My Dear Friends in Christ, 

On Tuesday, we received word from Archbishop Melissa Skelton that, in light of the current pandemic, all in-person parish activities (including Sunday morning services) in the Diocese of New Westminster are immediately suspended until at least May 3rd. This includes St. John the Divine, Squamish. Click this link to read the full text of the Archbishop’s announcement: Archbishop Message These measures are extreme, but most importantly, it is a way that we can love our community well, protecting those most vulnerable and hopefully slowing the spread of this virus. More information will be coming from St. John’s in the coming days and weeks, but for now: 

1.      Please call people that you know who might not receive this email to inform them of this new development. 

2.      Keep calling, checking-in and connecting with one another as best and as safely as you can through this time of social distancing. 

3.      There will be online resources available for Sunday morning, to help people pray from home. Going forward, more resources will be made available so that we can continue to be the Church in this time. If you use Facebook, make sure to like the St. John the Divine page Facebook Link, and watch the website, as those are two places where we will be putting up content as we move forward. 

4.      If you need help with errands, need to talk with someone, or have any other needs, give us a call or send an email to the church, and we will do our best to connect you with someone who can help. 

5.      Similarly, if you are someone who is able to offer any sort of help, do let us know. For example, Karen, our People’s Warden, wanted you to know that there is a delivery service available for prescriptions through the Pharmacy at Independent. 

6.      Not meeting for a month and a half will pose some financial difficulties for St. John’s. I invite you, therefore, if you are able, to continue to make regular contributions to the ministry of St. John’s and/or to make a special gift at this time. Any donations can be made by mailing a cheque to St. John the Divine at PO Box 236, Garibaldi Highlands, BC, V0N1T0. We are also working to put in place some secure, online options for receiving donations. We will keep you posted as that develops.   This is a strange and difficult time. Take courage, my friends, and take care of yourself and each other. I want to make abundantly clear that just because we are not meeting on Sundays, does not mean that the Church is ceasing to operate. We are the Church. Continue to connect, give thanks, pray, share the Good news, and love God and your neighbour. Continue to be the Church. If you have any questions or concerns, please be in touch. We will continue to check the answering machine and check emails regularly.   

May God bless and keep you all.    

The Reverend Cameron Gutjahr

priest@squamishanglicanchurch.ca 

PS.      

Take a deep breath in….and let it out.           

Breathe in the love of God….and breathe out anxiety.           

Breathe in the love of God….and breathe out fear.           

Breath in the love of God…and breathe out all the things that might be troubling you.           

Breathe in the love of God…and keep breathing, until you are breathing out the love of  

God onto the entire world.           

Keep breathing, dear friends.