August 26, 2020

Dear Friends,

In the midst of all that we are coping with right now, we hope this summer has offered you and your family some time of rest, relaxation, and renewal. As September approaches, we’re writing with an update about what the fall will look like at Epiphany. We expect that our fall worship and programming will remain online.

Our bishops continue to strongly encourage parishes to refrain from in-person worship and to provide online opportunities for worship, formation, and all other aspects of parish life. Our Journey by Stages Advisory Committee continues to tackle the complex diocesan requirements for preparing our church for reopening. It is slow, patient work that will be extremely helpful once it is safe for us to gather in person.

Epiphany’s staff, committees, and parishioners have been working hard to plan for the fall – here is just some of what’s in store:

Rector Search Process is in the Homestretch: Our Rector Search Committee is now conducting final interviews, and we anticipate that a new rector will be called sometime in October! The committee has been prayerful and thorough in its work, and committee members are enthusiastic about the candidates with whom they are in mutual discernment.

Rally Day is September 20th: Rally Day is a cherished tradition at Epiphany, and an online Rally Day is being planned this year. Though we will not be able to gather in person, we are excited to offer a program that we hope will capture the spirit of Rally Day. Stay tuned!

Programs for Children and Youth to Offer Love, Support, Hope, and Connection: Bryn Hollenbeck, Interim Director of Faith Formation, shares this update: “This fall, Epiphany will offer full programming for our children and youth, focusing on what they need most right now – love, support, hope, and connection – and on ways children and youth can bring love and healing to our world. We’ll build our relationships with Zoom time, offer asynchronous online learning opportunities with new classroom websites, and provide off-screen materials for faith formation at home. We are excited for a fall full of new ideas.”

Choral Music Will Continue to Feed Our Souls: Craig Benner, Director of Music and Organist, shares this update: “Choral music will continue to play a vital role in Epiphany’s worship this fall even in these difficult times. We will continue to have our ‘Hollywood Squares’ style anthems done by the choir, and two of our section leaders will continue to lead us in worship. New for this fall, our section leaders will be recording four-part anthems, and leading Zoom choir rehearsals with choir members. You will also see occasional online choir videos that feature the whole choir. Watch for these on our online Evensong in November and our online Lessons and Carols in December.”

Look for more information about this fall at Epiphany – including adult formation and stewardship opportunities – in The 3 Crowns. We are grateful to each of you for your patience, your perseverance, and your prayers as we navigate this challenging time. Truly, Christ continues to walk with us, giving us the strength and resilience we need. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions you may have.

Together in Christ,
Suzanne Owayda and Dave McSweeney, Wardens
Sarah Conner, Interim Rector

Dear friends,

I hope you are finding joy in these late-August days. Parents, I share with you the stress of making choices for our children's new school year: public, private, remote, blended, hybrid, homeschool, pods. There is loss and grief in each choice, and I hope some joy and anticipation as well. I pray that you may feel peace in your decision and a freedom from comparing your choice with that of others. Every family is unique in what will work best for them.

While school may be full of questions and anxiety, I hope this church will be a steady rock of support and encouragement for your family in the coming year. Your clergy, staff, Sunday School teachers and youth leaders have been working and planning throughout the summer. Although we aren't gathering in person this fall, the Parish of the Epiphany will offer a full and exciting program year of learning, creating, and sharing for all our children and youth. This community of faith is ready and eager to share our love of God and one another.

Our 2020-2021 programming will focus on what children and youth need now--love, safety, hope, connection--and on ways they can be empowered to shape and heal the world around us.

Full details, and directions for how to connect and receive materials, will be in next week's newsletter.

Peace and love,
Bryn

The Journey By Stages Advisory Committee had its first meeting on Monday, June 15, and they have begun the work outlined in the Vestry's charge to the committee. The members of the committee are

Mary Street, Chair
Ginger Barrow
Jared Cumming
Jason Kinchen
Gloria Korta
Lauren Michalski

In addition to their strong faith and commitment to our parish, this group's professional gifts include deep medical, scientific, technology and public sector experience. Please be sure to thank them for the very important work they are undertaking to help us determine how we can open for in-person worship.

The Stephen Ministry at Parish of the Epiphany is currently providing one-to-one Christian care to members of our parish. Our ten Stephen Ministers are assigned to ten care receivers and are meeting twice a month in Supervision Groups that provide support for the Ministers during the process. While the Ministers listen to, care for and walk with those going through difficult times in their life, they also describe how much they grow through serving in this ministry.

Care receivers are those struggling through a challenge, such as grief, divorce, job loss, chronic or terminal illness or some other life crisis. We can add loneliness and isolation as more prominent conditions in the times that we are now living in. Stephen Ministry is there to provide a compassionate companion to those who are hurting.

Anyone in the parish can self-refer for a chat to assess their needs. Those who know others who may be in need can bring it up as an option to them or provide the referral to a member of the Stephen Ministry Leadership team.

The current group of Stephen Ministers are Marie Lee, Neville Lee, Mary Street, Jason Kinchen, Sandra LaPerche, Shukong Ou, Nancy Nies, Susan Almquist, Jennifer Shire, and Ellen Wilson. We are so grateful for their faithfulness to their Care Receivers, especially during such challenging times. Epiphany's Stephen Leaders are Miriam Gelfer, Barbara DeWolfe, Ted Kellogg, Gloria Korta, and Joan O'Connor.

Mission and Outreach have put together a list of organizations that we can help during these critical times. For the most part, financial donations are preferred.

