The days are getting shorter, the breeze is getting cooler, and a very different kind of September is upon us. Most years, this is a time of gearing up and getting going; school starts up, vacations end, and church activities get back into swing after the summer. This September the start of the new school year is a nervous one, full of questions about health and safety and still full of questions about how our church can gather. We are still worshiping together at 9:30 am on Sunday mornings. If you feel ready to come to worship in person please remember to wear a mask (we do have some at the door if you forget) and give each other space while entering and exiting. Pews are marked off to give appropriate distancing. Right now, a leader at the front is allowed to sing, but the congregation is not. If you don’t feel safe coming out yet, our worship services can be found on our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_tC0r9HvczLdR_DZHsuKGw
The elders of Paterson and Laurel Lea-St. Matthew’s have met together online a number of times over the summer. The Sessions have decided that it is too early in the re-opening to begin gatherings like Sunday school or meals or other times of in-person fellowship. We are having a Bible study Wednesdays at 7:00pm and a story time Sundays at 1:30 pm over Zoom. It is easy to join either of these gatherings by computer or by phone.
We would also like to give a huge thank you for everyone’s continued support, both for the church and for other places that bless our community like the Inn of the Good Shepherd. From big things in people’s lives, to small things, your generosity has made a big difference in these strange times. Romans 8:28 says “we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” That doesn’t mean that bad things are not bad; it means that we can trust that God will build something good out of everything. His love is eternal and unstoppable.
Blessings on your September!
Allan Farris