ADOTS Weekly Special Update
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The Week after Trinity Sunday
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A weekly roundup of information, updates, and recommended ministry resources.
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Don't Let the Masks Stop You!
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As well as being a priest in the local church, I am also a chaplain at my local homeless services center. Even though I have worked in the field before, there are still mental barriers to push through to connect with other people.
Since the COVID-19 crisis, face masks and shields are necessary and mandatory. At times it feels like a huge psychological hurdle: It magnifies the sense of separation and barrier between you and the other person. This is true as well while interacting with parishioners at the local church… a handshake or a hug is so natural; the COVID-19 crisis has changed that, at least for the time.
What I am finding is that I must focus harder on clearer communication with others. With the extra gear on, people can’t read my body language as easily, so I must articulate as I communicate.
Be mindful and attentive in the communication process, given the extra barriers.
This requires slowing down and taking more time for communication; don’t be in a rush.
Ask questions, ask people to repeat themselves, and be willing to do the same for clearer communication.
It took several days of wearing protective gear to push through the psychological hurdles of separation I felt as I checked in and communicated with people on the street. The extra barriers can easily discourage you from wanting to do ministry, but there are rewards when you push through.
Fr. Dale Hall is a pastor at Mission Cleveland, TN and minister to the homeless of Chattanooga as chaplain for the Chattanooga Rescue Mission.
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Digital Ministry Mini-Course by William Glass
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Prepared by Rachel Moorman and William Glass
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Many of our congregations are now finding ways to gather again in person. So why is it important to master the tools for digital ministry now?
In his conversations with other pastors and parishioners, Fr. William Glass, Executive Pastor of Mission Chattanooga, estimates that – for various reasons – possibly a quarter of parishioners won’t return to physical church right now. He’s heard the struggles church leaders are having with online ministry and says they may be surprised how much longer they’ll need to continue to reach out virtually to this portion of our congregations.
- What is the Digital Mission Field and how do churches engage it?
- Why does “digital transformation” matter now?
- How are even digitally fluent pastors struggling with digital media, and what are the solutions?
- How can church leaders avoid burnout while managing both digital and physical services or ministries?
Fr. William has also created an
eBook on Digital Ministry — made available here for free through Anglican Compass — and in his accompanying article offers churches tips on understanding and thriving in the digital realm.
“For many of us, this is an unwanted hassle, something we would never have begun to do if not for being forced into it by COVID–19,” Fr. William writes in his Anglican Compass article. “But, just like the exile into Babylon, this can be a crisis God uses to bring the church into a whole new era of fruitfulness and faithfulness.”
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What Does the Bible Say About Justice?
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Collin Ross, Rector of Redeemer, Dacula, Georgia, has created a discipleship video and written post about the biblical view of justice.
"Talk of justice has probably flooded your social media feed, your leadership meetings, and your dinner tables. But 'justice' is one of those words so easily spoken, yet so often misunderstood; and as is often the case, how we source our definition will determine how we move forward. As a community of Jesus, we must derive our definition of 'justice' from the same Bible that also defines for us “love,” “faith,” and “peace.” In this vein, I offer five points to help create a biblical framework for justice that can offer a solid foundation for us as we pursue an end to racism in our hearts and communities."
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Shaking Hands with True Worship
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This past week I did something I had not done in a long, long time — seven weeks to be exact. I shook hands. The way it came about, the son of a former church member — a micro-biologist no less — was up for a visit and stuck out his hand, and I responded in kind.
I felt as if I had done something immoral or illegal. I looked around for the germ Gestapo to pounce and carry me away. Even so, there was something good and right about this act, even if I did dutifully spray my hands with 70 percent alcohol before eating or touching my face. Why might something so simple and once so common as a handshake feel good and right? I think the short answer is: God made us this way. We are incarnate beings and were created for incarnate encounters.
Virtual reality has certainly been wonderfully helpful during the coronavirus crisis. People have been able to stay safe and connected. During Lent and Easter-tide, we at St. Luke’s have been able to join together weekly, not only with those in our parish area who are not able to get out but with people around the world. Some are old friends now living elsewhere but many others are new friends.
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On Gafcon Sunday we will be celebrating 12 years of faithful Gospel ministry since the first Global Anglican Future Conference was held in Jerusalem. This year we are seeking to reach US$100,000 in donations to support our ongoing work.
We are asking churches to celebrate Gafcon on Sunday 28th June by praising God for his faithfulness over the last 12 years and by making a special donation to the work of Gafcon.
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Cathedral Guide to Video Streaming
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Live-streamed video of Sunday Worship can be a powerful way to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world. It serves several groups in a way not possible otherwise: members who are home-bound due to age or illness, seekers who can now preview worship as they search for a church home, and more recently to entire congregations forced to end weekly meetings for worship during the pandemic.
Is it something my church should begin? How do we even start?
Mr. Reed has a degree in Telecommunications Engineering and 15 years’ experience designing, operating, and maintaining communication, video teleconferencing, and presentation systems. A member of Holy Cross Anglican Cathedral, he recently designed and installed the streaming system at Holy Cross and continues to operate it, while currently training others as operators.
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Please Share: Daily Prayer Live!
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Morning, Noonday, and Compline
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Archbishop Beach asked us to provide live Daily Office prayer!
The clergy of ADOTS and Holy Cross Cathedral have come together to create a live Daily Office format for:
Weekly Hymn Sing! Every Wednesday at 2pm with Chris Sieggen of St. Thomas, Athens, Georgia.
Liturgy
We're using the liturgy at
https://www.dailyoffice2019.com/ so that everyone can follow along each day. This website updates the prayer services of the daily office each day, so its all there!
Please Share
With so many people looking for connection, this is a great resource to share with all your friends on any social media platform. You can share the link fb.com/adotsDailyPrayer anywhere, Twitter, Facebook, Email, Instagram! Your friends and family don't have to be on Facebook to watch the videos. and join us in prayer.
You can also share on your church's public pages!
Comment
Whenever you join us, please add a comment to show us you are present, to encourage others,, to add a prayer request, or to give a thanksgiving.
See you there!
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Prayers for Such a Time as This
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We have compiled and adapted prayers from the Book of Common Prayer 2019 to include in online parish services and for home worship. Some prayers have been adjusted from the BCP 2019 to reflect the current coronavirus situation. We have included the prayer number and page numbers so you can easily find them in your own BCP 2019. You can download and print this resource as a PDF by clicking the link below.
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Send us Your Stories of God's Grace in this Time
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We would love to share the stories of God's work through and among his people. Please email us at
news@adots.org so that Rachel can help you share these stories of God working even in difficult times.
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Check out our website for more...
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