My Dear Friends in Christ,

So many things about this COVID-19 crisis has been creating anxiety. Not only in us as individuals, but in our Diocese as a whole. Everything about how we do church has transformed in the last few months and as Canon Catherine said in her letter last week, we cannot let that go. COVID-19 has forced us to go inside, our homes and our hearts, in a way that we can take into these reopening procedures.

Catherine’s message last week was about finding new and imaginative ways to encounter God. Our goal in reopening is not to “go back to normal” because we can’t. Normal doesn’t exist anymore, and as scary as that is, it’s kind of exciting and challenging too. When I was a Resident Staff person at Camp Galilee, we were taught that the perfect intersection of challenge and skill is called Adventure. So, let’s adventure forward into this new world, with a new understanding of what and where church is and who God is calling us to be.

At the following link, you will find a list of requirements and expectations when it comes to worshiping God together, in person. Allow me to break it down a little bit first. Each parish will be expected to submit a proposal for reopening to the Diocese to be reviewed by me and our lovely Chancellor for approval. There is comprehensive list of things that we hope you will include in your plan. We are asking each Parish to apply individually because each building, each county, each town, each congregation, is vastly different. This diversity has been our challenge as we have been thinking about resuming community gatherings since this all started back in March.

As you consider if it is time for your congregation to submit a proposal for reopening, I challenge you to think about something else. What are you doing now that’s working really well? What kind of world and community has your congregation transformed into over these last several months? And what spiritual food are you going to feed the world going forward?

We are Episcopalian and Eucharist and community worship is hugely important as we think about how we interact with God, but these last months have taught us that we can have a more quiet and contemplative engagement with our Lord. How are you going to use this new found spirituality moving forward?

To me, these are more important questions than who are you going to hire to do the deep cleaning of our gathering space. So please, consider your options about gathering. Maybe small groups in homes is a better option for now. Maybe it makes more sense for you to meet outside at this time. Maybe, just maybe, what you are already doing is creating spiritual change in your flock in a way that you had not previously expected.

That all being said, I recognize that anxieties are running high and I fully anticipate that many of you will submit proposals within the week. Please be patient with as we review them. We will get back to you as soon as possible with our responses and questions.

Be thoughtful. Be patient. We are all just doing our level best.

Blessings,

Maggie Davidson, President of the Standing Committee

 

Episcopal Diocese of Nevada Reopening Requirements and Guidelines Requirements to submit a plan for review/approval. ? A 14-day downward or perfectly flat trend in COVID-19 cases is reported in your county or town as reported by the State of Nevada in its update beginning on Tuesday morning, June 16, 2020. ? Testing is reasonably available and being practiced in the city in which the parish is located. ? The nearest major hospital or regional medical center which would treat a positive case is doing so without yet being in “crisis mode.” ? Senior Clergy can ensure that reopening is in the spiritual and physical wellbeing of their parishioners. What we will be looking for in a proposed reopening plan (not all will apply to each church) ? A brief statement regarding the need to reopen by Senior Clergy or Lay Leadership. ? Plan to have an outside firm come in to do a deep cleaning of the church building/gathering spaces. ? Plan regarding regular deep cleaning. ? Plan for providing personal protective equipment (PPE) including hand sanitizer, masks, gloves, etc. ? Diagram of gathering space and plan for social distancing. ? Plan to mark off space in the building to ensure social distancing. ? Plan regarding the training of ushers to help ensure social distancing. ? Plan regarding managing the number of people who might attend each service. ? Please address any schedule changes to accommodate more/less services. ? Plan regarding what practices will be used for offering collection, communion, baptism, and greeting to ensure physical distancing and physical safety. ? Please address the following: Eucharist, the passing of the peace, music/singing. ? Plan for accommodating people who are unable or unwilling to attend in person at this time. ? Please address your more elderly or medically vulnerable people. 2 Suggestions for re-opening ? Can you hold church outside? If so, how? ? Can you hold small group church in people’s homes? ? Can you forego Eucharist and do Morning Prayer instead? ? Can you use taped music rather than live music and limit singing? Once you have a written plan, it can be submitted to the Diocesan Office and reviewed by the President of the Standing Committee and Diocesan Chancellor who will approve it or ask for more information. All requests will be handled in a timely manner. The Communications Director will follow up with each Parish weekly to provide assistance in following each approved plan. Any change to your approved plan will have to be submitted as an addendum and approved separately. For instance, if your original plan included Morning Prayer and you want to start doing Eucharist, an addendum would have to be submitted and approved.

