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Being the Church in the Face of COVID-19: A F.A.Q. of Worship and Events at St. Christopher’s

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Dear St. Christopher’s and Friends,

A number of you have asked similar question or very good questions, all of which deserve an answer. Here is what I’ve heard…

Q: Is St. Christopher’s closed or will it be closing?
A: No. Our building is closed to the public and Washingtonians have strict measures in place about gatherings, but many things are taking place online and off. The outdoor worship spaces remain open for you to use individually – the Labyrinth, the Stations of the Cross, and the Columbarium. The Open Hands foodbank garden is still slated to go on. And we are adding more and more online worship, fellowship, and learning opportunities.

Q: Will there be another Eucharist online? How does online Eucharist work?
A: Yes. We are pre-recording a Eucharist and posting it Saturday night/Sunday morning each week. We post it on Facebook at facebook.com/stchristopherolympia and we post links to the video on our website’s front page – www.StChristopherOlympia.org .

… read more …

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Beyond Livestream Worship: Keeping Faith Communities Connected in the Face of COVID 19

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By the Rev. Ken Howard

This is the first in a multipart series on strategies and tools for doing and being church in the face of COVID19

The COVID19 pandemic is not the first time Christianity has been faced with the moral question of how to respond in the face of pandemic. In fact, the question is nearly as old as the Church itself. One of the first times was during the third century Roman plague. Something likely akin to Ebola, the so-called Cyprian plague (after Bishop Cyprian of Carthage) which ravaged the Empire from 250-270 CE.

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Stations of the Cross: An Immigrant Journey

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Photographs by Thomas Kiefer, from his collection “El Sueño Americano”, will be on display at St. Christopher’s Church on Wednesdays & Thursdays, March 4 – April 8th and on Good Friday, April 10th from 1pm to 5pm each day. With permission of the artist, some of his photographic images were made into prints and mounted for the community to view and contemplate as part of the outdoor Stations of the Cross and around the church grounds.

As a janitor for Customs and Border Protection in Ajo, Arizona from 2003 to 2014, Mr. Kiefer found, through serendipity, the confiscated and discarded belongings of undocumented migrants apprehended in the desert. Being a photographer, he collected these items and eventually decided to photograph them as “symbols of humanity”.

Come see the photographs and read about Mr. Kiefer’s experience working as a janitor for CBP, how he came across these belongings, everything from cans of tuna to rosaries, what he has to say about some of them, and why he decided to photograph these belongings.

The event is free.

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COVID-19 and St. Christopher’s

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Updated March 13, 2020

Dear Friends,

As the situnation surounding COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop I think it will not surprise you that St. Christopher’s facilites are closed to all in-person group meetings and group worship through at least March 22nd. This is in compliance with the closures of all Diocese of Olympia congregations. Below you will find more info from the Diocese of Olympia and the Southwestern WA Synod. 

This does not mean St. Christopher’s is closed… We are simply doing ministry in different ways. Over the weekend you will hear of ways we can remain worshiping, fellowshiping, and serving together. Much of this will occur by phone, text message, email, video conference, and online. 

Sunday Services go online… I intend to have some form of video streaming or conferenced worship at our normal times on Sunday. I will have more info on that n the next 24 hours as I work out the details of software, harware, licensing, and copyright. Please be patient.  


… there’s more …

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“Ashes to Go”

Ashes To Go 2019

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Feb. 26, 2020

Island Market from 2:30 – 4:00
Comapanion Cove from 4:00 – 5:30pm

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Scam Alert!

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We’ve seen notices like the one I’ll quote below from both our bishops now and it’s just a matter of time before someone tries it from some other clergy you might know…

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Annual Meeting, Sunday, Jan. 26th

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Our Annual Meeting is coming on Sunday, Januaryt 26th following an abrieviated 10:30am service.

More than just business, this meeting celebrates God’s work in us and through us during the previous year and shares what ministries are planning to accomplish (by God’s grace!) this coming year. We’ll also elect our leadership and approve our budget.

All members are asked to attend and vote.* This is an open meeting and all are welcome. We look forward to spending this time with you.

