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Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Greetings to you all. This is an update on practicalities around our church and community.

Although services are suspended, the church community continues in our established relationships and in our commitment to ongoing fellowship and prayer. While the church office remains the hub, each and every one of us can be a ‘satellite’ contact for those around us, both parishioners and neighbours. I encourage you to establish a small ‘telephone tree’ of you own to maintain frequent contact with others, to check in and help out whenever possible.

First. The church is open for business; that is to say, for individual visits to pray, to check in with staff, to use the library or for pick-ups or drop offs. There are some prayer resources available in the Narthex and we now have a supply of ‘Our Daily Bread’ (including Large print edition). At present our office hours remain the same - our office is closed on Mondays. It is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 am – 4 pm, and on Fridays from 9 am – noon.

Second. We are on a steep learning curve as to using the St James Web page to provide A Sunday morning service for you. We need help. Specifically, someone with the technical know-how to help us put up a audio/visual presentation. I have put this near the top of the list that will follow since it can become a significant lifeline for all of us over the coming weeks. Please contact Tony if you, or someone you know is able and willing to help with this, either by Email to: rector@stjamescalgary.com

Third. We shall endeavor to provide the weekly Bulletin, with accompanying materials for the Sunday service on the Webpage ( stjamescalgary.com ) and continue regular updates via Email. If you have suggestions as to how to enhance communications, please don’t hesitate to tell us.

Fourth. Our Youth and Young church pastors, James and Yvonne respectfully, are both exploring further ways to maintain communications with the respective flocks and to provide appropriate ideas and materials to help keep young hands and minds busy.

Fifth. Some of you may have noticed in last Sunday’s Bulletin (on the webpage) that we had planned to hold a Special Meeting of Parishioners to elect an Assistant People’s Warden. Our nomination is Nathan Underwood. We shall explore ways to fulfil this requirement, likely online, but until then we shall co-opt Nathan onto Corporation to help us in the season.

Please continue to pray. Our God loves hearing from you! And what he will do with all our prayers, for all the conditions that prevail, will amaze us, I believe, in the days to come. Pray for the nations and their leaders; that they may know justice and mercy, and exercise wisdom and understanding; pray for all those affected directly and indirectly by Covid-19; for those who provide care and protection; for our community and every inspiration to care for one another; for ourselves and those close to us.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

Rev. Tony Grainger
Interim Priest-in-Charge