUSPENDED UNTIL APRIL 1 ST
Sunday School
Every Sunday, 9:30 - 10:15AM
Memorial Hall

Aloha Hour
Every Sunday, 10:45AM - 12:00PM
Under the big tree

Monday Crew
Every Monday, 8:00AM
Church Office

Laundry Love
1 st & 3 rd Wednesday, 5:00PM
Kapa`a Laundromat
McMaster Slack Key Guitar and Ukulele Concert
Every Wednesday, 6:00PM
Church

Daughters of the King
2 nd & 4 th Thursday, 7:00 - 8:00PM
Memorial Hall

Choir Practice
Every Thursday, 6:00PM
Choir Room
All Saints' Response to COVID-19
ACCESSING SUNDAY SERVICES
Please be advised that Kahu Kawika and Fr. Andrew from St. Michael and All Angel's Church in Lihue are collaborating to provide a special joint service recording for this week’s worship service.

The recording will be available for viewing on our website,  www.allsaintskauai.org  by Sunday morning. 

Congregants will also have the option to listen to the recording by calling the church office, (808) 822-4267, and following the prompts provided through our new auto attendant feature.
USE OF CHURCH FACILITIES SUSPENDED UNTIL APRIL 1 ST
The use of the church sanctuary, Memorial Hall, Gym, and Sloggett Center by all church and outside groups has been suspended until April 1 st .
EXCERPT FROM THE SPECIAL EDITION OF
THE EPISTLE, MARCH 16 TH
Aloha oukou i Kristo,
 
I just got word from the Bishop that, in line with a number of other dioceses, he is cancelling physical gatherings for Sunday worship for the next two Sundays (March 22 nd  & 29 th ), with the hope that we can resume meeting together after March 31 st .
 
Ron, Cami, and I are working on a technical means for me to lead Morning Prayer for the following two Sundays that would allow for both purely audio access (via telephone) and combined online video and audio. We will let you know in due course how you can hook up to this.

In the meantime, let’s look out for one another and especially for our kupuna who may be house-bound. If you know of anyone who does not have email access, please let them know of these developments.

It goes without saying that the pastoral team and I are on call for pastoral issues. With the preschool on Spring Break, church office hours are Monday-Friday 8:30-12:30.

Ka Maluhia e ka Aloha o Akua,
Kahu Kawika+
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAHU KAWIKA
All Saints' `Ohana Celebrates
March 15, 2020
Thanks to Marge Akana for the photographs of the event.
Passing of the Baton: Nora Takenouchi Retires as Head of Altar Guild
Diane Sato and Lorna Nishi Accept position as co-chairs
After many years of dedicated service to All Saints', Nora Takenouchi is retiring as head of the Altar Guild. The All Saints' O`hana is grateful to Nora for all her years of leadership in a ministry so crucial to our Sunday worship. We are also grateful to Diane and Lorna for taking on this mantle of caring for the altar, the focus of our Sunday worship.

Thanks to Cami Baldovino for the photographs of the event.
New Labyrinth To Be Painted March 23 rd
Feedback Requested
The Labyrinth designer, Bob Vlach, will be painting the new labyrinth on Monday, March 23, weather permitting. Please take some time to stop by All Saints' and look at and walk the Labyrinth after it is painted, and please provide any feedback on size and location by Sunday, April 12. 

If there are no changes, construction will commence immediately thereafter.

-Ron Morinishi
Click here for the donation form.
Habitat For Humanity Work Day
DHHL Anahola Jobsite
CANCELLED FOR MARCH 21 ST
One ohana
One 'Ohana team,

In view of the precautions recommended by our our federal, state and local officials, we will be cancelling this month's Habitat workday (upcoming Saturday). I'll keep you informed regarding next month's schedule, but my guess is we may not be back in action until summertime. The picture above is from February in Anahola...In the meantime, stay healthy and safe! 