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Bishop Jaech’s Response to Hanukkah Stabbing

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30 December 2019

Dear Friends,

“A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and
refusing to be comforted, because they are no more.” Matthew 2:18

This past Saturday, which in the Christian calendar was the Day of the Slaughter of the Holy Innocents, a man forced his way into a Jewish rabbi’s home in Monsey, New York, as he was
celebrating Hanukah with his community, and the intruder began stabbing people. The next day, a man entered a Christian church in Texas with a shot gun and opened fire on the worshippers, killing one and critically wounding another, before he himself was killed by the church’s security team….

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Online Pledge Form

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2026 Pledge Card (Online) Welcome to our online Pledge Form. A pledge a promise of future giving, often in a recurring pattern (e.g. monthly or weekly gift). Making a pledge is an act of faith. It is putting trust in God’s future provision. And it is a statement of gratitude for all that God’s provision, past, present, and future. In addition, pledging allows our community to strategically plan its mission and ministry into the future. It is not a contract, a tax, nor a bill. You can change you pledge at any time for any reason and without question by […]

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A Blue Christmas Service – Dec 18, 7pm

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Not everyone’s holiday is “Holly & Jolly.” Sometimes we feel more blue than red & green. Join us St. Christopher’s and Steamboat Island Church on Wed, Dec. 18th at 7pm for a service that recognizes Jesus was born into a world that was in the midst of turmoil and distress, and longing for a Savior who would speak peace and comfort the people (Isaiah 40:1).

We’ll be worshiping at St. Christopher’s located at 7902 Steamboat Island Rd. NW, Olympia, WA. Everyone is welcome.

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Bishop Rickel’s Advent Message

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Our Episcopal Bishop, Greg Rickel, sends greetings and offers these thoughts during the Advent season, the four weeks of preparation leading up to Christmas.

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Giving Thanks: A Reflection from Bishop Jaech

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As we enter the month of November, I find myself thinking about the act of giving thanks and the gifts that come to us when we do so.

Giving thanks is connected to the grateful realization that we are not here in the world on our own. Our daily existence can sometimes feel like an exhausting marathon where our survival is all up to us. We can quickly begin to feel lonely and overwhelmed when it seems that we are traveling through life alone. When we pray thank you, we are opening our eyes and hearts again to the blessed truth that God walks with us in every part of our journey. We are never alone; God’s strength and grace are always moving through us and with us.

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Updates from Chaplains on the Harbor: Homeless Plaintiffs Reach Settlement in Lawsuit Against the City of Aberdeen

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Early this year, a group of plaintiffs who lived along the Chehalis River filed a lawsuit as the city of Aberdeen announced its intentions to sweep and bulldoze their camps. Today, the city is settling with those plaintiffs. In the time since this lawsuit has been filed, it has become harder to survive as a homeless person in Aberdeen; you cannot rest on the sidewalks during the day, you cannot legally pitch a tent in most places, and public opposition around the issue has led to an increase in vigilante violence.

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Border Belongings: A Photographic Essay

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Photographic Essay: Border Belongings The public is invited to an art show at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church: 1515 Harrison Ave. NW; Olympia, WA, in their Gathering Space – noon to 4pm on Saturday, 30 Nov. and Sunday, 1 December. With permission of the artist, copies of photographs by Thomas Kiefer, from his collection “El Sueño Americano”, along with a multimedia contribution by artist Lucy Gentry, will be on display, sharing the realities of the U.S./Mexican border. As a janitor for Customs and Border Protection Mr. Kiefer found, through serendipity, the confiscated and discarded belongings of undocumented migrants.  Being a photographer, […]

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Bishop Greg on the Santa Clarita HS Shooting

I am deeply saddened by news of the shooting this morning at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, CA that has claimed the lives of two teenagers and injured three more. As is often the case in the immediate aftermath of such horrific events, we know very little about the shooter’s motivations and more details will doubtless be revealed in the coming days and weeks. And as is often the case, we will hear the usual litany of outrage and anger from our leaders, the same offering of thoughts and prayers for the victims and their families…

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