VOLUME 2, ISSUE 8 MARCH 20, 2020

The Fourth Sunday in Lent SCRIPTURE READINGS 1 Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 23 Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41 MORNING PRAYER SERVICE SUN. MARCH 22 - 10:00AM Facebook and YouTube Officiant: Bishop Rice

FOOD BANK 2nd-4th Wednesdays @ 2:30PM SUNDAY WORSHIP SUNDAYS @ 10:00AM Facebook and YouTube ALL ON-CAMPUS ACTIVITIES ARE SUSPENDED UNTIL APRIL 20 LENTEN EDUCATION SERIES WEDNESDAYS @ 7:00PM Zoom SERMON DISCUSSION HOSTED BY THE DEAN SUNDAY, MARCH 22 @ 11:00AM Zoom: Sermon Discussion ST. JAMES HANGOUT/COFFEE CHAT THURSDAY, MARCH 26 @ 5:00PM - 7:00pm Zoom: Hangout/Coffee Talk

IMPORTANT VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DEAN RYAN "We are not going to stop being St. James!"

OUR RESPONSE "TOGETHER" Suspension of public worship and activities will not stop Cathedral Life

Following on the Bishop's announcement on March 17th that all public worship and in-person gatherings are suspended until April 20th, St. James Cathedral has launched a "digital presence" that seeks to offer opportunities for the congregation to worship and pray together, to connect and support one another, and to be inspired and encouraged during this difficult period. As we navigate this unprecedented event, we may not be together under the same roof, but we will be TOGETHER as the family of God.

The Coronavirus Pandemic has forced us to temporarily move our Cathedral life into the digital realm. During this period, The St. James Together web page will be the "Cathedral", the center of our congregation, where we will be able to find doorways to gather and worship together, obtain and share key information and resources, deepen our connections with one another, and continue being the people that God is calling us to be.

St. James Together will be updated daily and will be built up over time. We encourage everyone to visit the site daily. As we begin to roll out our digital Cathedral, here are some noteworthy highlights.

WORSHIP St. James will offer Sunday worship each Sunday at 10:00AM on our Facebook page and YouTube channel. Archives of these services will be available on those sites as well as the St. James Together site. This Sunday, March 22, Bishop David Rice will lead the service. In the coming weeks, we hope to integrate music, lay readers, and multiple worship leaders--we are working out the technology. Also, as time and resources allow, we will offer additional digital worship services. Another vital aspect of our worship life will be connecting our congregation to the larger church. St. James Together will list links to various worship opportunities happening each day in the Episcopal Church.

EDUCATION Our Lenten Education series continues through Lent on Wednesdays at 7:00PM. The Lenten study is hosted on th e Zoom platform. The course is co-facilitated by the Deacons and looks ahead to the Eucharistic Gospel for Sunday. Each session will explore in-depth the lessons and their overall connection to the themes of Lent.

PASTORAL CARE The clergy and lay leadership of St. James will continue to be attentive to the pastoral needs of the congregation. We strongly encourage you to stay connected with us through social media, email, text, and by phone. If you or someone needs assistance and/or support, please contact us. Phone Tree Support Ministry St. James is looking for volunteers to act as key members to facilitate a phone tree ministry to help support and connect with our members whether it is to check-in with one another or in case of a pastoral emergency. This will be a vital ministry, especially for our members who do not have internet access. We are looking for a core group of people who will be responsible to reach out and engage other members. If you are interested please contact us. As the body of Christ, we are called to “bear one another’s burdens as we share in the ministry of the apostles’ teaching and fellowship.”  The sense of isolation can become quite pressing during a period of self-quarantine. If you, for any reason at all, need advice, counsel, and comfort of a member of the clergy, do not hesitate to contact any staff cleric by email or by phone (559) 439-5011.

FELLOWSHIP We are developing the best way to digitally connect small and large groups within the congregation. Some of the ideas include Sunday Coffee Hour, interest-based small groups, Bible studies, social meet-ups, and town halls. Below are some initial opportunities and stay tuned as we develop more opportunities to connect.

Sermon Discussion hosted by the Dean Sunday, March 22 at 11:00AM-12:00PM Following the 10:00AM Morning Prayer service led by Bishop David Rice, Dean Ryan will host a sermon discussion. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and join us for the conversation. Participate either through Zoom: Sermon Discussion or call-in (669) 900-6833 and enter the meeting ID 675-773-097.

St. James Hangout/Coffee Chat hosted by Meta Schettler Thursday, March 26 at 5:00PM-7:00PM Drop in anytime to join others with causal conversation and opportunity to connection. Participate either through Zoom: Hangout/Coffee Talk or call-in (669) 900-6833 and enter the meeting ID 578-498-297.