1) St. Luke's in Chelsea is desperate for additional funds. This is where a group of Epiphany folks stock shelves weekly on Fridays at the Food Pantry. Checks can be sent to St. Luke's- San Lucas Episcopal Church (write "food programs" in the memo), 201 Washington Ave, Chelsea, MA 02150.

2) St Stephen’s Youth Programs has created a Pandemic Relief Fund to support our families who face job loss and food/ housing insecurity. Donations can be made here designate Pandemic Fund. Contact Betsy Walsh for more information.

3) The International Institute for New England work with immigrants and refugees and also need financial donations. Please donate here to help our neighbors in need.

4) We should not forget that UU Bedford is still supporting their guest in Sanctuary even though the volunteer shifts have been temporarily suspended due to the pandemic. Financial donations will help defray their costs - they are into their third year of providing sanctuary. Send checks to: First Parish, 75 Great Rd., Bedford, MA. 01730, "Sanctuary Fund" in memo line.

Sanctuary volunteers can no longer perform shifts, as per a Town of Bedford order that prohibits people from entering any public buildings in the town. For further information about our guest’s status, please contact Judy Cotton or Nelia Newell.

5) A group from Epiphany prepare and serve breakfast and lunch on the 3rd Saturday of every month at St. Luke's in Chelsea. The serving of hot food is temporarily suspended. However a group of Epiphany folk prepared brown bag lunches which were distributed at the food pantry this past Saturday. Contact Claudia Bell if you would like to help going forward.

6). Hospitals are running out of surgical masks. If you have a sewing machine and can help make any, please contact Judy Cotton for details.

Obviously, there are many other worthy causes in need right now - most of this listed above are already supported by Mission and Outreach grants and Epiphany is actively involved with them.

Parish of the Epiphany was recently awarded two Diocese of Massachusetts Global Mission Sustainable Development Grants which we applied for on behalf of global mission partners: Princess Basma Center for Disabled Children in East Jerusalem, and Hopital Ste. Croix in Léogâne, Haiti. We are delighted that each partner will receive about $8,800.

Sustainable Development Grants support projects undertaken by congregations engaged in mission with partners outside of the Diocese. Award decisions are guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: to end poverty; improve health and education; reduce inequality; and spur economic growth, while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.

Princess Basma Center is owned and operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem and has received strong support from Epiphany in recent years. The grant is for their Mother Empowerment Program, a two-week residential program that provides children with newly diagnosed disabilities and their mothers with intensive, individualized early intervention.

Hopital Ste. Croix, owned by the Diocese of Haiti, is the only surviving hospital in the region. Over nearly a decade, our Haiti Mobile Medical Mission has built a deep relationship with this key player in efforts to rebuild the health care system in the region hardest hit by the 2010 earthquake. The hospital is well on the way to becoming the first self-sufficient Haitian hospital run by and for Haitians. However, deepening political and economic problems make it difficult for it to meet its energy needs. This grant will help HSC to develop a comprehensive plan to achieve energy independence through green solar technology.

As part of Epiphany's theme for our program year – Belonging, Believing, and Becoming the Beloved community, we’re kicking off an experiment – a creative way to build, maintain, and deepen connections with each other. We’ve organized the Parish into 16 randomly created fellowship groups, each led by a member of the vestry. You’ll be hearing from your vestry leader in the next few weeks via email.

With a church as large as ours, it’s a challenge to get to know everyone. We hope these groups will provide us with a new opportunity to connect. We encourage you to think of your vestry leader within your fellowship group as your “go to” person if you have any questions about our period of transition or any other church related items.

Our first communication to you will be about introducing you to each other in your fellowship group. Subsequent communication will be related to updates on the search process, our stewardship campaign, faith formation, and additional fellowship opportunities.

You can participate as much or as little as you’d like. We ask that you give it a chance, provide some feedback to us along the way, and we’ll make adjustments.

Thank you,
Suzanne Owayda and Dave McSweeney
Wardens

Episcopal City Mission has nominated Parish of the Epiphany the 2019 Shaw Award for Social and Economic Justice for your communal commitment to social justice.

The M. Thomas Shaw Award for Social and Economic Justice was established by Episcopal City Mission on the occasion of the retirement of the Rt. Rev. M. Thomas Shaw, SSJE as the Diocesan Bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts as a memorialization of his Episcopacy and passion for justice. The award started in 2014 and is bestowed annually on a parish, mission, or faith community in the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts at the ECM Annual Dinner as a celebration of how this particular church gives continuity to the work and vision for social and economic justice imparted by Bishop Shaw in this Diocese during his time as bishop.

Epiphany's extends its deepest thanks and congratulations to all who support our immigration justice efforts, especially Roz Nazzaro and Pam Chester. Click here is you would like more information on ECM's Annual Celebration and Dinner on 11 June when Epiphany will be recognized.

As you know, being a member of Epiphany means much more than attending a Sunday Service - there are so many educational events, social events, and service events scattered throughout the week. Each one provides the means to participate in every manner of Christian service.

One such opportunity is Epiphany Visitors, a group of parishioners who periodically check in on fellow members who are unable to get to church each week. There are about 20 folks who are being visited by one of our Epiphany Visitors. Currently, most of those being visited and most of the visitors are women. We would like to expand the number of men involved, both to be visited and to be visitors.

Do you know men who might enjoy an occasional visit by a member of the congregation?

Are you available to be an occasional visitor?

If so, email Jack Roll to schedule a chat at La Patisserie or Starbucks, or wherever, to see if we may have a fit. Or, if you are interested and do not need a coffee/scone chat, get back to me via email.