Mahalo, 

Ron
BISHOP SUSPENDS ALL WORSHIP & GATHERINGS IN OUR CHURCHES THROUGH MARCH 31, 2020

PLEASE GO TO THE DIOCESE'S CORONAVIRUS WEBPAGE FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES AND INFORMATION & STAY INFORMED
Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent - BLESS

March 22, 2020 – Lent 4
Drawing on the ancient practice of setting aside Lent as a period of study and preparation for living as a Christian disciple, we are pleased to present weekly teachings from  Life Transformed: The Way of Love in Lent . Learn more at  episcopalchurch.org/life-transformed .

READ Ezekiel 36:24-28

In the passage from Ezekiel, we see that God  blesses  the Israelites through the act of sprinkling them with clean water. This reading reminds us that we, too, are blessed by God through the waters of baptism. Some congregations practice asperging (the sprinkling of holy water on the people) in the Easter Vigil after the renewal of baptismal promises.

As noted, a major element in the ancient rite was turning from sin and renouncing the things that draw us from the love of God. We are called to renounce the idols we worship in place of God. Now, from our modern viewpoint, we might not think we worship idols; however, idols are not simply images of other gods. Rather, an idol is anything to which we assign ultimate value in our lives – those things we spend our time, talent, and treasure serving other than God. Our job, power, money, reputation, certain relationships, or anything that pulls on our heart more than God – these are idols.

While idols seem momentarily satisfying, they eventually harm our relationship with God and limit our capacity or willingness to live for others. Often, we cling to idols out of an attitude of scarcity; we desire what we think we do not have. When our hearts are focused on an idol, they are bound up and clenched shut like a heart of stone. Only when we turn to God will our hearts be opened so that we can, in turn, open our hearts in blessing to others. When we realize that there is enough of God’s love for us, we no longer cling to the idols of old that can never give us that sense of abundance. Once we are secure in that abundance, we will leap to bless others with our stories, our money, our time, and our hearts.

REFLECT:  Blessing  is necessarily relational, an affirmation of our belovedness as fellow children of God. Take a few minutes to consider what you have spent the most time, money, or worry on in the last week. What amount of attention or time do they take relative to resources spent in direct relationship with God? Did these things keep you from blessing others? Or are they a blessing?

Published by the Office of Communication of The Episcopal Church, 815 Second Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10017
© 2020 The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. All rights reserved.

FROM THE EPISCOPAL CAFÉ
Connected in Christ

March 17, 2020
It’s been an unsettling few weeks, to say the least. While my husband led worship on Sunday, I opted to stay home with my two children. Between the swirling news of covid-19 cases increasing by the day and worry for my neighbors with compromised immune systems, the kids and I are keeping close to home. With the number of churches already cancelling in person worship this past weekend we were not at a loss for an opportunity to worship from our living room. 

A little before 10 o’clock the kids and I cuddled on the couch with my laptop set on a coffee table in front of us. On the screen I recognized the familiar faces of friends leading worship states away in Milwaukee. The singers warmed up and the musicians practiced Amazing Grace. My kids grabbed their trains and books and kept playing with the music floating through our living room. 

Pastor David Dragseth of  Lake Park Lutheran Church  reflected on the varied and many rooms we all were in during the live stream of the service. At one time I could see that 100 people were watching. I tried to imagine the other families worshipping as I was: single parents, grandparents, college students home for an undetermined amount of time, those living alone, military, and so many more. I thought of all the feelings and emotions present: worry, fear, uncertainty, sadness. In my small living room in Central Missouri I felt connected to hundreds of people – bound by our shared desire to hear God’s word for us in these days and to give thanks for the body of Christ that transcends time and place. 

From my couch I sang along to familiar hymns, heard the Gospel, prayed, and gave thanks. My children watched at times and continued playing as well. But we were together. 

I don’t know what the next few days will bring, no one does, but I do know that I feel less alone even amid the call to remain at a distance from others. I see friends reaching out via phone, text, and letters. I see neighbors offering to pick up food for the elderly. I see families watching kids out of school. I see organizations providing food. I see prayers being shared, Bible studies hosted, and worship all taking place online. 

The news keeps hurling new information and guidelines by the hour, but the good news remains: God’s love is with us. The presence of Christ surrounds us and offers us light. The light is still shining; here’s to being that light for a world in need.