SUPPORTING THE CATHEDRAL Canceling public worship is going to have an economic impact on the Cathedral. As the world around us changes, our common life together will need to adapt. However during the suspension of public worship and activities, the Cathedral will continue to pay St. James employees and will still incur operational costs. In order to meet our financial obligations, we ask that you continue to be generous stewards of St. James, maintain your pledge and giving, as you are able. How do I maintain my pledge/giving if there are no gatherings? One of the best and easiest ways to maintain your pledge is to shift your giving method to either “Electronic Check” (ACH) or by credit card. Checks can still be mailed into the office. If you would like to take advantage of the electronic options, please email us office@stjamesfresno.org or by phone phone (559) 439-5011 and let us know whether preference is a recurring or one-time gift either through electronic check or credit card. Please include a phone number where you can be reached. A staff or clergyperson will contact you to setup payment; the entire process takes only a few minutes. Due to transactions fees, the preferred method is electronic check; however, we are also happy to accept credit cards. If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us.

FOOD BANK The Food Bank will remain operational and will strictly follow the CDC and County of Fresno Public Health guidelines as we continue to serve our neighbors. We cannot and will not abandon those who are most vulnerable, especially during this worldwide epidemic. The Food Bank Leadership with the Bishop, Cathedral Clergy, and Wardens will continue to monitor the situation and may need to adjust the operations. 2nd and 4th Wednesday @ 10:00AM - 4:00PM 3rd Wednesday @ 2:30PM - 4:30PM

THE COTTAGE SHOP The Cottage Shop will be closed until April 20. If you have donations, please hold them, if able, until the Cottage Shop reopens.

COMMUNICATIONS The clergy and staff of the Cathedral will continued to be available through email and phone. The best way to get a general message to the clergy and/or staff is to email office@stjamesfresno.org. Specific contact information for staff and clergy is also available in MYSJ. We encourage everyone to utilize MYSJ (Cathedral's Directory) to connect with other members of the congregation. If you need a tutorial/refresher on how to access and utilize MYSJ, please view the videos below.

GENERAL OPERATIONS The clergy, staff, and Chapter of St. James will continue to be available and serve the Cathedral Congregation. We have strongly encouraged the staff and clergy to work remotely whenever possible. The Cathedral office is not open to the public at this time.

FOOD BANK EXPANSION PLANNED Your support is needed to make this project a reality

Recently, the St. James Episcopal Cathedral Chapter approved the construction budget to move the Food Bank to a permanent location on campus, in the west wing of the former school building. While the chapter has approved expending some budgetary funds, we need your help to cover all expenses.    Fortunately, an anonymous donor has agreed to provide a matching grant of up to $10,000 for donations from members of our congregations towards this Food Bank move and renovation.     Won’t you help the Food Bank continue and improve its ministry to the 175 families who benefit from this program three times each month? We will be inviting the congregation to give to the project specifically at the next “Quarterly Food Bank Free-Will Offering” beginning on Sunday, March 1 and continuing for the entire month of March. Your contribution will then be doubled through the matching gift.    Please make your check payable to St. James Cathedral and write in the notation section “Food Bank Construction.” Let’s match this. If we are able to raise sufficient funds, the Food Bank will be into the new location within the next two months. Thank you!

The Food Bank serving the community on Wednesday, March 18th.

Buy Locally When Possible Did you know that the average item we purchase in the grocery store travels over 1200 miles to get to our dinner table? Buying items grown, produced and packaged locally cuts down the freight and reduces the pollution in the air our children breathe. (When the local farmers’ market opens, be a regular.)

BIBLE STUDY- THE BOOK OF REVELATION The next bible study meeting will be held after Easter. Look for more information in the coming weeks.

MEN'S GROUP Postponed until further notice. Thank you for your understanding.

BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS COMMITTEE The next meeting will be April 4th at 9:00AM and will held in a Zoom Conference. The conference link will be posted next week's Missive.

PRESERVATION COMMITTEE The next meeting will be April 5th at 11:30AM and will held in a Zoom Conference. The conference link will be posted next week's Missive.

Presiding Bishop preaches the simple power of soap and love Although Washington National Cathedral’s seats were empty on March 15, thousands of people attended its 11:15 Sunday service via livestream to virtually celebrate the Eucharist and hear a sermon from Presiding Bishop Michael Curry, who preached on the power of love in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic that has led to the suspension of in-person worship across The Episcopal Church.

The Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris, Rest in Peace The Rt. Rev. Alan M. Gates, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, has announced the death of the Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris, the first woman to be ordained and consecrated a bishop in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Anglicans in Italy experience coronavirus lockdown limbo The novel coronavirus and the disease caused by it (COVID-19) continues to spread around the world. As of March 3, the World Health Organization reported more than 90,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus in 74 countries, with 3,123 deaths caused by the virus. China remains the most affected country with more than 80,303 confirmed cases, followed by South Korea (4,812), Iran (2,336) and Italy (2,036).

Homeless, food-insecure families still served by churches Episcopal churches nationwide continue to operate homeless shelters, soup kitchens, food pantries and other outreach ministries, even as buildings begin to close to in-person worship and gatherings.

If you have any feedback, comments, or questions for the Midweek Missive Editors, please email us . Submissions to the Midweek Missive are welcomed and must be submitted to midweek@stjamesfresno.org by Tuesday at noon.

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