SPECIAL NewsFlash – Friday, May 1, 2020

As we continue to collectively respond to the COVID-19 situation, please see below new and ongoing information on SPUC’s response:

NEW

  • Please join us online for our May 3rd Sunday Service. The service starts at 10:30 a.m. but the room will be “opened” at 10:15 a.m. for a time of fellowship and connection. This week we will be celebrating Communion.  Please feel free to have juice, fruit, a cracker, bread or something else available as we take the elements together.
  • The Men’s Group will be meeting online on Saturday, May 9th at 9:00 a.m. for an hour of fellowship. All men are invited to bring their own pancakes and coffee and hang out on Zoom.  To access the link, please contact the Church Office 24 hours in advance.   See you there.
  • Materials to support your attendance at the May 10th CONGREGATION MEETING (see #3 below) have been posted online. To access these materials please contact the Church Office..
    • Water Issues  We continue to experience water issues at St. Paul’s. As previously advised, the approved residential development on the adjacent property has resulted in our storm sewer system being disconnected from the Town’s main storm line. This has resulted in ongoing ponding and flooding in our parking lot and the seepage of water into the church.  This problem has to be fixed. At the congregational meeting scheduled for May 10, 2020, we will be providing an update on the current situation along with recommendations for the construction and connection of a new storm sewer. This will include a discussion around the costs and required financing. As this is a very important issue for the church, we encourage everyone to participate in the meeting.  Submitted By Dave E
  • Do you or someone you know need support with accessing affordable food services during the pandemic? With the challenges of COVID-19 and the public health directives for social distancing, Community Care Durham is delivering nutrition to the tables of its clients and other vulnerable residents of Durham Region through a new service called the Community Food Box. With the support of local businesses and farms, CCD is currently assembling more than 170 food boxes, each containing the essentials for healthy eating. Food Boxes are delivered to clients by CCD volunteers and staff every Friday. Community Food Boxes can be purchased for $30.00. Order on Monday with free delivery of your Food Box to your door on Friday. Please call 1-888-255-6680 to order.

 

ONGOING

  1. Once again our Sunday worship service will be offered on a software platform called ZOOM which a number of Canadian churches are using as their communities of faith come together to worship using their computers or their phones.
    1. For links to the Zoom room and the bulletin, please visit the Worship page on the SPUC website.
    2. ZOOM has added a number of security features to their software platform to ensure your privacy. To learn more, please click HERE.
    3. To join on Sunday via your computer, simply Join Zoom Meeting by clicking on https://zoom.us/j/213251299 and follow the directions. For best results, please load Zoom via a CHROME browser.
    4. Please note that, again for security reasons, you will be placed in a Waiting Room when you first log on and brought into the call as your identity is verified. The chat feature on the call has been disabled and the meeting locked after 10 minutes after the service starts. Latecomers will not be admitted.
    5. If you don’t have a computer but you want to hear what is being presented, you can listen in by dialing 647-374-4685 or 647-558-0588 and enter Meeting ID: 213 251 299.
    6. Please remember to mute your audio once we start recording the service.
    7. If you aren’t able to join in, the services will be recorded and a link will be posted later in the week on the Worship page.
  2. SPUC Bible Studies are posted to the website. You can participate by clicking HERE.
  3. CONGREGATION MEETING – Sunday May 10th, immediately following the Sunday Worship Service, using the same Zoom connection.
    1. We will be hosting a very important congregation meeting immediately following our Worship Service on Sunday May 10th. So we’re hoping everyone will be able to just stay on the line after the Worship Service and we’ll try to keep the Congregation Meeting as short as possible. But we do have some important updates to share, and we need to get your approval on an urgent matter. So hopefully everyone is able to attend. Blessings, Stuart McLean, Chair of Congregation
  4. Starting May 1st please join Rev. Cordelia for a weekly drop in social time via Zoom every Friday between 1:30 and 2:30 pm. All welcome.
    1. To join the meeting please call the Church Office 24 hours in advance to get the logon information.
  5. SPUC’s Book Club is also using Zoom to meet each month. Please visit the Calendar page on the church website for information on all of these events.
  6. A reminder that the church building is CLOSED.
    1. If you need to enter the building, please call the church office 24 hours in advance and arrange a time so that we can ensure everyone’s safety by confirming that the building has been sanitized before you enter and after you leave.
  7. We are closely monitoring the evolving COVID-19 situation.  The health and safety of everyone at St. Paul’s United Church Ajax is our highest priority and primary concern.
  8. We are using the church website – www.stpaulsajax.org – and SPUC social media pages – Facebook/Twitter – to provide updates and more information on the status of church events.
  9. Rev. Cordelia is always available to offer pastoral support and guidance via the church office or email at revcordelia@stpaulsajax.org. 
  10. Rev. Cordelia has written a pastoral letter on coping with the isolation we may be feeling as we collectively follow the direction of public health leadership. To view the letter please head to the website and click on the Blog button.
  11. Even though the church building is closed, our shared responsibility to support the church through regular donations is still very important.
    1. If you are not on PAR, you can mail in a cheque or drop off you donations in a sealed envelope through the church mailbox on the south door. The mailbox is emptied on a daily basis.
    2. Or you can click on the Support St. Paul’s box on the home page and donate via our PayPal account.
  12. We have suspended production and distribution of The Epistle for the present time and will continue to use these SPECIAL NewsFlashs, the website, the phone tree and our social media accounts to share information.
  13. Do you have a facebook account? Have you joined the St. Paul’s United Church private facebook group yet? Look for https://www.facebook.com/groups/2355189071/ and send us a membership request. We’d be happy to have you join us in that space to share news and updates.
  14. You can always reach SPUC via the office at office@stpaulsajax.org or by leaving a message at 905-683-4740.
  15. The phone tree volunteers – Linda W, Helen D, Colleen M, Bernie R, Janette S and Diane F, Jeff and Katie W, Heather O, Dorothy W, Brad S and Grace S – are continuing to make weekly calls to share information and check in on people to see what support they need to stay healthy in their own homes.

IMPORTANT LINKS

  • Following and obtaining direction from accredited, factual and reliable sources is key to our shared response to this evolving situation.  The following links are provided for your information:
  • If you are in crisis there are places you can call for help:

A REMINDER

Please do your part to help flatten the COVID-19 curve. Stay home. Stay safe. Only go out once a week for essential items such as groceries or medications or have someone bring them to you. When you do out, stay at least 6’ away from people that you don’t live with. Listen to the direction from our health care professionals. Together we will get through this. Take care everyone.