Kimberly Knowle-Zeller is an ordained ELCA pastor, mother of two, and spouse of an ELCA pastor. She lives with her family in Cole Camp, MO. You can read more at her  website  or follow her work on  Facebook .

THE EPISCOPAL NEWS SERVICE
Church Publishing offers Book of Common Prayer, other free resources for devotional use

Church Publishing Incorporated
Posted Mar 17, 2020
As congregations, families, and individuals seek to live faithfully in these uncertain times, Church Publishing Incorporated is working to support you. We are making available an easy-to-navigate PDF version of the  Book of Common Prayer , and other free resources for devotional use.

Click here  to access the PDF of the Book of Common Prayer.

Barbara Cawthorne Crafton, well-known author and retreat leader, offers  Living Lent , meditations on the hymns of the season. “I hope that you find yourself humming familiar tunes to yourself as you read, and that this condition persists for the rest of the day,” writes Crafton. Those who have known the hymns forever as well as those who are new to these verses will find them, and Crafton’s meditations on faith, prayer, forgiveness, healing and more, an excellent companion for these important seasons of the year.

Click here  to access Living Lent.

For children, Karin Holsinger Sherman offers  Candle Walk , a beautiful illustrated picture book that prepares children for sleep by taking them on a candlelit wander through the woods and inviting them to experience the Compline, a centuries-old practice of contemplative evening prayer. Appropriate for toddlers through elementary aged children,  Candle Walk  is a wonderful way to prepare children for sleep, assured of the nearness of God. The Order of Compline from The Book of Common Prayer is also included at the back of the book.

Click here  to access Candle Walk.

We are thankful to both authors for helping us to share their books digitally, and hope you will support them.

These free resources are available until April 15, 2020. Please visit  www.churchpublishing.org  to learn more and for a full list of resources.

Founded in 1918 and headquartered in New York City, Church Publishing Incorporated is the publisher of official worship materials, books, music, and digital ministry resources for the Episcopal Church, in addition to being a multifaceted publisher and supplier to the broader ecumenical marketplace.

 THE EPISCOPAL NEWS SERVICE
Habits of Grace: An invitation for you, from Presiding Bishop Curry

Episcopal Church Office of Public Affairs
Posted Mar 16, 2020
As we learn how to adjust our lives given the reality of the coronavirus and the request to do our part to slow its spread by practicing social distancing, I invite you to join me each week to take a moment to cultivate a ‘habit of grace.’  A new video meditation will be posted on Mondays  through May.


March 16, 2020: Habits of Grace

Hello. Last week while we were all planning and trying to reorder our lives and adapt to the new reality that we are in, I was texting back and forth with the Reverend Gay Clark Jennings, president of the House of Deputies, as we often do. And in the course of our texts back and forth, she asked, “Have you ever thought about maybe doing a short meditation each week for the church while we’re in these days of the coronavirus?” I texted her back and said, “That’s a good idea.” And so this week we began what I think will be a weekly short meditation. Just a word or a song, not sung by me, but a song, a poem, a prayer. Just something for the week in which we are living.

I keep a prayer list on my cell phone in the little note section of the iPad and I’ve noticed that that list is increasing. But the reality is while I often always say my prayer time early in the morning, there’s more time even during the rest of the day now. And so maybe the habit of prayer can increase a bit for me and maybe for us.

One of the things that I’m aware of is that consistent habits, what some have called habits of grace, can really be helpful especially in unsettling times. I was watching television and saw where in Milan and throughout Italy apparently, a movement has begun. Apparently at six o’clock every evening everyone who is in their apartment is socializing by coming out on the porch and at six o’clock they begin to applaud. They just start clapping. And everyone claps and applauds as a way of saying thank you to the medical folk who are working, the first responders who are working. Just a way of saying thank you. And then the applause moves into or morphs into a song. And they sometimes sing their national anthem or sing some other song, every day at six. A habit of grace. A way of centering the day. Whatever way you do it, find and keep that habit of grace or those habits of grace that center the day. Tomorrow, Tuesday, will be St. Patrick’s Day. There won’t be a parade, but maybe we can say a prayer attributed to St. Patrick.

