COVID-19

Pastoral Letter Regarding Updated COVID-19 Guidelines

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December 29, 2021

Dear Siblings in the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana,

Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people!

As we face a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalization rates in our area and the arrival of the new Omicron variant to Indiana, it is important that we revisit our diocesan COVID-19 guiding principles. As you may know, the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana is spread across 31 counties. The Indiana COVID-19 Dashboard and Map advisory level graphic was updated this afternoon. It currently reports that 19 of the 31 counties within our diocese are currently in the red advisory level. Those counties are Lake, Newton, Porter, Jasper, LaPorte, Starke, Marshall, Elkhart, Kosciusko, Wabash, Whitley, Noble, LaGrange, Steuben, DeKalb, Carroll, Howard, Grant, and Jay. The remaining 12 counties are currently in the orange advisory level. 

You may recall that in May 2020, nearly two months after closing all our physical spaces due to the outbreak of COVID-19, I released a pastoral plan, in collaboration with clergy and lay leaders from across the diocese, for how we could begin to regather in-person for worship. Together, we lived into those guidelines for several months. As we have learned more about COVID-19 and vaccines became widely available, we revised and updated our diocesan guidelines. In May 2021, we released guiding principles for each faith community to consider given their particular context. Each faith community has chosen to implement these guidelines differently based on what their clergy and lay leadership felt was right for their situation. 

The missioners and I met last week and discussed any revisions that may need to be made to our plan given our current situation. Therefore,effective January 1, I am requiring that proper masks be worn inside the buildings of our faith communities if the county in which your building is located and/or the county(s) where a significant number of parishioners live are in the red advisory level as shown by advisory level graphic on the Indiana COVID-19 Dashboard and Map. Clergy, readers, and choirs, can continue to remove their mask while speaking or singing if they are fully vaccinated, including having received a booster shot, and are speaking or singing in a location significantly distanced from the congregation as we know being able to read lips helps those with hearing difficulties. In addition, I strongly encourage each faith community to review their current operating procedures and to tighten up their COVID guidelines where they may have gotten a bit lax. Examples could include returning to tracking who is attending each service, reinforcing physical distancing in pews and during hospitality, and ensuring access to hand sanitizer and masks. Please also continue to provide services and formation opportunities in a hybrid format whenever possible.

Lastly, I want to reiterate the importance of getting vaccinated and receiving the booster shot. Doing this lessens your chances of getting sick with COVID-19 and requiring hospitalization. In addition, getting vaccinated and boosted helps to protect those around you who may not be able to receive the vaccine due to their age or other health concerns. Please consult with your doctor and do this at your earliest opportunity. 

As of the 28th of December 2021, 54,144,941 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the United States and 841,984 persons have died. Let’s continue praying for the healing of those who are infected with COVID. Pray for the health care professionals who are taking care of those infected. And pray for all who mourn those who have died. May those who have died, rest in Christ’s peace and rise in Christ’s glory.

Doug (he/him/his)

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana

Photo credit: Indiana COVID-19 Dashboard and Map website

Guiding Principles for In-Person Worship as the Vaccination Process Progresses

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On Wednesday, May 19, the clergy and lay leaders of our diocese met for their monthly meeting. In response to the updated mask guidance from the CDC, we spent time discussing updates to the diocesan policy regarding in-person worship. Several resources, which are shared below, were reviewed. Clergy and Senior Wardens were encouraged to share the materials with their respective vestry and to come to a decision on what is the best course of action for their individual faith community.

Episcopal Church Toolkit for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution

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The Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations has put together a toolkit for COVID-19 vaccine distribution. This toolkit is designed as a compilation of ideas and educational resources to help your local Episcopal Church work with the government to help end this pandemic. Churches and church leaders (lay and ordained) can serve as important trusted bridges between public health officials and congregations.

