In our continuing weekly series highlighting the ministries of our parish, this week we will focus on the the ministry of our in-person and online greeters.

The ministry of greeting is really important in the life of our church.

The greeters are the first people we see when we enter the building, or join online. They welcome us back and ensure that we have everything we need to be able to participate in worship. They are the first to welcome new comers and help orient them to our liturgy and building. They sit at the back so that they can ensure that anyone who arrives a little bit late still feel welcome and comfortable coming in.

They help me by counting how many people we have in worship and they bring the offering forward in worship so that we can collectively give thanks for what we give. 

Historically we have only ever had a ministry of greeting in-person. But the pandemic changed that with the emergence of zoom participation in worship, and because of the significant investment that St. Annes' made in our technology, we have been able to continue to welcome people from home when they are too ill or just unable to join us in-person, or when they live too far away to be able to get here. So, we have two greeting teams, one in-person and this team is made up of Maureen Liew, Harold Shury, Ivy Choung and Amanda Hansen. And we have an online team that includes: Gail Newell, Sara Miller, Rae Seay, Brigitte Solomon and Cedric Tetzel. 

Today we are hearing from Amanda Hansen and Gail Newell about why it's important to them to pariticipate in this ministry.

I hope you enjoy learning with me about the many ways that people are participating in the life of our church and the reasons why they do it. 

With gratitude for our ministry together,

Marnie

Why I decided to join the ministry of greeters at St Anne's. 

I honestly feel a sense of belonging and family whenever I enter St. Anne's. I believe a large part of that comes from the loving and genuine reception from the Sunday greeters who hand me the order of service, welcoming me with a smile and open heart. When I was approached to consider joining this ministry, it simply felt right.

Extending a genuine smile, offering a handshake or hug, and providing a friendly greeting can make churchgoers and newcomers feel welcome, safe and accepted.

This role allows me to serve others and contribute to the overall well-being of St. Annes’s. By assisting people in finding their way around the church, answering their questions, or providing general support, you can offer practical assistance to those who may need it.

I love meeting and interacting with our church community's diverse and fascinating individuals, engaging in meaningful conversations, and learning about different backgrounds and perspectives while developing new friendships. These connections foster a sense of belonging and strengthen the bonds within St. Anne’s.

I have also noticed that my faith has flourished in becoming a greeter. I receive far more than I give. I feel honoured to be part of the St. Anne's family. Something special goes on within and outside of the walls of our parish because of the people in our congregation. I encourage anyone to consider this role within our community. It is rewarding and fulfilling. An opportunity to make a positive difference in someone's day is beyond measure.

When the pandemic shut down our building, St. Anne’s chose to keep our community going in the most
interactive way possible.

The cross is made of two bars. The vertical bar we can think of as leading us to God and the horizontal bar leads us to each other. We at St. Anne’s feel this horizontal relationship is very important. So instead of “Live Streaming” which meant people at home could only watch the service, St. Anne’s chose to adopt Zoom as a means of enabling the relationships with each other to continue.

While the ‘Zoom monitor’ was implemented to keep our online community safe from angry
individuals who wanted to disrupt good things, I see this ministry as more of an ‘Online Greeter’.

The in church greeter welcomes people to the building and helps newcomers get oriented. The online
greeter welcomes people online and helps them with aspects of Zoom such as muting those that
accidentally unmute themselves in the service. I have also chatted with people offline who have needed
extra help getting comfortable with Zoom.

Our after the service zoom ‘coffee time’ is fun. It has given me opportunity to get to know people I did
not know or know well before the pandemic.

It is wonderful that we are able to meet in person again but I still see a place for our Zoom community.
It has enabled people to be part of the community from afar. We have regulars joining us from Ottawa,
South Carolina, Victoria and other parts of the world. People can also attend when they are on vacation.
The connection from Africa is admittedly not so robust.

If you are comfortable greeting people we can teach you how to do it on Zoom and would love to have a
few more helping out with this ministry.

Readings for next Sunday include

Gen 22:1-14; Ps 13; Rom 6:12-23; Mt 10:40-42

Bible study is now on hiatus until September.

You are once again invited to join me for our St. Anne's summer book club!

This July, we will be reading the book 'Unapologetic: Why, despite everything Christianity can still make surprising emotional sense', by Francis Spufford.

Written in 2012, this book is still makes a really helpful case for why our Christian faith can still make sense for us. 

There are some extra copies in the office available for loan or to buy for $20.00.

Discussions about the book will be hosted in person on Wednesday July 26, in-person at 10:30am or online via Zoom at 7pm 

Our annual summer BBQ is happening again this year!

Once more Jim Greatbanks and his wife Aman Gill have offered thier home to us and we hope that you can come!

So, save the date and please sign up outside the office so that we know how much food to plan for.

There is a sign up sheet outside the office.

Marnie is away this week attending the national meeting of our General Synod. If you would like to know more about General Synod you can check it out and even watch the proceedings online by clicking here