“I arise today through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Holy Trinity. Through belief in the three-ness, through confession of the oneness, the creator of all creation. So Christ be with me. Christ before me. Christ behind me. Christ within me. Christ beneath me. Christ above me. Christ on my right. Christ on my left. Christ when I lie down. Christ when I sit up. Christ when I arise. Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me. Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me. Christ in the eye of everyone who sees me. Christ in every ear that hears me. Christ in the heart of friend and stranger.” *

God bless you. God keep you. And may God hold us all in those almighty hands of love.”


*Used with permission of  Our Catholic Prayers.com . Find the complete prayer  here .
Anglican doctor helping to lead international fight against Covid-19 as churches take precautions

Posted on: March 17, 2020
Dr. Ian Smith

A former missionary who previously worked as a senior advisor at the World Health Organisation has been called back into service following the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr Ian Smith previously served as Executive Director of the Office of the Director- General and Advisor to the two previous Director-Generals, of the WHO, Dr Margaret Chan and Dr Lee Jong-wook; and is now serving as a senior advisor to the current Director-General, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Dr Smith lives with his wife Sally in the Yorkshire Dales’ village of Arncliffe, where they worship in the parish of Upper Wharfedale and Littondale. Dr Smith is a bell ringer and his wife Sally is a sides person. 

Before moving to Geneva in 1999, the couple worked in Nepal for 16 years as medical missionaries with the Baptist Missionary Society and the United Mission to Nepal. When they returned to Europe, they worshipped at the Crossroads Church, an independent evangelical church in Ferney, close to the French-Swiss border. When they returned to the UK, Sally Smith took up a position as Advisor on Faith and Religion for UNAIDS.

Speaking to the  Anglican Communion News Service , Ian Smith stressed that it was important for people not to panic about the virus, which was reclassified by the WHO has a pandemic last week. “Many people are deeply alarmed by the rapid spread of COVID-19”, he said. “The outbreak of disease has caused a pandemic of fear and panic. But we must not spread fear, stigma and misinformation.

"We must stop, contain, control, delay and reduce the impact of this virus at every opportunity. Every person has the capacity to contribute, to protect themselves, to protect others, whether in the home, the community, the healthcare system, the workplace or the transport system.”

COVID-19 is a new virus that first emerged in China in January. Since then, it has spread to over 100 countries around the world. “More than 125,000 people have been infected, and nearly 5,000 people have sadly died”, Dr Smith said. “The virus causes fever, cough and breathlessness, and spreads in droplets produced by someone with the disease when they cough or sneeze. Those droplets land on surfaces and the virus can then get picked up when someone touches the surface and transfers the virus to their mouth and face on their hands.

“Fortunately, most people infected with COVID-19 – about 80 per cent – have a relatively mild disease, but some people get a more severe form and need to be hospitalised. Those at greatest risk of serious illness or even death, are the elderly and those with other illnesses, such as heart disease, cancer and diabetes.”

He said that people can protect themselves and others by following a series of simple measures: “keeping a one metre distance from other people; practicing ‘no contact’ greetings, such as a bow or a nod rather than hugging or shaking hands; washing your hands frequently and using hand sanitiser; avoiding touching your face, nose and mouth; and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.”

Anglican provinces have issued guidance for their churches which takes into account the international guidance and the local situation in their countries and regions.

In  a blog  for the  Anglican Communion News Service  this week, the Primate of Hong Kong, Archbishop Paul Kwong, explained that Churches in his province have not held public worship services in mid February.

The Archbishops of Canterbury and York, Justin Welby and John Sentamu, have advised Church of England clergy to avoid physical contact, such as the shaking of hands during the sharing of the peace, and have said that the Eucharist should be distributed in one kind only, to avoid the sharing of a common cup; bringing the C of E into line with the other three Anglican Churches within the UK and Ireland.

