June 26,2020
Important Finance Committee Requests
We are leveraging our CARES Act loan to pay bills so far in 2020, as our giving has been reduced during these times. We will keep a very close eye on our financial situation as our CARES amount will exhaust very soon. Keeping an open church should involve a high number of new volunteers to wipe down surfaces in proper fashion as such work will be far beyond our paid help to accomplish.
We are temporarily asking for your second-mile giving to be directed to our general fund instead of HON for 2020 to help us survive these very difficult times. While our attention today is rightly directed toward managing during our church closure and isolation, we are also planning to reduce the number of general fund categories for 2021 and are open to your input.
WHEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO RESUME IN PERSON WORSHIP?
The safety committee chaired by Kristy Besada met on Wednesday, June 17 to begin discussions regarding the reopening of MSUMC. The committee has released the following statement to the congregation.
"The Safety Committee, in conjunction with other volunteers, are working with great care to envision and plan for the time when the church building can safely re-open for in-person worship and other activities. We are doing this work in the spirit of love, inclusivity, and good stewardship of God's beloved community. The committee will be looking for community feedback in the near future and is open to suggestions. We understand that it is difficult to be apart from one another, and we ask for your prayers that the committee may be guided to work in ways that honor God's will in this unprecedented situation."
Exit Interview with Pastor Rich
On Wednesday June 17, SPRC conducted an exit interview with Pastor Rich. An exit interview was recommended during the Transition Workshop that the conference conducted in early June. Pastor Rich was surprised and happy when SPRC requested an exit interview indicating in his entire career he'd never been ask to give an exit interview when he was departing a congregation for a new church. SPRC wants to share the information that Pastor Rich provided in the interview. Please see link to the exit interview at the end of this blast.
Pastor Kelly and Steve Settling in
The moving truck for Pastor Kelly arrived at the parsonage on Monday, June 15. Pastor Kelly and her husband Steve have begun the process of unpacking and bringing the parsonage back to life. Many thanks to Donna Swanson and the Trustees for their efforts in cleaning and painting the parsonage. Many thanks to Karrie Lam and MSUMC youth who put a significant amount of time in to take care of the yard work and spruce up the outside. A total of 22 volunteers helped get the parsonage ready for Pastor Kelly and Steve to move in. A job well done by the volunteers. Thank you for your efforts. Also a thank you to Chuck Emery and Kelly Rose who will help Pastor Kelly move into her office after the service on June 28. Just a reminder Pastor Kelly's appointment at MSUMC begins on July 1.
A Hearty Welcome to New Appointments at MSUMC
As many of you are now aware, Reverend Kristy Besada has had her primary appointment changed by the conference and she will serve MSUMC as our associate pastor of discipleship and service. The position will be a non-compensated full-time position beginning on August 1. Pastor Kristy is very excited about her new role and wanted to pass along the following to the congregation:
"As a deacon, my ministry is to Word, Service, Compassion and Justice. In this appointment, I will act as the coordinating point of Main Street UMC's urban ministries, working to enhance existing ministries of Compassion and Justice, while also fostering new partnerships with other justice-focused organizations in the community. As I am leaving the role of a housing advocate in the community, I am already well connected in these networks. In addition, I will be in ministry of Word through teaching and preaching. I will be in ministry of Service as I not only nurture the congregation's gifts for service, but also lead them out to work in solidarity with the community."
SPRC is very pleased to announce that Emily Adams has accepted our offer to become the next Music Director of MSUMC. Emily will begin her new role on July 1 and also continue as our primary organist and pianist. Ultimately, once it is safe for choirs to return, she will lead the MSUMC choir. It became very apparent during our last 3 months of live streaming of services that Emily is a unique talent and very capable filling the music director role. Emily has expressed a strong desire to keep the musical team of Kelly Brown, Irene Harris and Andrea Weir together as they have worked very well together in our time of exile.
A hearty MSUMC welcome from the congregation to Pastor Kelly and Pastor Kristy and congratulations to Emily in her new position.
SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE CONTINUES
Commencing with the worship service on June 21st and through Labor Day Sunday, the worship service will live stream at 9:30am each Sunday morning. Of course, it can be viewed on Facebook or from the home page on the church website at any time.
6/21 and 6/28 Pastor Dave Svenson will be guest preacher.
7/5 Rev. Kristy Besada will be our guest preacher and introduce the Rev. Kelly Turney as she commences her ministry at the Main Street UMC.
Worship Video
Although we are no longer able to do the live streaming of our worship service from the sanctuary, we are live streaming a service which is available on-demand on Facebook shortly after the service. You can use the Facebook app on a smartphone, or a web browser on a computer. "Like" our page and you will be notified when we go live each Sunday.
If you choose to not use a Facebook login, you can still access the live stream during the service time from our web site home page by going to the box to the right (you may need to refresh the page if you arrive early). Previous worship services are available by scrolling down through the postings.
VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR
The latest option to help us all stay connected in this time of physical distancing is our "Virtual Coffee Hour" starting right after Sunday Worship (approximately 11:30am). We have three "rooms" available each week. Stop by the Vestry and catch up with your friends (bring your own coffee and snacks). If it seems too crowded in the Vestry, and you can't get in a word in edgewise, move over to the Lobby or the Kitchen where it is usually quieter. If you are a Facebook user, you can coordinate where to meet-up with others via the chat before/after Worship, or by indicating that you are "Going" to one of the three Facebook events each week. The actual rooms are via Google Meet and don't require Facebook at all, and may be attended by phone, by app on iPhone/iPad/Android/or by Computer. Access information is below. If you need some hints at using Google Meet there are some instructions and screen shots at https://www.mainstreet-umc.org/activities/coffee-hour that might help you get acclimated.
Vestry: https://meet.google.com/qmq-zxbb-sye or by phone: +1 617-675-4444 PIN: ?415 456 786 8524#
Lobby: https://meet.google.com/cen-uofo-ovh or by phone: +1 617-675-4444 PIN: ?566 126 046 3024#
Kitchen: https://meet.google.com/mfq-vdkf-ofj or by phone: +1 617-675-4444 PIN: ?666 362 297 7893#
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