Thursday Update
April 16, 2020
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#alone together
Well we have just ended the lentiest Lent ever and the holiest of Holy Weeks. It was a journey that I will never forget. Our shared worship is very different looking but it is doing what it is intended to do – to join our voices in praise of God and in thanks for God’s great love and to connect us to each other with bonds of love that run deeply as the Holy Spirit is at work.
As we move into the 50 days of Easter many of us will be answering Bishop Megan’s invitation to read the Gospel of Matthew using
The Good Book Club website and materials. Below you will find links and our invitation to join in a virtual small group in this 50 day Gospel adventure. It will help us to deepen our understanding of scripture and engage us in thought and conversation about Jesus and being followers of Jesus.
We will continue to worship virtually until the time Bishop Megan provides new guidelines. We will continue to worship remotely because it is non-compliant for your clergy to leave home for non-essential activities (and streaming worship from Faith Church is a non-essential activity as comforting as it might seem to be in the moment). The diocesan communication and guidance has been wonderful through this challenging time.
Please be patient. It is harder to stay fully compliant as time goes on, but it is so important on many levels – protecting the most vulnerable and those most exposed to danger and ensuring sufficient capacity in our healthcare system. Stop. Breathe. Pray. And be safe.
God’s Peace,
Pastor Liz
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Do you need help accessing our Facebook Live Worship Services?
If so, please contact Monica Ness for assistance.
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Message from
Rev. Sonya Reichel
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You have not seen me for a while, but you may have “seen” me joining you in worship these past few weeks. You have been and remain very much on my mind. I carry you in my heart and continue to lift up your needs in daily prayer. It has been a challenging season for us as a global community, for us a Faith community, and for each of us personally. In the midst of all that whirls around us and within us, I am grateful for our Christian Traditions that offer us concrete ways to practice resurrection, to practice surrendering what is lost as we open ourselves to what comes to us. We breathe out; we breathe in. The Holy Spirit moves in us and among us, even when we are separated by some physical distance.
The first verse in Psalm 16 for this coming Sunday is: “Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you.” Our Buddhist sisters and brothers vow to take refuge in the “Three Jewels”: the Buddha, the Dharma (teaching), the Sangha (community). We Christians, through our Baptismal Covenant, similarly promise to take refuge in God, in the teachings of Christ, and in Community. It’s ironic that during this season of being “alone together,” I am more acutely aware of the refuge that is our Faith community. And I am more deeply grateful for simple kindnesses expressed in creative ways---toilet paper left on a doorstep, drive-by Easter greetings, love notes sent via text or email. As another verse from Psalm 16 says, “You show me the path of life.” The path of life includes the many ways we continue to express and receive love.
There is no power on earth, not even a pandemic, that can tarnish the “three jewels” we have been given: the unmerited and unshakeable love of God, the teachings of Christ, and the refuge of each other. So even as I miss being in your physical presence, I have never been more grateful for the gift that is you.
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TOWN HALL MEETING THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 19th AT 11 A.M.
Subject: Rector Transition UpdaterrEE
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Town Hall Meeting and Transition Update
by Cathy Daust
While the COVID-19 pandemic has each of us sheltering in place, it has also affected Faith's search for a new rector. The search process has been in a holding pattern while clergy and congregations across the country focused on ensuring worship happens each Sunday, shifting Holy Week plans and supporting each other, just like we have been doing at Faith. Even during all this, the Faith vestry has been working diligently with Canon Andrea McMillin to determine how our process can move forward.
We have made a change and the meeting will be held using ZOOM to better facilitate questions and answers. A link to the online meeting and more information will be in the Saturday email. You can join the meeting using video or voice only, either way, please join in!
If you have questions about how to use ZOOM to join our meeting, please contact Monica Ness at (530)391-5373 or via email at [email protected].
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Easter Offering Exceeds $7,500!
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Faith Church continues to be a generous community despite any possible economic changes due to the pandemic.
This year’s Easter Offering will go to the Faith Church Mission Fund and will be used to fund grants to a broad selection of groups and organizations. Just a few of the groups that have received Mission Grants include: Padre Francisco, The Upper room, Empty Bowls, RISE Against Hunger and a great many more.
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Please continue to give to our Operating Fund and our Capital Fund:
Mailing Address for Donations:
Faith Episcopal Church
PO Box 966
Shingle Springs, CA 95682
Online giving is easy to set up and you won't have to remember to send a check!
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A study for the Great 50 Days of Easter: The Gospel Of Matthew
Despite shelter in place orders, or Lenten study groups were a success! In fact, many groups are continuing into the Easter season. Please join us as we continue to study and journey forward as we are alone together.
We will be participating in The Good Book Club’s study of the Gospel of Matthew. Information about this study can be found at
www.goodbookclub.org
.
If you would like to participate in a study group, please contact Sarah Goodness at
[email protected]
and we will find you a group that you can meet with via video conferencing. This is a great opportunity for fellowship and formation, please join us!
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Nomadic Shelter - Food Donations Still Needed
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Please use the list provided here and consider gathering up supplies to donate for the homeless in our area.
Donations can be delivered to the
Upper Room
in Placerville anytime after Noon daily
until 5:30 PM
, however there will be less traffic before
4 PM
.
Please contact Sara Eldridge at (530) 919-7222 with questions or to coordinate food drop-off.
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SENIOR LUNCH BUNCH LIVE CONCERT
Wednesday, April 22nd at Noon
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Robert Green, one of our resident musicians, will be giving a concert to our community using Facebook Live. So get your lunch ready and just like usual, gather with your lunch bunch friends, eat, and enjoy the music. You do not need a Facebook Account to watch the video. The video link featured here is a song he wrote to lighten up in the wake of the pandemic.
Click the link below to go directly to our Facebook Video stream.
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ADDICTION AND RECOVERY SUPPORT
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Online resources for people in recovery
Isolation is perilous for people in recovery. We learn that our sobriety depends upon keeping connected to sober people, being accountable to others, being of service to others.
The Rev. Anne McKeever, Diocesan Recovery Facilitator has compiled resources that are still available during the "shut-down".
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If you or someone you know is in need of prayer, please email prayer requests to
[email protected]
.
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OFFICE HOURS
There are no established office hours during this time when the church is closed due to COVID-19 precautions. If you have any questions, please email the church at
[email protected].
PASTORAL SUPPORT
Pastor Liz Armstrong and Rev. Sonya are both available by email and phone to support you, but cannot make in-person visits at this time.
Liz Armstrong
(916) 201-3319
Sonya Reichel
CONTACT INFORMATION CHANGES
SHARE FOOD CLOSET
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