The following information is provided:

  • Background

  • 10 Actions to Help Everyone Get Vaccinated

  • Government COVID-19 and Vaccine Rollout Plan

  • Vaccine Hesitancy

  • Additional Resources

  • Sample Message to Your Congregation or Ministry

  • State-by-state COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Information

Letter from Bishop Doug - COVID 19 Vaccine

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Dear Sisters, Brothers, Siblings,

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Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people!

I am writing to encourage every person in our diocese who is able to receive the COVID 19 Vaccine...to consider getting vaccinated. I'm confident in the research that developed the vaccines and grateful to God for the scientists along with the thousands of people who offered themselves for the clinical trials these last many months...so that we, members of the human family in this nation and throughout the world, could receive a life-saving vaccine. I know there may be some who may be concerned about taking the vaccine. If you are, I encourage you to talk with your healthcare provider, share your concerns so that they can be addressed by medical professionals you trust. I often invoke the Anglican principle...All may, None must and Some should...in addressing questions and important decisions in our common life. I am encouraging you to consider this principle at this crucial time in our common life as well. Glory to God whose power working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church and in Christ Jesus, forever and ever. Amen! This comes with a brother's love.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana

September 17 Determination Letter

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My Dear Kindred in Christ,

More of our counties are in the Yellow Zone this week, and more are at the Low end of Orange. This, plus a lovely weather forecast for Sunday, is good news for our worship planning! This week’s "county to watch” is Marshall, which has been hovering in the low-Orange zone for a few weeks now but may well make it into the Yellow Zone by the time Sunday rolls around. Marshall is a county with an excellent Positivity Rate at 2.32%, so when the numbers look like they’re going down, we can be fairly confident that this is an reasonable reflection of the state of the infections in the county.

Green - N/A
Green/Yellow - LaGrange
Yellow - Adams, Cass, Huntington, Kosciusko, LaPorte, Porter
Orange - Allen, Elkhart, Grant, Howard, Lake, Marshall, St. Joseph, Steuben
Red - N/A

Thank you as always for your efforts to find safe ways to support the spiritual lives of your congregations.

Blessings,

Terri

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx

September 3 Determination Letter

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My Dear Kindred in Christ,

COVID numbers remain high this week, with even more of our counties in the Orange zone, though a few (notably Elkhart and Lake counties) in lower parts of that zone than they'd occupied for many months before. I would draw your attention to particularly high numbers reported for September 2 in several counties. Whether that is a result of particular events or a reflection of testing patterns remains to be seen—this uncertainty is why we try to look at averages and trends.

Indoor gathering remains a challenge, especially because infection numbers, and therefore plans, can change on short notice. We appreciate your steadfastness and resourcefulness in responding to these changing circumstances, especially as we prepare for the cooler and then the downright cold months to come. If your faith community is taking a more cautious approach than you would like, please keep in mind that the more cautious approaches allow for more safe and consistent service planning. Your patience and flexibility make all the difference.

Loosening of the restrictions on outdoor gathering in the orange zone has allowed a number of parking lot services to take place in areas that have not been able to gather in person for months. We appreciate the amount of care and consideration that has gone into insuring that all the other guidelines (distancing, masks, cleaning and shortening of services, just to name a few!) have been implemented at these services. Who knew that our clergy and lay leaders would be developing expertise in the technical requirements for am/fm broadcasting!

May your faithfulness to God and to one another be a blessing to you in the days ahead!

Terri

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx

August 27 Determination Letter

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27 August 2020

Dear Sisters, Brothers, Siblings,

Grace and peace be with you in Jesus, the Light for all people!

I want to begin this Pastoral Letter by thanking you for your steadfast faith and witness during the COVID 19 Pandemic. We are now into our 24th week since arriving at the consensus to suspend all in-person worship on 13 March 2020. While we have leaned into the experience of Virtual Worship with all its challenges, like you, I long for the opportunity to gather safely for in-person worship. I especially want to thank our missioners for their good and faithful ministry in helping us adapt...from plotting the daily COVID 19 positive cases for each county to providing the most current communication and informative infographics to preparing for our two virtual conventions this fall...our common life as the Episcopal Church in Northern Indiana continues!

