March 24, 2020
One of the big challenges, along side staying healthy in these days, is staying connected to one another, especially for our family at REZ. I wanted to give you some pointers along the way in our new reality of video calls, streaming live feeds and the like for our meetings and services. I hope you know that we are working harder now to stay connected than we ever have before!! Perhaps that is what the "silver-lining" will be after this is all over. God is always at work in and for His People, and now is no exception, - in fact it may be more evident to us in many ways, very soon! So we pray!
MEETINGS & SERVICES
We, after a week of using these platforms, have opted for the ZOOM video platform to do the main body of our meetings and services. On Wednesday evening and Friday evening at 7 PM we are hosting Bible Studies. Wednesday we are studying the Book of Philippians, and on Friday we are studying the Tabernacle in light of our own Anglican Worship for two more weeks.
Each of those are on the ZOOM video meeting platform, you can access by phone or on your laptop or desktop computer. We have a paid account that allows up to 100 to join us and the meeting can go for up to 24 hours!! That will cover us for a while. You may get ZOOM from your provider website (APPStore or Google Play). Once you have it on your device all you need to do is click JOIN A MEETING and put in REZ's specific number: 437-034-3593. Or you can come back here to join any REZ Zoom Meeting and simply click here: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/
On Sundays we will also run a live-stream on our Resurrection Anglican Fellowship FACEBOOK page, for those who want to join us, and it will be recorded there. Readers will be able to join in and do their work, by joining us on the ZOOM platform.
If anyone has challenges in hooking up or downloading these tools, PLEASE call Fr. Phil and he or another "techie" will guide you through to success! This call is always better made the day or week before you try to get on a meeting!! We can do some zoom calls as trials, we've already paid the fee!
INTENTIONAL CONNECTIONS
We are working on other ways to connect with each other. We are thinking of offering Daily Office times (Morning Prayer, Noonday and Evening Prayer, even Compline) If you have an interest in helping or participating in such online events, please respond to this email and let us know in what capacity your interest lies.
We are hoping to create a "Buddy" system, especially for our elder singles. We want to be checking in with one another daily, and be able to sound the alarm for one another if needed. Also we are hoping to care for one another in real ways, with help picking up groceries or prescriptions if needed. Again, we will rely on you to BUDDY UP in the next few days, and to advise us of your partners. Please respond to this email with the name of the buddies who are going to commit to one another for this time. If we don't hear from you we will be calling!!
God is using this crisis, as He does with all things, to work the work of His Kingdom! There is an exponential increase in Prayer across the world, in unity among churches and pastors, in help being offered to one another and to our neighbors, and in the compassionate work of God's love, coming through his Church, now dispersed outside the walls of our buildings!
A NOTE ON GIVING
Concerns have been voiced, that when we don't meet, we don't give! I think we have ways to get around that, and I want to encourage you to continue to give faithfully, since the work of the church (and the bills of the church) will go on during this time! There are several ways for you to give:
ONLINE: We have DONATE buttons on our website (www.rezanglican.org), on my blogspot (rezpadre.blogspot.com) and there are fundraising pages on our FaceBook page during this time. The FaceBook giving is free (no fee to us) and the regular online giving has a 3% fee that is attached. We would appreciate it if you would add that 3% on your gifts if you use those portals. I've included all the links here for you to give online.
BY MAIL: You may also want to use the mail service and mail checks to REZ, PO Box 2127, Centennial, CO 80161-2127. If you want to drop envelopes at the church building, the mail box on the front of the church is locked as well and secure.
We thank you (Val and I and the Finance Team) for your faithful support during this extraordinary time.
HOW LONG, O LORD?
The big question on all our minds is How Long (I added the O LORD)? That is an unknown quantity right now, because we are just now coming into an understanding of the severity of this pandemic. The numbers are doubling about every three days and they expect it to peak in the next 3-4 weeks. If you do the math, we are going to be "sheltering-in" for another month or so potentially. We have planned to continue services for Holy Week: I will have palms that people can get (outside the church on Saturday) and we will wave them to each other on Palm Sunday (10 AM), we will continue with a teaching on Eucharist on Maundy Thursday (7 PM), a traditional Stations of the Cross on Good Friday evening (7 PM) and the regular service of Resurrection at 10 AM on Easter Morning.
We are trying to gear up for sustainability for the long haul, and hoping for a short race!! But know this, when the quarantine is over we will all come together for a REAL Easter Service with the Bells, Whistles, Horns, Keys, and whatever else you can bring to make noise!! I am anticipating a great RESURRECTION, on that day!
In the mean time, we pray that you are safe and sound; that you will continue to connect with us and with each other.
Fr Phil+
Fr. Phil Eberhart, for the Staff and the Board of Resurrection Anglican Fellowship
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