"This is my command—be strong and courageous!
Do not be afraid or discouraged.
For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9 (NLT)
If you would have told us at the dawning of Advent in 2019 that a global pandemic would derail the worship and missional life of our little parish-in-formation for the better part of two years, I don't know that anyone who worshipped with us would have believed you. My guess is that many of us can say that concerning many aspects of life. Work and school, relational and in the interior life... not much has gone unaffected by the COVID pandemic. As we now move into another winter with this disease surging and dropping in fits and starts, the time has come to embark on a new year with a new sense of purpose, a new direction, and with clear intent.
Since September of 2014, our family (and, since 2017, our parish) has been privileged to call Aspen Trace in Bargersville our home for worship, and to form deep friendships with many residents over the years. When I got the call in March of 2020 that the facility was going on COVID protocol, I - like so many others - believed we'd be gone a few weeks... perhaps a month... surely, back in time for Easter. It wasn't until Pentecost of 2021 that we returned, and by early August, a mere two and a half months after returning, prudence required us to step away again in order to ensure that the residents were as safe as possible. While we had hoped to return to Aspen Trace again, it has become clear that, for the foreseeable future, worshipping together in a health care facility (be it Aspen Trace or any other) is an untenable proposition. Therefore, Saint Mary's will be making an intentional transition over the next several months as we seek out God's will for our church plant, and make decisions concerning our future.
Please join us in prayer as we ask God for guidance in the next phase of our parish life, and keep watch on this space over the coming weeks and months as we share the journey with you.