Communique from Bishop Pryse

June 3, 2022

Grace to you and peace,

With the arrival of warmer weather, many congregations are actively planning for a fulsome schedule of summer activities and events. Some of these cherished programs haven’t occurred since 2019. There is a palpable sense of excitement and renewed energy across our Synod! Thanks be to God!

It seems timely, therefore, to provide an update regarding our suggested best practices intended to ensure a safe and meaningful experience for all.

• While we no longer ‘require’ the wearing of masks, we remain strongly supporting of their continued use.
• In keeping with current provincial regulations, physical distancing is no longer required.
• We encourage you to resume the distribution of wine by way of individual cups. Distribution by intinction or common cup remains discouraged. We highly suggest that the rostered leader continue to wear a mask while presiding at the table to prevent droplets from spreading to the bread and wine.
• Indoor and Outdoor social gatherings are permitted, where public health directives regarding the serving of food are followed. Please consult with your local public health unit for the directives in your area.
• Children’s and Youth programming, such as Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and Youth Group may resume.

My guidance to our synodical community is for good and careful decision making at the local level. There is no one-size-fits-all model, and you are best positioned to gauge the readiness of your community to resume in-person activities and events. And remember, that the rate at which people feel comfortable resuming in-person events may be slower than we hoped. That is OK! I remain grateful for the faithfulness with which you engage the process of due diligence! Thank you for showing love to your congregation and community through these careful actions. 

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me, or to my colleagues in the office. We are always happy to help. 

May God bless you in your planning and preparations!

Bishop Michael

NEED TECH SUPPORT?

There’s a new program called enTECH@home that provides phone- and email-based tech support to anyone who may need a bit of technology help. This service is entirely free, and run by University of Waterloo student volunteers. 

“We are happy to provide support to anyone who contacts us – this service is available to you no matter where you live or how old you are. We are happy to provide support to community members living in retirement homes and long-term care homes.”

Services are currently only offered in English. We are looking into providing support in other languages.

Common issues include:

• Problems with video calling
• Setting up an email account
• How to use YouTube
• Joining online religious services
• Other technology issues

A volunteer will make two attempts to contact you, after which we would ask you to reconnect with us and provide your updated availability. (http://www.entech.club, accessed Feb18,21)

Details are in enTECH’s graphic below.