The Coronacoaster

I don't know about you, but the monotony of Coronalife is getting to me. I had to laugh out loud when I saw this from The Onion the other day (a reprint of something from last year), because it totally sums up how I feel sometimes. There's lots to do, but little motivation at the moment.

 
I heard someone on NPR refer to this feeling as the Coronacoaster. One day you are happily baking banana bread, and the next day you're drinking Vodka for breakfast. I don't know from one day to the next where I'm going to be on the Coronacoaster!
 
Church is one of the bright spots in my weekly routine at the moment. I find I need that connection to you all more than ever. Even though I may not "see" you on Sunday, just knowing that everyone is there at worship with me, and being able to type out my greetings and sharing the peace have been meaningful. My involvement on the council and events like God's Work Our Hands are the life-giving water that I need to make it from one week to the next.
 
The council has been busy, and here are some of the things that are keeping us so:

• We are working through a formal process to be an Anti-Racist congregation by utilizing the Intercultural Diversity Inventory. You can learn more about this process here.
• Technology upgrades in the church are in progress (faster wi-fi and equipment that we need to broadcast the service once we are ready to return to in-person worship)
• Virtual Godly Play is coming soon.
• God's Work Our Hands is still happening! It will be a virtual food drive with Second Harvest. Here is the link to our food drive page. Our goal is $10,000.
• Ministry leads have been working with the Finance Ministry to get a jump on next year's budget. I feel like we are more prepared for the budgeting process than ever before.
• We have a Congregational Meeting coming up in Nov.
• We had a donation request from Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries. Because of the amazing gift we received from St. John's Lutheran in Sunnyvale ($100K) to be used for LGBTQIA+, we were able to pass along $5000 to this worthy ministry.
• We continue to explore options for the Parsonage. 
  

​
 
I pray that you will remain in "happily baking banana bread" mode until we meet again!

In Christ, 
Michael Flanagin