One of the things for which I am grateful is that Uganda is a model for how to handle epidemics. The government reacted quickly, even though many of these decisions have caused a bit of havoc.

Similar to almost every country and city around the globe, the CoVid-19 pandemic overturned our lives and community here at Christ Church Jerusalem. Here in the Holy City we have just concluded a Holy Week & Passover week like no other that we can remember.

We have been in lockdown for 6 weeks now and at least 3 more before the some things open up. It is doubtful that we can have public worship or large group gatherings before the summer. In my 15-minute report I share how we are managing and what the Lord is teaching us.

Due to the continued presence of COVID-19 and the uncertainty of the next few months, our Board of Directors has decided that we will not be able to go to Watermarks Camp for Camp Booyah 2020. We are so sad that we will not be together in one location this summer for Camp Booyah, but we are excited that we will be together virtually!!! That’s right!!! We will all be able to gather together for….

Participants in the Easter Service at Truro were treated to a unique , virtual masterpiece!

This outreach is a three-way win: it’s a win for people needing cloth masks; a win for people at home with time, skills and a heart to serve – it’s a great time to teach your kids (and adults) how to sew!; and for the church, as the world sees that we love them because God does.

Truro Anglican (Fairfax, VA) has created a beautiful video devotional for doing the Stations of the Cross from home.

The Falls Church will post two "virtual stations," one in the morning and one in the evening. They include Scripture, vivid artwork, a reflection, a prayer and a song, all meant to draw us into this most holy moment in the life of our Lord. 

As individual Christians, churches and as a Diocese, let’s continue to think of creative ways of being a visible presence in our communities.  

These links take you to a list of DOMA churches offering online services on Thursday, Friday, & Saturday of Holy Week.

A video by Archbishop Duncan explaining Spiritual Communion.

Eunoia is the name of the ministry. It is a greek word that means “beautiful thinking”. I love seeing and hearing our Eunoia friends perform from their home context! A wonderful change from the stage!

So much care and thought went into those letters to get things just right! My dad and I would have some of the most meaningful communication by letter. I’ve kept and treasured those interchanges. I felt I was getting an entirely different side of him in those expressions. And so, for texting between friends, pushing past the superficial banter, this kind of care can (and does) happen with texting. It’s a profound opportunity.

Recently we added a fun twist - sock puppets! This creative endeavor just requires items we have at home (socks, buttons, decorative bags, etc.), and we hope it will bring some joy to the teen moms and their families. May they realize they are not forgotten by us or by their God during this time.

What ultimately kept us from canceling was recognizing the need that people have for human interaction — even if virtual is the best we can do. 

Churches throughout the Diocese are reaching out actively to their communities during COVID-19. A variety of churches report that partnerships with the community, which seemed nearly impossible just a few months ago, are now forming easily as all embrace the common theme of “together, we can beat this.”

The number of viewers is far exceeding the typical Sunday morning attendance. This is attributed most likely to parishioners inviting friends, families, and neighbors to participated online.

We are encouraged that we will come through this stronger and closer than we were before COVID-19 hit us. We had the advantage of having worked hard at relationship-building before all of this, but now is always the best time to start these kinds of community relationships.