We know more about managing our lives safely in this pandemic now than we did in March. In addition to the 4 criteria in our Pastoral Plan for Regathering, we also made use of the color coding formula of Green (<1 case per 100K); Green -Yellow(5 or less new cases per day per 100K); Yellow (>1 and < or equal to 10 new cases per day per 100K); Orange (>10 and < or equal to 25 new cases per day per 100K) and Red (> 25 new cases per day per 100K) to further assist us in determining the possibility of in-person worship county by county. We have had three ordination services which have helped identify what additional best practices need to be in place for in-person worship. Adhering to protocols for gathering safely for in-person worship like ours, the dioceses in Michigan have allowed for in-person worship using the lower number of 25 % of full legal capacity OR seating with 6’ between household groups.

Taking what we have learned into account, the missioners and I offered the “Michigan adaption”for consideration during our Clergy and Lay Leader Zoom Call yesterday, 26 August. After considerable discussion, most of the clergy and lay leaders supported adopting the “Michigan adaptation” for our diocese. This will require some additional work in reaching a specific number, given the size of each of your worship spaces. However, it could make it possible for more of us to begin gathering outdoors or indoors for in-person worship as we approach September. I want to underscore that how and when this adaptation begins in your faith community will be decided by the clergy and lay leaders of your faith community.

The infographic below describes,in greater detail,the number for indoor worship, given your county’s color determination as well as outdoor worship for your county, given the color determination.

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If you have any questions or concerns, please call on me.

Every blessing,

Doug
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana

Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx

August 20 Determination Letter

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My Dear Kindred in Christ,

Even as our statewide numbers remain high, the situation in some of our counties has started to improve. We give thanks for the role your vigilance has played, both in keeping those numbers lower than they would otherwise have been and for bringing them back down after a spike. May the slight downward turn we have seen in recent days continue! In light of recent numbers, we have two requests to make of you. 

The first is to ask your county health departments whether the numbers for large residential schools that do their own testing (universities and private boarding schools) are being included in your county's statistics. We know, for example, that statistics for tests done at the University of Notre Dame are not being included in the St. Joseph County statistics. This is worrisome, since those students do potentially infect faculty and staff (not to mention employees of businesses near the campus), even more so than, say, inmates in our state prisons potentially infect prison staff who then go out into the community. Knowing whether the county numbers reported to the state include these institutions can help us more accurately gauge the risk in your area.

The second request is that you provide us with feedback on how the various steps you are taking are working out. As we consider the effectiveness of our guidelines, it can be helpful to know what turned out better than expected or gave rise to some unforeseen good, what works just fine, what requires a work-around, and what needs to be re-thought. Because we realize that all these precautions take time and energy, and that people are impatient with the restraints, we want to make sure that what we're doing is, as far as we can tell, actually doing the work we intend for it to do.

May God grant you steadfastness, strength and courage in all you do,

Terri

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx

August 13 Determination Letter

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Dear Kindred in Christ,

Things are looking a bit worse this week than last. One more county has moved into the Orange zone, and only one county has actually improved its situation (Yay, Steuben!). Please continue to pray for the courage and safety of all those who are forced into harm’s way by the necessity of their work and/or by economic hardship. Know that your steadfastness and your creativity in providing for the pastoral needs of your congregations are bright spots in my week and that I am always happy to work with you to find ways to turn your “crazy ideas” into a sustainable reality.

As Dr. Fauci said to the House of Bishops this past Monday, one of the most important things we can do as faith leaders in these days is to help our people avoid getting stuck in despair. It is natural to experience grief and even depression in times like these. It’s when we decide that things will never get better, however, that we cast aside sensible precautions and make things worse. The more you can encourage your faith communities to practice hopefulness, playfulness, and even a certain amount of childishness in addition to the ever-needful reverence and compassion, the stronger and more resilient you will equip them to be.  

