Over the last couple of weeks, I have had several people say that they have heard that we are reopening or asking when we might be opening again. I can tell you that the Vestry, Lucy, Pam, and I have been in discussions about when and how we might reopen. We have not determined an opening date yet. 

 

Just this week, Bishop Reed sent a note giving guidelines for the next phase of reopening for churches. That has spurred some to wonder what is going on here at St. John’s. In fact, one member said they were very frustrated because of how stores and restaurants can be open, but we are not. Some blame it on the politicization of the virus.

 

I want to assure you that the reason we are not planning on reopening yet is because our diocesan guidelines or protocols say that the positivity rate needs to be decreasing for 14 consecutive days. Since June, the positivity rate in Comal County has been increasing, and as of August 19, it was 16.27%. It will decrease for a few days and then increase again, without the 14 day continual reduction we need to see.

 

Vestry leaders are concerned with this high positivity rate, as schools opening will likely result in another increase. There is a concern that the people who lead our worship on Sundays (Ripp, Lucy, Lay Reader, Altar Guild member, Tish, a vocalist who is Bill most weeks, and Ian on technology) would be affected. Further, we would need volunteers to manage in-person worship, which could impact their lives negatively. Some schools are reportedly closing already. There is an overall feeling that we need to wait until the September Vestry meeting before making any determination about the possibility of reopening.

 

Please know that no one is happy in our current state. We all want to be able to come to the church to worship. I want you here, and being a televangelist is for the birds. But at the end of the day, the safety of all people is our number one priority. This situation reminds me that even though we cannot gather, our faith, God’s love, our ability to worship, and our love of neighbor are still in full force. Praise God that no virus, no matter how powerful, can stop the movement of love that comes to us through Jesus Christ our Lord.

 

Stay safe out there and I will keep you updated.

 

In Christ,

 

Ripp

We encourage members to mail-in their pledges via the postal service (USPS) or drop checks in an envelope into the church mailbox outside of the office. The office continues to receive mail daily from USPS. The mailbox is checked weekly by the Director of Finance, Desiree Moultrie.

This Sunday, we will have a drive-by backpack blessing at 11:30 a.m. Fr. Ripp will also say a blessing during the 8:45 a.m. service on Facebook Live. Whether you are going back to school virtually or in-person, we want to say a prayer for you and give you a backpack tag. We will be outside of the church from 11:30 a.m until 12:30 p.m. Click here for the attached backpack blessing bulletin.

The next Healing Service will be live on Facebook this Tuesday, August 25 at 6:30 p.m. The bulletin is available here and also on the church website. We want to include you and/or your loved one’s name as Reverend Lucy prays for those in need; however, we will not use your name unless you give us permission to do so. 

If you or someone you know would appreciate their name being added to our prayer list, please send an email to Rob Soeldner at rmsoeldner@gmail.com. We will only use first names in the service.

A full list of Family Retreats is available at www.dwtx.org/camps beginning with a Labor Day Retreat at both Mustang Island and Camp Capers from Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7. Registration for the Camp Capers Family Retreat is now open. Visit www.dwtx.org/events/camp-capers-labor-day-weekend-family-retreat to register. For additional information about the Family Retreats and upcoming retreat dates, please contact Camp Capers, at camp.capers@dwtx.org.

Join Fr. Ripp and Rev. Lucy for the Adult Education series Becoming Beloved Community Sundays at 10:15 a.m. on Zoom

Crystal brought a wealth of knowledge and experience and invited us to watch this powerful TED Talk: 50 years of racism – why silence isn’t the answer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9DDE7NV1Nw

Please join us the next two Sundays as the conversation continues. This 5-week series is a Zoom gathering held on Sundays in August at 10:15 a.m. We invite all who wish to grow in awareness of injustice and to work towards healing in our hurting country.

Join the Zoom Meeting by Clicking Here

John Howe has a split screen setup of the Facebook live stream at 8:45 a.m. along with the bulletin from the eNews or church website. Super way to follow along at home, John!

Linda Lund, Sr. Warden; Don Greer, Jr. Warden; Jim Whitcomb, Treasurer