Grace and peace to you…
The Coronavirus Pandemic has created an environment of isolation within the St. James community. Since moving to online ministry, those without access to technology have been at a loss. Without resources, they have been unable to view worship and connect visually with their church family.
We have tried to address this concern by offering phone connection opportunities such as weekly Phone worship at noon on Sundays and Phone Bible Study on Thursdays. Although I look forward to these times to connect with those we’d otherwise miss., there are many who remain disconnected.
Faced with the prospect of needing to continue ministry online, it is a significant spiritual, as well as emotional, concern to have a portion of our community unable to connect. How can one feel a part of the Body of Christ when excluded from worship, and opportunities to gather as a virtual community for bible study and fellowship?
Connected in Christ is a pilot ministry that seeks to learn how to connect the St. James Lutheran community with our online ministries. We will also learn what the need for this connection is within our community. The pilot ministry has three phases and is planned for the summer of 2020. Phase one involves working with folks who have technology but don’t know how to use it to access our online resources. Phase two will use the learning from the first phase to program devices that are simple to use. We will try this technology among a trial group. Phase three will bring our learning from the project into a summary form. We will ascertain the over all need of technology in our congregation and put together a proposal to meet that need.
We mailed invitations to our High School graduates and college-aged young aults to apply for three stipend internships. If you are in this category, I encourage you to apply. We need your help with this ministry. It will be a great experience to be able to work with new technology users from older generations. If you are interested, click here (for application and job descriptions). The deadline is June 14.
Connecting people is an important part of our mission as a church. Providing skills, technology, and access will help us to build and deepen those loving relationships with God, with each other, and with our neighbor. I am excited for what God will do as we bring generations together to better use the gift of technology. This has implications to strengthen ministry long after we exit this pandemic. Imagine, what would it look like for us to continue to worship, study, and share fellowship with those who are home bound?
I pray that this ministry moment finds you safe and healthy. I look forward to worshiping with you online on Sunday, Wednesday, and whenever you choose to connect.
In Christ’s Light,
Pastor Walt