Boston Presbytery Newsletter for Feb 4

COVID-19 Vaccine and Imagining What Comes Next
New Date!

We have just gotten used to worshipping online, managing zoom, and understanding COVID-19 safety protocols--and now the vaccine is beginning to roll out. If there is any space left in our brains, we are beginning to wonder what the return to worshipping in person might look like. Pandemics, it is said, end with a whimper rather than a bang. What will all this mean for our churches?

Join Rev. Meagan Manas, Pastor of the Clinton Presbyterian Church in Clinton, MA, and her colleague Sean McHugh, RN for a webinar on the vaccine and imagining a return to gathering in person on Wednesday, March 3 from 11-12. Meagan and Sean work for an organization called MassSupport Network that is providing support in coping with the COVID-19 pandemic. Sean and Meagan will present the science of the vaccine and how it will impact the risk of gathering in person, and help us think about a values-based process for "re-gathering."

Click here to register in advance for this meeting

Prayer Concerns

We recently learned that the daughter of Rev. Alison Moore (former pastor of First Brookline) died on Jan. 3 after almost three years of battling cancer. You can read her full obituary here.

You can send cards to Alison at her new address:

Alison Moore
85 Adams St., Apt 15D
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Possible Vaccine Doses Available

We have been notified that St. Elizabeth's Medical Center has extra vaccine doses that they are offering to local clergy.

St. Elizabeth’s would like to offer the opportunity for any of our interested clergy to receive the 2-dose COVID vaccine here at no cost to you. The signup process will be very easy – you will simply call 877-358-8794, identify yourself as a local clergy member, and they will register you over the phone. The hope is to get interested people in this week or next week for their first dose.

Once you dial that number, press 2 for Massachusetts and then 5 for St Elizabeth's.

New! Ordination Anniversaries in February:
Hee An Choi 2/23/03
Virginia Coakley 2/08/15
Justus Fennel 2/25/57
Dennis Friedrich 2/25/79
Su Young Kim 2/19/17
Wayne Parrish 2/16/86

Congratulations and thank you! If your ordination anniversary is not listed when it should be, or is listed incorrectly, please send your information to: office@presbyteryofboston.org

New! Website Redesign: Our website has been reorganized so that the items most people look for on it are all linked to on the main home page. Within eight large ovals you will find links to the most commonly used resources.

Job Openings: The Barnet Presbyterian Church is in search of a full-time pastor. They are a rural church in Northern Vermont in a town of about 1700 residents. They offer housing and a salary commensurate with experience. Please visit their website for a copy of their MIF or you can apply on the Presbyterian Church Leadership Connection website.

The United Presbyterian Church of Whitinsville is looking to hire a part-time Administrative Assistant. More information, including instructions on how to apply, can be found on our website.

Directory Changes: The format of the directory was recently changed to an Excel Workbook accessible online through Google Sheets. The 5 sections of the directory have been separated into 5 different sheets, making it easier to search the directory for whatever information you seek. For those who prefer using a PDF similar to the old format of the directory, the entire workbook can be downloaded as a PDF. All this can be found on our website.

Note for all Clergy: Rev. Susan DeHoff has written a letter to clergy in the Presbytery regarding what pastors can do to help the Presbytery handle the financial stress it is facing. Click here to read the letter. Individual pledge forms related to the call in the letter can be found on our website here.

Virtual Choir Resources: The recording of the virtual choir tutorial and other resources related to virtual worship are available under "Worship Resources" on the PNNE website.

Connect Throughout the Week: We have two opportunities during the week to connect for support and encouragement. The login information can be found in the Presbytery calendar on the website.

Mondays at 10:00 am
Tuesdays at 3:00 pm

Black Church + White Domestic Terrorism: Mass Council of Churches staff held a special Facebook Live talk with Rev. Dr. Terrlynn Curry Avery, pastor of the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Presbyterian Church which experienced a recent arson attack. You can view the archived video here. You can still donate to the church's recovery at this link.