Dear St. Andrew Family,
On behalf of Associate Pastor Nick Gonzalez, our church staff and our Board of Directors, I wish you all the blessing, peace, and comfort of Christ in the continuing days of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also thank you for your worship online, your faithful offerings given electronically and by mail, and your participation in the nurturing and caring ministries which we have been able to offer in keeping with appropriate safety measures in these days.
I also want to send a personal word of thanks for the many cards and other messages our family has received following the recent passing of my brother, Dan. We have felt your sympathy and love as we mourn, give thanks to God for Dan and, like so many throughout the world, wait for a time when we can gather together to celebrate his life in Christ. In the midst of our sadness, it has been wonderful to receive from you the message I’ve so often been privileged to proclaim, and once again we are uplifted by its encouraging power coming through your hearts and words. Thank you so very much!
Finally, allow me to clarify that, while Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has announced the first stage of the state’s reopening which does include the possibility of outdoor worship services as well as indoor services with limited capacity and other restrictions, Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich has declared, with the governor’s authorization, that our county is not ready to enter Stage 1 and so remains under all current restrictions.
Therefore, while St. Andrew’s ministry continues, our church facility must remain closed until further notice.
When restrictions are lifted in Montgomery County, please know that we will provide detailed information and guidelines to you about the number, content, capacity, and on-campus locations of our “in person” services and any other activities ahead of time, so that everyone will have the opportunity to prepare and make informed decisions with respect to the best time and place to worship. While circumstances can change, it is also likely that St. Andrew will continue to offer a virtual worship experience online even when “in person” worship opportunities are re-introduced in order to provide spiritual nourishment to as many people as possible during the interim, even as we hold fast to our vision of a day when we can once again be a church full of people gathered in praise of the Risen Christ!
May God bless and keep you all as we walk by faith and remain united in Christ, and “may the Lord watch over us while we are apart from one another!” Genesis 31:49
The Lord be with you+
Love,
Pastor Hricko