Proposal Checklist ? Statement regarding the need to reopen ? Initial deep cleaning ? Regular deep cleaning ? PPE (hand sanitizer, gloves, masks, etc.) ? Diagram of gathering space ? Usher training ? Service attendance plan ? Schedule changes ? Liturgy plan/changes ? Eucharist ? Passing of the Peace ? Music/singing ? Other ? Accommodations for people not attending ? Elderly and medically vulnerable people

 

Dear all,

Father Frank Cowell, retired rector of St Paul's Elko, passed away Saturday, July 11, 2020 at around noon. He was in a hospital in Washington suffering from pneumonia and his sister was with him when he died.  

Frank's remains will be scattered in a favorite location in Hawaii.   At some point, St Paul's will hold a memorial for him but of course present constraints won't allow that just yet.

Grace be with you,

Leslie Chilton

Mark Koppe Sr.



Digital Worship in our Diocese 

 

 

  • Trinity Episcopal Cathedral Reno: Sunday services and Thursday Eucharists can be viewed via YouTube Channel or via Facebook Page. 
  • Wadsworth - St. Michael and All Angeles' & Nixon - St. Mary the Virgin: These two churches will combine for a joint ZOOM service for members this Sunday morning!
  • Boulder City - St. Christoper's: Morning Prayer online. Email stchristopherschurchbc@gmail.com" target="_blank">stchristopherschurchbc@gmail.com for details
  • Carson City - St. Peter's: Worship ON-LINE at 9 AM Sunday.; Procession Carson Middle School 10:30 AM Sunday; Online Services 7 PM Thursday, Friday, Saturday - Get Email invite here
  • Ely - St. Bartholomew's: Sunday communion via Zoom in conjunction with Christ Church Pioche
  • Fallon - Holy Trinity: ZOOM services - Sundays at 9:30 am and Wednesdays at 6:00 pm
  • Incline Village, St. Patrick's: Will have virtual services for the foreseeable future. Please check their home page here for service information
  • Las Vegas - All Saints'/Todos Los Santos: Sundays at 10:00 am (English) and at 11:45 am (Spanish) on Facebook Live here
  • Las Vegas - Christ Church/Cristo Rey: Services on Sundays via Facebook Livestream here (English [Rite II] 10:30, Misa en Español 12:30)
  • Las Vegas - Epiphany: Currently holding an 8:00 am drive in service in our parking lot and a 10:00 am livestream worship service available Facebook and YouTube (also on YouTube are daily messages form Fr. Rick)
  • Las Vegas - Grace in the Desert: Sunday Service and Lessons on YouTube with link posted on parish homepage here
  • Las Vegas - St. Luke's/San Lucas: Sunday meditation on the readings of the day in English at 10:00 a.m. and en Español at 11:00 a.m., both on Facebook.
  • Las Vegas - St. Matthew's/San Mateo - transcripts of some Sunday services (and a wonderful age of Stay-Home Activities) are posted on the parish's homepage here
  • Minden - Coventry Cross: Sunday services are held via ZOOM; find the latest information on their Facebook 
  • Pioche - Christ Church: Sunday communion via Zoom in conjunction with St. Bartholomew's Ely 
  • Reno - St. Catherine of Siena: Sunday Worship via Zoom each Sunday in May at 10:00 am PDT; full info available to members via parish's Daily Digest emails 
  • Sparks - St. Paul's: Sunday Mornings (10 am) and Wednesday Night Prayer (8 pm) via their Facebook

 

Social Media Tips

Before you post, ask yourself a few questions:

Do I know this is factual? Do your research

before you post and add the source.

What is my motivation for posting it? Ask

yourself the source of your emotional

response.

 
 
Bishop Jim's Message to the Church in Nevada

 
Dear Friends in Christ,
 
As we approach this weekend, I am keenly aware that our Sunday worship will occur in settings other than our church buildings; a situation necessitated by the threat of the COVID-19 Virus.
 
While I regret this restriction and will immediately welcome in-person gatherings as soon as possible, I continue to be thankful that we can participate in worship in substantial, unifying ways via electronic media through virtual offerings available online and spiritually meaningful.
 