The Presiding Bishop of the US-based Episcopal Church, Michael Curry, said that diocesan bishops “have my support . . . if, in light of the public health situation in their diocese, they decide – for a designated period of time – to suspend the administration of the common cup to the congregation in the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist, and/or to cancel in-person gatherings for public worship.”

The Bishop of Washington, Mariann Budde, has instructed churches in her diocese – including the Washington National Cathedral – to suspend services for two weeks. “As your bishop, my highest priority is the health, safety and well-being of our people, with particular concern for the most vulnerable”, Bishop Mariann said. “It is also our collective responsibility as Christians to be good neighbours, and to do our part to protect the social fabric upon which many lives depend.”

The Palestinian Authority has closed all schools in its area, affecting the education ministry of the Diocese of Jerusalem. St George’s School in Jerusalem is under Israeli control but has also had to close because many of its teachers come from Palestinian areas and face travel restrictions imposed by both the Palestinian Authority and the State of Israel. Israeli restrictions on international visitors means that St George’s Guesthouse is facing cancellations; and St George's College has cancelled courses until at least Easter. The  Princess Basma Centre for children with disabilities  has also partially closed.

“It is my prayer that with the coming of Easter next month, in view of the current crisis, our commemoration of Christ's resurrection will have an even greater meaning, thanks to the Grace of God and to your continuing prayers and support”, the Anglican Archbishop in Jerusalem, Suheil Dawani, said in  a letter to international supporters.

Staff at the Anglican Communion Office are taking steps to combat the spread of the virus, including limiting international travel and greater use of technology for virtual meetings.
Archbishop of Canterbury will lead first national virtual Church of England service

Posted March 19, 2020
[Church of England] Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will lead a national broadcast as the Church of England responds to the challenge of becoming a “different sort of church” in the face of the coronavirus crisis.

The service including prayers, hymns and a short sermon will be broadcast online by the Church of England and broadcast across 39 local BBC radio stations on March 22 as congregations across the country find new ways of sharing worship together after public church services were put on hold.

NO SUNDAY SCHOOL THIS WEEK
Lesson for Sunday, March 22
The Transfiguration
On a trip to a high mountain, the disciples suddenly see Jesus “transfigured,” changed from a person who is special but solely human to a clear and unmistakable incarnation of God.

As they try to deal with this revelation, God interrupts their distracted activity by saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved... Listen to him!”

We call this  the transfiguration of Jesu s, as if Jesus has been changed and suddenly becomes God. But this gospel is written from the disciples’ point of view. Jesus is not transformed. The change is not a change in Jesus. The change is in his disciples. They are now ready to see him as he is, in his glory. Jesus is thus transformed, not by becoming who he is but by  showing  to his disciples who he in fact is and always was. They just hadn’t seen him before. Jesus has opened their eyes.

And so we move closer to salvation as we begin to see God in Jesus. Jesus allows us to see him so that we can be drawn into him. But we need to be ready to see him by turning toward him. The disciples did this by going to a mountaintop to be alone with Jesus. Though sometimes divine revelation comes unexpectedly and on God’s initiative, we can be ready to receive it—by praying and by allowing ourselves to be alone and vulnerable and open to God’s presence.

When confronted with the divine presence in all its glory, we can feel frightened and lost. Notice how nervous Peter becomes. He needs to do something! He looks for tasks to keep himself busy. But soon God stills him, and the others, with this command, “This is my Son, the Beloved... Listen to him!”

Do we sometimes, like the disciples, let our own busy lives interfere with being open to God’s presence and God’s Spirit? Do we sometimes even purposely fill our lives with things to do in order to avoid encountering the Divine? Perhaps it would do well for us to take a few minutes from time to time for open reflection and contemplation—and let God enter into our hearts and our minds so we too can “listen to him.”
Faith in a time of COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

Posted March 18, 2020
Every part of the Communion is now responding at some level to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic. Some provinces have been dealing with the situation for longer and there are important lessons to learn from their pastoral and practical responses that promote public health, sustain a sense of community and build hope. Above all, it is time to recognise ourselves as the Body of Christ, to support one another and to reflect God’s concern for all people, especially the most vulnerable.

