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eNews For The Week Of July 24, 2022

07.21.22 | News | by Site Admin

    This Week At Epiphany

    Tuesday 7/26: 5:00pm Disciple’s Dinner.
    Tuesday 7/26: 6:00pm Choir Practice.
    Tuesday 7/26: 7:00pm Centering Prayer and Contemplative Studies with Drue via Zoom.
    Wednesday 7/27: 11:00am Midweek Coffee Hour
    Thursday 7/28: 12:00pm Disciple’s Lunch.
    Sunday 7/31: 10:00am The Rev. Dr. Jeanine Driscoll will preside, Holy Eucharist, In-Person Only.

     Epiphany Sunday Morning Schedule

    August 7: The Rev. Dr. Jeanine Driscoll will preside, Holy Eucharist, In-Person Only.

    August 14: The Rev. Dr. Jeanine Driscoll will provide Holy Eucharist, we will have a Guest Speaker from our Vestry. In-Person Only.

    August 21: The Rev. Dr. Jeanine Driscoll will preside, Holy Eucharist, In-Person Only.

    August 28: Morning Prayer, NO Holy Eucharist, In-Person Only.

    September 4: Fr. Jon Returns, Holy Eucharist In-Person and via Zoom.

     


     Summer Information
    ( July & August )

     

    Fr. Jon is currently on sabbatical for the summer. He will be based out of his home in Santa Fe with some travel around the southern Rocky Mountains.

    The focus of his study during this time will be two of the "Five Diocesan Initiatives for Mission, Vitality and Baptismal Ministry" #3, Becoming Beloved Community and #5, Evangelism.

    The list of all five initiatives can be found 
    here . If you'd like to read Bishop Haynes' address to Annual Council regarding the Five Initiatives that link is here, or if you would prefer to watch the video of that address you can find it here.

    Clergy sabbaticals are a standard part of clergy Letters of Agreement in the Diocese and an important component to both clergy and congregational wellness. Fr. Jon will return Sunday, September 4th.


    Please remember that if you have any concerns or questions during the next couple of months, that Senior Warden Wanda Vaughan is available. You can contact her if you like by email at or call and/or text her at (434) 429-9599.

    The church office is OPEN. Jennifer Hooper will be here Monday - Thursday, 9:00am - 4:00pm.


    New COVID Implements Starting This Sunday, July 24, 2022

    As COVID cases increase in our area we have decided to start implementing the following protocols this Sunday, July 24th and going forward. These temporary protocols will change in accordance with our local case numbers.

    1. Wearing a mask is ENCOURAGED for all who attend on Sunday Mornings. Mask wearing is optional at this point and time but we appeal to your love of your neighbor and the need to protect our most vulnerable parishioners. 
    1. Communion will be your choice of either a World Communion Cup or Host only. There will be no common cup or intinction.

    *Masks will be available if you do not have one.

    Wanda Vaughan, Senior Warden and our Vestry

    Per the CDC and the Virginia Department of Health

    7/21/22: Pittsylvania County, currently a medium risk, in the past 7 days has seen an increase in cases. A daily average of 21 cases per day and a total of 153 cases over the past 7 days.

    7/21/22: Danville City, currently a medium risk, in the past 7 days, has seen an increase in cases. A daily average of 18 cases per day and a total of 126 cases over the past 7 days.

    Information from our Junior Warden, Jennifer White.

    Here are some factors that we should be aware of in addition to the hard numbers. 

    On CovidActNow for Danville, this town is rated as more vulnerable than 99% of US counties.  Factors include very high ratings for: crowded living and working conditions, population density, housing and transportation challenges, old age and health issues, and low income. 

    CovidActNow is a national, non-profit data center compiling daily information from county and state health departments and university medical centers including Harvard and Johns Hopkins.

    Still, only 53.7% of Danville residents have received 2 vaccine doses.  In an area where few people are routinely using masks, this is a significant risk factor for community spread.  Nationwide, people who are fully vaccinated are becoming infected with the Ba 5 subvariant and are requiring hospitalization at a higher rate than the omicron variant infections.  Ba 5 appears to be resistant to the vaccines provided over the last few years. 

    Local statistics as of today: 

    On March 23 of this year, new covid cases in Danville were 16.5 per 100,000 population, today that number is 327.1 per 100,000 population.  This is a huge increase in four months. 

    Be aware that case numbers are widely considered to be under-reported due to home testing and potential for positive results not being counted by the health department. 

    The local hospital ICU utilization remains stable at 85% but above that is considered a liability.  At the end of last year they were at 100% and people had to be transferred to other cities.  Covid hospital admissions on July 4 were 1.8% of all admissions, that number is now 4.1%, so, doubled in two weeks. 


    Coffee Hour Returns!
    Please join us Sunday, after the service in the Parlor for Coffee Hour hosted by David Hammack.

    Join Us for Midweek Coffee Hour!
    Wednesday, July 27th at 11:00am, Everyone is welcome and feel free to bring a friend.


