EVERY SUNDAY: Online service Live at 10am on Facebook Halifax Lutheran Church
CURRENT events- online + IN PERSON
COVID 19 updates as of September 2021
HYBRID CHURCH SERVICES -Every Sunday beginning September 5, 2021 *
* as long as provinical health directives remain the same
* Hybrid means INPERSON and ONLINE simultaneously
COMMUNION - 1st and 3rd Sundays of each month. For those of you participating online from your homes please watch this invitation to Communion.
Dear Congregation,
Church council has been meeting monthly and continues to keep up to date on provincial and synodical restrictions and protocls. Leadership remains commited to flexibility as circumstances change. There is a communal understanding that congregation members have each changed over the past year. Some of us look older, have had significant health issues, are grieving, grown in faith, have a different outlook on life...
Patience and kindness are asked of everyone.
Moving forward everything will not start all at once. Ministry continues as it has through pandemic and will change to inperson as time goes by. Other groups like Sunday School will begin in time.
EVENTS:
* CONFIRMATION CLASSES - for those who are in their second year, classes continue in the parsonage yard. For the next group of confirmation students, classes will begin sometime after Thanksgiving.
* SOCIAL CIRCLE - HOLY CONVERSATION - the parsonage yard will be open at specific times (TBA) for congregation members to reacquaint themselves with each other. Next circle: Wed. Sept. 16, 1:00-2:30pm
If it rains the gathering will move into the hall.
* PASTORAL VISITS - one on one visits for pastoral care and spiritual direction can be arranged for the parsonage backyard office. If the weather is nasty the visit can move to the hall.
NOTE - Pr. Kimber is double vaccinated and while rapid tests are available is tested every 2-3 weeks. She continues to wear her mask when visiting, so as not to transfer germs from one place to another.
Peace, hugs, and Son-shine,
Kimber +
TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING UP - UPDATES
To participate in ongoing online events (Bible Studies and other) ask to join the email distribution list, and/or connect via Facebook Group "Halifax Lutheran Church."
Beverage and Bible Book Club
1st Wednesday of each month ( Aug. 4, Sept. 1) ---- 7-8:15pm via Zoom
Each month we read the Book (of the Bible) being read by ELCIC churches across the country. We gather to discuss the book from the comfort of our own homes, with our favourite beverage in hand.
In Aug we are reading Revelation - to talk about Sept 1.
Zoom invite goes out via email to the church email list. To be added to the email list simply email the church.
LENT-EASTER 2021
ASH WEDNESDAY - Feb. 17, 2021
7:30pm AST
We are participating in the SYNOD-WIDE service. Bishop Michael Pryse will be preaching and preciding.
LENT THEMES
Sojourners in the Land...
Sunday worship explores land from various voices (poetry/text): biblical land and themes of sojourning, poetry from the East Coast (African Canadian and Mi'kmaq); and our sojourning on land that is older than human experience.
In Community....
as people of God we are people of relationship. Sojourning through relationships comes with joys and sorrows. See below for mid-week service details exploring this theme.
COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES
Friday Friends with Pr.Kimber
Friday Friend YouTube videos begin again for the season of Lent. Suzy reads (and uses props) to tell the Gospel stories for Ash Wed, 5 Sundays of Lent, and PalmSunday.
(The stories are already posted on the church's YouTube channel).
DIY Crafts for Lent
Pr. Kimber has recorded a number of crafts for your journey through Lent.
Mid-Week Lent Service – Theme: IN COMMUNITY
Each Wednesday of Lent, a reflective service via YouTube will be shared.
The invitation to Lent spoken on Ash Wednesday reminds us that we enter this season together “with the whole church;” and a little later says, “we are created for communion with the God, to love one another, and to live I harmony with creation.” This Lent we take time for deepening community.
In community – with creation; with all the saints; with our neighbour; with those on the margins; with Christ.
EASTER CRAFTS- EASTER MESSAGES FOR OUR NEIGHBOURS
Consider making a craft to bring colour and hope to the church garden and neighbourhood. Painted rocks, pinwheels, wind chimes, flag chains, flowers. Include on your craft words of hope, love, resurrection, grwoth, life, joy.
HOLY WEEK SCHDULE
Holy Monday, Holy Tuesday, Holy Wednesday
7:30am Facebook (FB) live service
MAUNDY THURSDAY -April 1 - an at home liturgy "Maundy Thrusday Prayer Journey and Accompanying Rituals." A pdf of the service is in the download section below.
A FB live presentation of the service will happen from Pr. Kimber's house, 7pm
Throughout the day on FB hymns will be posted to walk us through the day.
GOOD FRIDAY April 2 - 10am IN PERSON worship as well as on FBlive
EASTER VIGIL April 3 - 9am, noon, 6pm, and 9pm
Each of these hours will be marked by a reading and hymn. Available on the Halifax LUtheran Church Youtube channel and in Halifax LUtheran Church group on FB
EASTER WORSHIP April 4 - 10am IN PERSON with communion (bread only) as well as on FBlive
if you plan on attending in person please register by emailing the church. People are asked to register to accommodate as many people as the COVID seating arrangement allows.
ANNual Congregational meeting
ACM is scheduled for Feb.7, 2021!
Because of the constraints on gatherings imposed by the pandemic, we are moving to an email/video format for this year’s meeting. With the co-operation of the congregation, we would like to limit our business this year to the bare necessities in hopes that we can deal with any other issues next year - in person.
Our hope is that all church members can absorb the relevant documents and presentations and vote via email to enable us to continue Resurrection Lutheran’s mission of serving Christ, one another and the broader community.
Here’s the timeline we’re looking at:
Feb. 5: Annual meeting financial and other reports to be sent out via email. If you don’t have access to an email account, please contact Pastor Kimber at 902-223-0220.
Feb. 7: Motions under consideration to be sent out via email along with a link to an informational YouTube video from Pastor Kimber, our treasurer, Terry Norman, and me.
Feb. 8: Beginning at 6:30 p.m., an open meeting with council and church members via Zoom (requires a computer or cellphone) for questions and discussion. Questions can also be sent via email on this day.
Feb. 9 and 10: Church members are asked to vote, via return email, for or against motions “on the floor.”
The votes will be counted on Feb. 11 and the result of the vote will be emailed to members on Feb. 12.
Despite the unusual annual meeting format, we are hoping many members will take part in the procedure and will, as usual, continue to support and encourage the work of our congregation.
NOTE - for the ACM we will be using the email: halifaxlutheranchurch@gmail.com