Dear friends in Christ, 

What are you doing this weekend? This is a question often asked in our regular conversations. While we remain vigilant of Covid-19, the gift of a vaccine and loosening restrictions permits us to “do” more. We may seek an escape and a retreat or to engage in activities we have not been able to do in more than a year. 

Our desire to get away and seek a respite from this past year and from our daily necessities is real and sincere. Jesus and the disciples sought to go off to a secluded place to refresh. 

“Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. – Mark 6:30-31

How often have you related to this feeling the disciples expressed? We do need to get away and seek a time to reflect, pray, and rejuvenate. For this is what we truly seek and need, correct? 

However, I often read this passage from the perspective of the crowd. The crowd which so desperately sought the disciples and followed them over a great distance and found where they were hiding. This is a crowd who desired to even touch the fringe of Jesus’ robe. This is the level of faith and how they saw how much they desired and needed Christ! 

Yes, we need our time away as we are able to take it. We are also asked to keep central our innermost need to trust and keep the foundation of our lives on Christ. What does it look like to follow Christ with the fervent prayers and need that the disciples displayed in this coming week’s Gospel? 

What are you doing this weekend? With all that we “do,” whether retreating away or resuming our daily routines, we are called to recognize our need for Jesus, for Christ, in all that we do and need. 

I look forward to seeing you in person and online this weekend!

Faithfully yours, 

We are happy to announce our in-person services no longer require pre-registration. Masks are still required for everyone two and older, but all other restrictions have been lifted. We do ask that if you are feeling ill to please stay home and follow along with our online services, which can be found at the links below.

@ 6:00 p.m. – Taizé Service

@ 8:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite I

@ 10:00 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite II

@ 9:00 p.m. – Compline with St. Phoebe's (via Zoom)

@ 9:30 a.m. – Holy Eucharist: Rite II (in-person only)

Note: When joining any of our Zoom meetings, please make sure your name is displayed.

2nd Note: If any of the service links above don't work, check our website for updated links.

Note the 3rd: All of our services are also available on our Facebook page.

We are in search of old-fashioned lanterns, suitcases, and trunks to use for our VBS week. They will only be used as set dressing and not handled by any children. If you have any you would like to loan to us for the week, please contact Amy by this Wednesday, July 21st.

Contact: Amy Dutton (amy@standrews.net)

The daily average number of cases per 100,000 in Fairfax County is 2.4 and the surrounding areas are showing similar metrics. 76% (64% of total) of Fairfax County residents have received at least 1 dose of the vaccine and 67.5 (55.9% of total) of Fairfax County residents are fully vaccinated. While we have seen a slight uptick, these health metrics are still very good! 

Our practices in worship are to remain in face masks while we are a gathering of unknown vaccination status. All other restrictions have been lifted. While at the church, if you are in a gathering of unknown or not fully vaccinated status, we ask for you to remain in a mask. Given we will not require vaccination as a pre-requisite for worship, we will continue to have masks in that setting. Our nursery and pre-k care during services will continue to follow precautions set in place by the Department of Education and we are grateful for the advice and guidance we have received from our Preschool staff! 

As you travel this year and as other colds and viruses begin to circulate, we ask that you make the more cautious choice when deciding on whether to attend worship. Our worship services will remain online and we are grateful for that ministry! 

Please continue to pray for the Covid-19 pandemic especially in areas of our nation and world which continue to struggle.

Childcare is now available during our 10:00 a.m. Sunday services. The two classes that are open are the Nursery (ages 1-3) and the Pre-K class (ages 3-5). Pre-registration is not required, but children will need to be signed in when dropped off at their classroom.

All children over the age of two must wear a mask while inside. When the weather is good, the Pre-K class and older Nursery children may go outside to play on the playground. Children do not need to wear their masks outside, but send them with anything they may need to wear while outside.

In order to provide this to all of our young families, we will need help staffing the classrooms. We need at least one volunteer to help each of our teachers every week. Volunteers must be 16 years or older, fully vaccinated, and wear a mask. 

Thank you all, and we hope to see a lot of you in the coming weeks.

Contact: Emily Nein (emily@standrews.net)

Contact: Michelle Ramsdell (michelle@standrews.net)

Please keep these members of our community in your prayers: 

Contact: Deborah England (prayer@standrews.net)