The Church of England, in response to government advice, has now put public worship on hold to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. In a message to the Church of England, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York said: “Our life is going to be less characterised by attendance at church on Sunday, and more characterised by the prayer and service we offer each day…. We urge you sisters and brothers to become a different sort of church in these coming months: hopeful and rooted in the offering of prayer and praise and overflowing in service to the world….Then by our service, and by our love, Jesus Christ will be made known, and the hope of the gospel – a hope that can counter fear and isolation – will spread across our land.” The Archbishops are also calling for a Day of Prayer and Action on Mothering Sunday (22 March).

The Anglican Alliance is working intensively across the Communion to learn from effective church responses and share guidelines and resources on COVID-19. At the same time we remain working on other issues – disease, conflict, climate change and poverty – which continue to afflict many communities, who will be rendered even more vulnerable by this pandemic. This is the first of our COVID-19 updates, with links to some key resources and examples from different provinces. Each country situation is different and churches need to follow their own government’s guidelines. The examples and resources that we share from around the Communion must therefore be adapted to each context.

Global consultation

On Monday March 16th the Anglican Alliance convened an online global consultation to draw together the lessons learned so far from how Anglicans are responding to COVID-19 across the Communion. Participants included church leaders, representatives of Anglican development agencies, health and legal experts and came from almost every region of the Communion. Here we share the key learnings and some examples of best practice from the call. We are also building up a repository of resources, bible studies, etc. that can be adapted for different contexts, so that we can learn from one another. We will post a link shortly.

Revd. Canon Rachel Carnegie, Executive Director of the Anglican Alliance, started the call by reminding everyone that whilst we are in a very difficult time, the world and the Church have faced very difficult times in the past – and come through them. It is therefore important that we face this current situation with hope, that we encourage one another, learn from one another and, especially, that we have special care for those already most at risk in our communities. God is with us, for “nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)

What can the Church do?

From the Church’s experience of responding to other emergency and epidemic situations, we know that there are three key roles the Church can play in such times to promote preparedness and resilience:

  • To give hope and combat fear with accurate information and encouragement through our faith.
  • To keep the worshipping and wider community connected, if necessary via messages, phone and online, in case of quarantine and disruption.
  • To show God’s compassion and care to those affected in our communities, remembering that those already most vulnerable will be most affected.

As the Church, we are called to be a voice of calm and reassurance, affirming that God is with us.

Prevention and Care in and through Churches

Through case studies from the Church of England, the Diocese of Singapore and the Anglican Health Network some key learnings were identified for churches to support prevention of infection and care of the vulnerable in and through churches. These inputs came from Revd Gina Radford, a priest and adviser on COVID-19 to the Church of England and formerly UK government deputy chief medical officer, from Ven. Wong Tak Meng, chair of the COVID-19 Diocesan Task Force in Singapore, and from Bishop Michael Beasley, Chair of the Anglican Health Network and formerly an epidemiologist. With further contributions by other participants from around the Communion, the following lessons were highlighted:

General response

  • Build hope and sustain the connections of community.
  • Follow government and provincial / diocesan guidelines in each context. (See here an example from the Church of England)
  • Create a COVID-19 Task Force at provincial and diocesan levels. It can include church leaders (ordained and lay, male and female), public health, legal and communication experts, youth leaders, etc. so it brings together a range of skills and perspectives.
  • Communicate factual information in line with the government’s public health messages and counter misinformation.

Response within the Church

  • Put in clear hygiene and behavioural measures for prevention of infection within services.
  • Maintain worship life and parish connections virtually, through different means, when congregations are not able to gather.
  • Live-stream or record services for parishioners who are self-isolating and if services are suspended.
  • Coordinate pastoral and spiritual care to those church members self-isolating and support for those self-isolating in the wider community, by keeping in touch online, via phone, local radio, through messages, etc. We can maintain ‘physical distance’ while being socially and spiritually close.
  • Support all parishes to develop an Action Plan for their preparedness and response.
  • Develop Ministry Continuity Plans, in case any clergy or key church officers are unwell.
  • Create public information resources: letters, news-sheets, videos, web pages and other resources – e.g. on precautions in worship, a spiritual message from church leaders, etc.
  • Build hope and address people’s fears and emotions at this time, using biblical and spiritual resources. (Examples of Bible studies and prayers will be uploaded shortly on this website.)
  • Send out service & prayer sheets so that parishioners can join in at home at the same time each day.

