Dear Fellow Parishioners,
With the Diocese of Washington closed until at least mid-May and much of our city and its surrounding areas shut down, we find ourselves in a situation that is unprecedented. Please know that during this time, St. John’s is taking what steps it can to make sure our staff and all members of our congregation are taken care of spiritually, physically, and financially.
- Last week, the Vestry voted unanimously to affirm that the clergy and staff are a top priority and that they will all be paid their regular wages throughout this crisis.
- We have introduced a number of online services and classes to meet your spiritual needs, including weekly Sunday worship, a noonday prayer service for weekdays, virtual bible study, youth group and church school, and more. Even the choirs are meeting virtually to stay connected! Additional information, including how to access each of these services, can be found here.
- The Pastoral Care committee is reaching out to parishioners by telephone and email and in the coming days we will be rolling out a service to connect parishioners in need with those who are able to help.
While we have rightly been focusing on supporting our church community, we feel it is our responsibility as wardens to also speak about the financial health of the church.
As you can imagine, closing the church for two months will have a significant impact on our finances—particularly with the church closed over Holy Week and Easter. Our loose plate offering typically averages $2,200 per week and the Easter offering typically approaches $15,000.
In light of these losses, we are asking for your help. If you are able to accelerate your pledge payments, we would be most grateful. If you’re able to increase your pledge for 2020, or make an additional gift to offset the loss of plate offerings, all the better.
Since the parish is still closed, mail is being held by the post office. So while you can mail a check, know that processing of your payment will be delayed.
You can also make a payment via credit card or direct debit from your bank account via our website. Simply click on the “Give” button in the top right corner. Alternatively, you can give via your mobile device by texting STJDC to 73256.
If you have questions about your account or need assistance making a payment, feel free to contact our financial secretary, Preston Cherouny.
Please know how grateful we are for your support, and more importantly, how honored we are to be a part of this great parish with all of you.
We’re in this together.
Faithfully,
Paul Barkett, Senior Warden
Jeff Hantson, Junior Warden
