Hello St. Paul’s,
This week I want to share information about some of our ministries that have been in abeyance during the pandemic and now need to be revitalized. But first, I want to acknowledge the frustration and stress we are all feeling as restrictions are once again tightened in the face of the increase in COVID cases, caused by a deadly combination of the more contagious variants and the reluctance of some to be vaccinated.
San Diego County is in the category of a “substantial” rise in cases, so in an abundance of caution and for the sake of the vulnerable among us, St. Paul’s is requesting that everyone wear a mask for all gatherings on the church campus (the only exception being when someone is reading or leading worship or a class, with a large space between the speaker and the audience). If you have not yet been vaccinated, and if you have no medical reason not to be vaccinated, I implore you to get your shots now, not just for your own protection, but for the sake of the community that you belong to.
Even as we continue to ride this roller coaster of restriction and worry, we continue to prepare for a post-pandemic future, and there are lots of opportunities for you to engage in ministry. We are in need of people to serve as docents, taking shifts in pairs to simply be in the cathedral during the day so that we can keep it open for visitors. We are in need of greeters, those friendly people who staff the welcome table on Sunday mornings and create a positive first impression for visitors.
We are in need of people to serve on the hospitality committee, helping to staff funeral receptions and celebrations such as newcomer brunches. We need people to officiate at Evening Prayer via Zoom – something you can do at home. And we need someone with interest and experience in investments to fill an unexpired term on our Endowment Committee.
I mentioned funeral receptions a moment ago: we currently have eight funerals on the schedule. Some are for people who died last year, others, including people well known and loved in our congregation are more recent losses. This is a lot for us to deal with all at once, so please keep our staff in your prayers, and if you have time and skills to offer, please consider helping out as an usher, reception host, or in the office: your support will be much appreciated!
See you on Sunday.
Your sister in Christ,
Penny
Dean Penny,
Have you and/or the Bishop considered mandating vaccines for all of your staff? Have you considered mandating that people wanting to attend events at the cathedral in person require proof of vaccination or of a negative COVID-19 test within the last 3 days? I ask because I think it’s important to incentivize vaccination as much as possible, and while I respect the rights of individuals who choose not to get the vaccine, I do not support their right to enter indoor public places or engage in public indoor events when they clearly pose a health risk to others. I’ve done my part. Now it’s time for others to do theirs.
Frank
Penny, I’m a newcomer to St. Paul’s and haven’t felt comfortable in getting into a ministry because my life is so full, but I would be happy to serve on the hospitality committee and help out at funeral receptions, etc.
Agreed
What Frank said!