Response within the wider community

  • Maintain practical care, through safe measures, for the most vulnerable, e.g. the homeless, for whom meals can be served instead as ‘take-aways’ available outside the church.
  • Remember those made more vulnerable through the situation, including those losing income and social support.
  • Support government initiatives on ‘circuit breaking’, closing down all or specific parts of society to slow new infection rates.
  • Encourage health workers who are carrying the greatest strain in this pandemic. Offer prayer, pastoral care and strong public appreciation.
  • Build community preparedness and resilience, identifying the people, skills, assets and resources in a community to prepare for the situation potentially becoming more serious – and to build community resilience for a swift and effective recovery once the pandemic has passed.

Reflecting on ourselves as one global human family

There can be a tendency at times of pandemics for nations to close in and protect themselves, but we also need to reach out globally to others, to share learning and resources and encourage one another. We are one human family in one shared home. This time has shown how inter-related and inter-dependent we are. As a global Communion we belong to the Body of Christ, continuing to share in each’s others hopes and suffering, and to support one another in prayer and action. The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Most Revd Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, has written to all provinces saying: “As we all as nations, churches, and individuals respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, I wish to express heartfelt prayers for all of you as you act and serve as ministry leaders, citizens, and children of God connected to one another.”

The Anglican Alliance will continue to convene regional and global consultations to build our common learning of best practice in church responses to COVID-19. We will document this on our website and share links to resources. Above all, we commit to sustaining community at all levels and to building hope – “for nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:39)
Excerpted from Anglican Alliance. Read the complete article here .
IN BRIEF . . .
These news briefs were featured in previous issues of "The Epistle"

Please submit your story ideas to the Epistle Staff at news@allsaintskauai.org .
ALL SAINTS' SERVICE BULLETINS AVAILABLE ONLINE
Go to allsaintskauai.org , the last link under "Worship Services" is "Download E-Programs". Click on that link to download the current service bulletin.

RIDES OFFERED TO BOTH SUNDAY SERVICES
If you need a ride to and from church call Chris Wataya at 808-652-0230.

ALL SAINTS' VIRTUAL SWAP MEET
If any ministry has an unmet need, reach out to put it in the All Saints' Virtual Swap Meet and it will be published in the Epistle . Contact Bill Caldwell at news@allsaintskauai.org .

LAUNDRY LOVE VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS
For more information go to Laundry Love Kaua`i or contact Geoff Shields at gshields2334@gmail.com .

PASTORAL CARE CONTACT INFORMATION
Whenever you have a need for support, please call (650) 691-8104 and leave a voice mail. The system will immediately forward the information to the Pastoral Care Committee who will respond to each request. If you prefer, you may send an electronic pastoral care request via email to pastoralcare@allsaintskauai.org .

PRAYER CHAIN MINISTRY
Individuals who want to participate in the Prayer Chain Ministry must re-enroll to continue receiving the email communications . To re-enroll, please visit the newly established   Pastoral Care web page  or contact the Church Office at (808) 822-4267.

SUBMITTING A PRAYER REQUEST
Prayer requests will now be   submitted online   or by contacting the Church Office at (808) 822-4267.

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Names can be added to the Prayers of the People petitions by using the  Prayer Chain Request form  or by contacting the Church Office at (808) 822-4267. Names will remain in the Prayers of the People for a maximum of four Sundays before a name must be resubmitted.

HOME COMMUNION FOR SICK AND SHUT-INS
All Saints' Eucharistic Visitors are available each Sunday (pending availability) to bring Communion to those who are sick or shut-in. Requests for a Eucharistic visitation can be made by calling the Church Office at (808) 822-4267 or emailing homecommunion@allsaintskauai.org .