Blessings,

Terri

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx

August 6 Determination Letter

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My Dear Kindred in Christ,

It has been another rough week. Only a few of our counties have moved back down into Yellow-Falling. Almost all of our counties have either moved into the Orange zone or remained there. If your county is one where children are returning to in-person schooling, you can anticipate your numbers getting worse in the coming weeks. Pray for the safety of students, teachers and staff as they re-enter their buildings. 

In the midst of this, please remember that your patience and forbearance are preventing the people in your faith community from being punished with illness for the poor judgment being exercised by others in your area. We quite naturally focus on the number of deaths, but the long-lasting symptoms experienced by COVID survivors are also potentially devastating.

For those of you who have come up with both innovative and time-honored ways of meeting the spiritual needs of your people at this time—thank you. Thank you for your deep reflection on what it means to be faithful, what it means to show devotion to the body of Christ in times like these. May the fruitfulness of your endeavors be like zucchini in August!

And for those of you who are not feeling quite so creative, who are worn down by the inability to meet the desires of your faith community—hang in there. You are not alone in yearning for some sort of consolation. Consider the spiritual practices that have lifted you up in the past. May they refresh you like a bowl of ice cream at the end of a long, hot day!

Blessings,

Terri

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx

July 30 Determination Letter

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My Dear Kindred in Christ,

It has been another rough week, with the highest statewide COVID-19 case numbers since the beginning of the pandemic. That reality is playing itself out differently across our counties, but in most the need for caution continues to be quite evident. Because everyone is wearing thin these days, I urge you to focus your efforts on restorative activities, both for your congregations and for yourselves. May the Wisdom of God lead us through these uncertain times.

Blessings,

Terri 

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx

July 23 Determination Letter

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My Dear Kindred in Christ,

Since the beginning of the quarantine, we have spoken about our guidelines as applying primarily to gatherings of "more than 10 persons." The 10-person distinction is one that the CDC uses in its description of a "medium intensity social distancing strategy" and Governor Holcomb used in his Back on Track Indiana plan as the cut-off between gatherings that were/were not allowed in Stage 1. In this diocese, the bishop's pastoral response when the case numbers are high, but certain time-sensitive services (such as weddings, funerals and ordinations) need to take place, has been to allow those services to proceed as long as they have fewer than 10 in-person participants.

10 is not a magic number. Instead it is a balance point between pastoral need and collective risk. 10 people are relatively easy to space and manage. Where several participants already share the same household, "10" might actually mean 12 or 13. Keep in mind the question of spacing and management, we ask that you not interpret "10" as more than 15.

When it is appropriate to host an Under-10 gathering depends both on the nature of the event and your county's risk zone:

  • Green, Green-Yellow and Yellow-Falling—Indoor and Outdoor Gathering Permitted, including both Under- and Over-10 Participants, subject to regathering guidelines.

  • Yellow-Rising—Outdoor Gathering—Outdoor Gathering Permitted, Indoor Gatherings limited to Under 10 Participants.

  • Orange—Outdoor Gathering of Over 10 Participants Not Permitted, Indoor Gatherings of Under 10 Participants Permitted only with Written Permission from the Bishop.

  • Red—No In-person Gathering Permitted, with Exceptions for gatherings of Under 10 Participants Permitted only with Written Permission from the Bishop.

As with so many of our guidelines, the issue of when an Under-10 Participant Gathering is called-for requires careful discernment. Because risk does not simply disappear when only 10 people are around, all other safety measures must remain in place. 

On a different topic, several of you have come to me with discrepancies between the recent numbers in my spreadsheet and those you see on the state dashboard on a given day. Because there were more of these than could be explained by way of my mis-typing, I contacted the Indiana Health Department and one of the relevant County Health Departments to discover whether the numbers were being updated between the time I was recording them around noon each day and the time when you were checking my spreadsheet, up to a week later. 

