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ur convention theme this year refers to the work of the Church in the midst of a global pandemic. We are rebuilding community, repairing relationships, and reimagining mission. The stories submitted make concrete how adaptation, creativity, and new technologies have enabled joyful and transformative ministry to continue – even when we could not physically gather, or moved the action outside. While we mark the personal losses of COVID-19, the deaths, the disruption, and
St. Andrew's Reimagines Mission with a Good News Garden Jen Greene St. Andrew's, Longmeadow
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n our work of reimagining mission at St. Andrew’s, and in response to social distancing while wanting to help our neighbors, we decided to start a Good News Garden. Longmeadow provides some open land for residents to garden. Our parish was able to secure 1,000 square feet of a tilled, sunny plot in the Community Garden for a very small annual stipend. This plot gives our parishioners a chance to connect with others in a COVID-safe way, while growing food for others. We are partnering with Rachel’s Table, a program of the Jewish Federation of
the disappointments, we can rejoice in the elasticity of the Jesus Movement and the faithfulness of Holy Spirit in our time. We are grateful to the congregations who answered our call for content. These three communities found new ways be the Church and be present in a time of profound absence. I thank you for sharing your good news with our diocese. ♦ - The Rev. Vicki Ix, Managing Editor
Western Massachusetts, to distribute everything we grow to local food pantries, soup kitchens, and other feeding programs. This new mission ministry in our community can feed the hungry, partner with local community organizations, and engage local gardeners, and best of all, call our parish back to the earth. We began with a core group of church volunteers who gathered supplies, solicited donations, planted the starter plants, set up the irrigation system, laid down mulch and weed
control, fertilized the plot, and pruned plants as needed. We provide the parish with weekly updates in the church bulletin and regularly ask for help with the weeding and donations of lawn mower clippings for mulch and weed control. Another benefit of this project is increased visibility and outreach for our parish. Each time we visit the garden plot, we talk to the other local residents tending their plots. We always make new friends, talk about the church and its various ministries, and even have donations coming in from outside our parish. Many of the gardeners don’t use all of the produce they grow and are delighted to learn about donating their extra vegetables to our distributor. It’s a big win all around. This is our first year with this ministry and we’re very excited about the possibilities for service and outreach. We’ll learn a lot these first few years, and we’re off to a great start. ♦ ABUNDANT TIMES
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