Though I wish we could return to familiar worship in our church buildings sooner rather than later, to do so prematurely, would be to discard or minimize our very calling to be the Body of Christ, a community grounded in promoting life, health, and hope for all.

With the a target of early July in place to determine the next phase in the process of returning to our church buildings, the diocesan staff and I will be providing this coming week to the clergy the prescribed specific steps to be taken to cleanse and sanitize our church buildings.
 
With thanksgiving for our life-giving ministries in this Diocese, I look forward to next steps and new possibilities. May God blessings and peace be with us and all we are called to serve.
 
Faithfully yours
+Jim

 
Office of Public Affairs
 
 
 
Statement from Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry on President Donald Trump's use of a church building and the Holy Bible
 
 
[June 1, 2020] The following is a statement from Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Michael Curry:
 
This evening, the President of the United States stood in front of St. John's Episcopal Church, lifted up a bible, and had pictures of himself taken. In so doing, he used a church building and the Holy Bible for partisan political purposes. This was done in a time of deep hurt and pain in our country, and his action did nothing to help us or to heal us.
 
The bible teaches us that "God is love." Jesus of Nazareth taught, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." The prophet Micah taught that the Lord requires us to "do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God."
 
The bible the President held up and the church that he stood in front of represent the values of love, of justice, of compassion, and of a way to heal our hurts. 
 
We need our President, and all who hold office, to be moral leaders who help us to be a people and nation living these values. For the sake of George Floyd, for all who have wrongly suffered, and for the sake of us all, we need leaders to help us to be "one nation, under God, with liberty and justice for all."
 
The Most Reverend Michael B. Curry
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
 
On the web:
Statement from Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry on President Donald Trump's use of a church building and the Holy Bible


Message From Bishop Jim


On Wednesday, May 27th, Assisting Bishop Jim Waggoner wrote a brief communiqué to the Clergy of the Diocese of Nevada to relay a decision not to reopen church buildings at this time. This is the text of Bishop Jim's message: 

Dear Friends in Christ,

 

As I have been in communication with other Bishops in Province VIII, with our Chancellor, clerics and diocesan staff members, I have made the decision to keep our church campuses closed.  Coronavirus numbers continue to climb in Nevada, and protocols from the CDC and other health agencies prescribe safety procedures for reopening churches that we are not yet able to meet.  Liability issues are also considered in this decision, along with the health and welfare of our parishioners.  The decision about how and when to reopen our parish buildings will be revisited in early July.  Throughout June, no gatherings may be held on church property in the Diocese of Nevada.    Please be assured that detailed information about reopening your campuses will be given to you when the time is appropriate.  In the meantime, may you and your parish continue to grow in depth of love, patience and compassion through this time of sacrifice.

 

Bishop Jim

 

 

From Bishop Jim
Re: Reopening of our parish churches for in-person worship


Dear Friends in Christ,
 
Word has come that President Trump has ordered houses of worship be opened this weekend. 
 
To avoid confusion and misunderstanding, I note, without exception, that the President's "order" does not apply to our current practice of churches in this Diocese being closed to gathering for public worship. All churches remain closed to congregational gathering until further notice from our own Diocese that I will convey without delay when circumstances allow.
 
As we continue to hold our President and all global leaders in our prayers, let us continue to pray for healing and health for all.
 
Faithfully yours in Christ,
 
+Jim
 

 

Venture Express

 

C

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church

777 Sage Street, Elko, NV 89801

http://stpaulselko.org       T: 775-738-3264

________________________________________________________

Our companion diocese, the Diocese of Machakos, Kenya, may not be familiar to you.  Here’s your introduction !

The Right Reverend Joseph Mutungi, Bishop

The companion diocesan relationship, whereby churches and members expand their understanding of one another and nurture long-lasting friendships at all levels of the Church, commits to:

 

  • to assist each other to live our Anglican identity in proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel in our local communities and within our cultural contexts. 
  • our dioceses to pray regularly for the welfare of one another and to bear the burdens of one another as we are able with God´s help.

 

O God, who created all peoples in your image, we thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in this world. Enrich our lives by the ever-widening circles of fellowship, through our companion relationship with the Diocese of Machakos in Kenya and the Diocese of Nevada in the USA.  Show us your presence in those who differ most from us, and allow us to learn from each other with open hearts and minds; through Christ our lord.  Amen.

 
 
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