    We are a sponsor of the
    Collaboration of Love: Back to School celebration.

    Volunteers are needed

    The Collaboration of Love: Back to School celebration will be held on Saturday, July 30, 2022 from 10:00am-2:00pm at 513 Worsham Street in Danville.  The Collaboration of Love is made up of various churches and organizations for the sole purpose of providing a positive community Back-to-School celebration where children and their families can fellowship with other members of the community while receiving some much-needed school supplies and finding valuable resources.

    Last year we provided school supplies for more than 500 children. We also provided food and clothes for 1000 additional family members and friends. Some of the highlights were children actively participated in learning CPR, dancing, people signed up for DCC’s job training program, and others signed up to be foster parents. 

    If you would like to volunteer, please contact Evie Jackson
    at 434-489-6736 or


    New Epiphany Facebook page is in the works!
    Thanks to Carrie Reeves Petrick, we will have a new Epiphany Facebook page in the near future. We still need your help by sending in pictures for the new page. If you have pictures from any events Epiphany has hosted or participated in the past year, please email them to


    No Sunday streaming this summer. We're sorry for the inconvenience but we will stream again when Fr. Jon returns (September 4th). Hopefully by then we will have a new sound system in place that will provide a much better experience for those who watch or listen to the service each week. 

    Wednesday Noon Holy Eucharist and Sacred Grounds Coffee will be taking break this summer, but both will start back up in the Fall when Fr. Jon returns.

    Confirmation & Church Membership

    Confirmation and new member classes will begin in September. This will not be a long process and will be engaging and interactive. If you are interested in being confirmed and joining the Episcopal Church (or even just curious about it) please call/email /text Fr. Jon.


    Usher/Greeters and Coffee Hour Hosts

    We still need people to volunteer to be Ushers/Greeters and Coffee Hour Hosts. To those who have already volunteered, a big thank you is in order!  Several weeks ago we sent out an email to those parishioners that had indicated they wanted to volunteer for these ministries. That email contained your link to sign up for the dates you can serve between June and December. 

    Please save that email so you can use your sign up link again for additional dates during that period. If you did not receive your email, can't find it, have any questions or if you would like to volunteer for these ministries, please contact Jennifer Hooper at either (434) 792-4321 ext. 3 or by email at 

    Parish Directory Now Available

    The parish directory is now available.  If you are in the directory you can have a directory. Please email the church office at  to get your copy. The directory is available in print or .pdf, please specify which you prefer.  Yes, you can have both. For those without email, phone calls work too. Your print bulletin with be available in the Narthex with your name printed on the front cover.

    Breeze Database Reminder

    As previously announced, we are beginning to expand the use of the church database. As we do some of you will begin to receive automated email reminders about various ministries for which you have signed up. Please bear with us as we fine tune this module of the database. If you have questions please contact Fr. Jon or Jennifer Hooper.


    Altar Flower Information for 2022

    This year we will use a part of our database that allows us to send reminders to those who signed up to provide altar flowers. They will receive an email reminding them of the date.  Also, email Jennifer what you would like for the dedication. 

    Please contact Nan Freed at (434) 792-6261 if you…

    1. would like to fill an open spot for this year. The months of January and February will be greens.

    2. would like a date on the calendar for 2023.

    3. would like an alternative date or cannot provide flowers for the date listed below.

     

    Birthdays this week: Dick Alwood (26th), Nina Wright (27th), and Keith Silverman (28th).

    Birthday Prayer

    Watch over your servants Dick, Nina, and Keith O Lord as their days increase; bless and guide them wherever they may be. Strengthen them when they stand; comfort them when discouraged or sorrowful; raise them up if they fall; and in their heart may your peace which passes understanding abide all the days of their live, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Anniversaries this week: None.

    Anniversary Prayer

    Gracious God, we lift up your servants (N. & N.) to you in thanks for your love. Guide them as they grow and surround them with your grace, that they may walk close to you and to each other always; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

    Parish Prayer List: Please complete the form in the weekly e-News by clicking the link  ”Submit A Prayer Request”. Once you complete the form you will receive an email confirmation of your entry and Fr. Jon will be notified via email. If you do not have access to do this online, as always you may call or text Fr. Jon at (434) 710-1933.

    This week we pray for: Barbara Bennett, John Webster, Pat Foster, John Fifield, Carolyn Hopkins, Robert Haraway, Alwyn Jones, Marilyn Gunter, Dean Cumbo, Dawn Deshazor, Todd & Kim Kidd, Sherry Swift, The Chernoff Family, Jay Hopkins, Larry Foster, Alicia Deshazor & Family, Kevin, Cindy, Justine, Phil Hasselvander, Drue Anderson, and Trina Payne.


    eNews and Newsletter Deadline:

    The deadline to have your content in this coming weeks publication is Wednesday at noon. Please email your content to be concise, about 50 words or fewer or about 4 to 5 lines. If you may need more space than that, please contact Jennifer before the deadline so that we can work together on a satisfactory solution.