Congregation Update July 31

Good morning Trinity folk! Here’s a few bits of news and updates for you. (sent by email, posted here and on FB)

Worship leader schedule: Aug 2, Lorraine; Aug 9, 16, 23 Rev Paula; Aug 30 Anjanee
The safety plan is underway, and we are using applicable bits from the safety plans which other congregations have put in place. With many of these plans, it can take a while to figure out what works and what doesn’t, so the hope is that by using safety plans already tested in other congregations that we may be up and running sooner than if we were starting from scratch. The information we are using to build the safety plan can be found on the congregation’s website, here: http://crestonunitedchurch.ca/2020/07/covid-and-safety-plan/ Once complete, the plan will go to council for approval, and then will be posted publicly, shared electronically and implemented by council.
Have you been staying in touch? There are lots of interesting links, reflections and stories on the congregation’s facebook and website pages. Please ‘like’ or ‘follow’ to keep yourselves up to date, and share the information with those whom you know are not online. Each week reflections and worship resources are shared by email, but there is lots more online for you too.
Here’s a few highlights from our website:
1. Lessons from the Garden: Grow with the flow https://revsponderings.wordpress.com/2020/07/27/lessons-from-the-garden-grow-with-the-flow/
2. Lessons from the Garden: perspective http://crestonunitedchurch.ca/2020/07/lessons-from-the-garden-perspective/
3. A repost of Extra Grace Required http://crestonunitedchurch.ca/2020/07/extra-grace-required-repost/
4. The refugee committee is asking for donations to support a new family expected soon, their letter is here: http://crestonunitedchurch.ca/2020/07/creston-refugee-committee-donations-needed/
5. I’ve had a couple of people ask me about what we need to do to grow the congregation, and my response is always the same: focus on ministry and the money and people will follow. Here’s a story from 2015 of an aging downtown Winnipeg congregation which is completely revitalized: https://revsponderings.wordpress.com/2015/05/01/congregational-transformation/
Wouldn’t it be lovely to get together in person again? Once our safety plan is complete, I’m aiming for weekly in person and live streamed worship services. We will be limited in how many people can attend and I would like to focus on those who do not have internet access and those who may have difficulty even coming to the church (we could offer COVID compliant rides perhaps?) If you would like to be a driver; if you have ideas or suggestions for worship either in person or online; or if you have any other comments or feedback, please let me know. Plans are well underway for an in person communion service the first Sunday in September …. Mark your calendars!
Check out the region’s list of online worship resources: https://pacificmountain.ca/creative-ways-to-worship-at-a-distance/
If you know of other online worship services you are enjoying, send me the links and I can put them on the congregation’s website. The reflections from the lay leaders and myself are regularly posted on the website, and others can be included as well when I receive the text of the reflections or online links.
Thrift Store Update “The thrift store is hopping. We have a maximum of 14 shoppers at a time and it is not unusual to see a lineup outside the store. I am so happy to report that by the end of the day today (July 31) we will have obliterated our record for our highest sales ever in a month. Prior to this month our best month of sales was $4308. We will exceed $10,000 in sales for July. That is not a typo. Hopefully this will become our new normal.” – Karen

Online Streaming Across the Pacific Mountain Regional Council

We are also happy to share other sources of online worship from across the Pacific Mountain Regional Council. Below are links to churches and ministries that have self-submitted their online streaming presence for you to check out. If any of the links do not work, please contact the Community of Faith directly (not the PMRC Office or staff).

• 10:00 am Nelson United Church, Nelson BC live stream Sunday Home Worship

ABBEY CHURCH, Church Plant, Victoria BC