Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
The second week of heat sheltering is drawing to a close. I have found it to be a wonderful blessing. I’m also noticing that our members are walking around with our heads held a little higher, knowing that we are doing the Lord’s work together in such a wonderful way. Given all the controversy in our denomination, that’s not a bad things for us Episcopalians!
Anyhow - here’s how the program has worked here at St. Stephen’s this past week.
I started Sunday before last by posting a sign up sheet in grid-form. it was all filled out within 30 minutes after the last service that sunday, with the exception of 4 slots which I filled myself. it included the following tasks:
2 screeners for each night - 5:30 to 6:00 PM at the Depot. we ask people to show us their pockets and their bags to see if there is any contraband. that would include at least drugs, alcohol, weapons. so far nobody has carried any such items. we also screen for sobriety (or a reasonable facsimile thereof - meaning that if in my judgment a person, though under the influence, will behave herself, she can be admitted with the understanding that if she misbehaves, she must leave (not just for the night - but for the rest of the winter). so far this hasn’t happend - though in Chad’s week, one person did come close.
2 chaperones, on duty from 6:00 PM until 7:00 AM
entry into the parish hall. guests make their beds and secure their belongings
Dinner server(s): 6:30 PM dinner is served. we hold hands in a circle to say grace - and I have asks the cooks for the evening to say the grace as a way of thanking them for providing the evening’s food. (for our poorer members I have also offered to pay for the groceries is necessary - so far only one person has needed to accept that offer - I found it to be a blessing to her that she could contribute her offering of time and talent)
Then follow games, movies, homework, etc until lights out at 10:00. about half the guests go right to sleep after dinner, some stay up for games and/or movies.
Bag lunch volunteer to make lunches for guests. we had our chaperones call our lunch person, who then made lunches that night and brought them in either later that night or the next morning.
Breakfast team has breakfast ready at 6:00 AM.
Guests depart at 7:00 AM.
laundry volunteers wash sheets and blankets. we’re doing that 3 times a week. Bcause our guests dont have shower facilities available to them, this needs to be done on a regular basis.
All supplies are with the program. they include: air mattresses, air pumps, blankets, sheets, pillows, towels, games, records on guests. we have had a minimum of 4 guests and a max of 8.
Because we are within walking distance of the depot, we didn’t need to provide transportation to and from the site. that may be a consideration for you.
Please volunteer to take a week. City on the Hill Church and Mountain View are each taking a turn, using St. Stephen’s, as they don’t have facilities of their own. Our facility will be cold sometime after Christmas, as the boiler will be replaced at that time. So it’s critical that some of you do this especially then. I have found it to be a great blessing to our church - the people who have helped have been enriched by the experience. the youngest helper has been 8 - the oldest 85. The tasks are broken down in such a way that anyone and everyone can do something.
Attached are my notes from the sermon I used to kick this thing off.
If I were to preach on this theme now, I might develop more around an inkeeper’s theme, wondering if there’s room enough for Jesus in our inn.
Please consider this carefully. This ministry is more than any one of us can do - but together, each of us taking a turn, it can be done, I think, rather easily.
Rev. Michael Gray