What I was told is that the numbers are sometimes adjusted downward within the day or two after the original posting. Common reasons for this include the realizations during subsequent contact tracing that one person underwent more than one test for the same case of coronavirus or that someone was tested in one county but actually resided in another (reporting follows the county of residence, not testing). When such situations (and others) are noticed, the state dashboard is updated.

Knowing this, I could go back and re-check the numbers for the whole week before sending out the determination on Thursdays. Re-checking 7 days of data for 15 counties, however, would both significantly delay your access to the determination and not avoid discrepancies in the data for the most recent days. I will, therefore, re-check the data for counties where a slight change would make a difference in the determination (for example, where rising numbers would shift to falling, or where a county has moved just over the boundary into a different risk zone). 

The numbers, of course, are just one factor among of the pastoral concerns you must weigh as you prepare for services each week. We are always happy to consult with you about special cases and particular challenges. We give thanks to God for the effort you have been and continue investing in the safety of God's people.

Blessings,

Terri

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx

July 16 Determination Letter

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My Dear Kindred in Christ,

It has been a rough week, with two of our counties moving from Orange to Red and another moving from Rising Yellow to Orange. One of our parishes has already had to put its contact-tracing plan into effect. Let us pray for strength and courage among all those who are working together to cope with these difficult circumstances. As a reminder, gatherings in these communities are to be online-only, with exceptions (e.g. funerals with < 10 people) only with the express permission of the bishop.

In the midst of that hard news, there is some good. Cass, LaGrange and Kosciusko counties have both moved out of the Orange zone all the way to Green-Yellow and Yellow-Falling respectively. Let us join them in giving thanks for the results of their hard work! Adams and Steuben have stayed in Green-Yellow all along, so let us give thanks for their steadfastness.

I remain together with you in Christ,

Terri

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

Attachments: 7DayRollingAverage.xlsx

July 9 Determination Letter

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My Dear Kindred in Christ,

I present to you the determinations based on the number of new cases in each county for the past two weeks. As you will see, the situation has worsened in several places. This should not come as a surprise to you, given the way the case numbers have soared across the country. We encourage you to spend this time strengthening your online worship skills and continuing to reach out to your members in various types of pastoral care.

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We have received a number of questions regarding when outdoor worship is appropriate. Gathering outdoors only lessens without eliminating the risk of infection—that’s why we require all the other precautions to still be in place for outdoor gathering. Outdoor gathering is not appropriate when your county is in the orange or red zones. If your county is in a yellow rising zone, however, outdoor worship is a reasonable alternative. If your county is in a green, green-yellow <5, or yellow falling zone, then worship indoors and out are both permissible. In all cases, please also take steps to protect your outdoor congregations from the heat.

We give thanks for your efforts to maintain connections among our people in these difficult days. We pray for your continued patience and creativity.

Blessings,

Terri

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

July 2 Determination Letter

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One thing have I asked of the LORD; one thing I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life; To behold the fair beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

Psalm 27:5-6 

My Dear Kindred in Christ,

Many of you have put in long hours working out the details of your re-opening plans, training your teams, re-arranging your worship spaces and communicating with your congregations. You will not fail to receive your reward for this loving care you have taken for the people of God. Because I share with you both this labor and this longing to return to in-person worship, it is with a heavy heart that I regard the current and coming surge in COVID-19 cases.

As you know, an important part of the care we are taking for our people is monitoring the number of COVID-19 cases in our counties. Here is their current status:

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Those of you who draw your congregation from a cluster of counties will want to consult other situations as well, but the baseline for your decision making should be the situation in the county in which your building is located. The attached spreadsheet provides you with the details supporting your status designation.

We, as a diocesan staff, have made every effort to continue reviewing the ways in which we assess our situation, both according to the information being reported by our health departments and according to the changing reports about factors affecting that reporting. We have also been listening you your concerns about the differences among the situations in your various counties. As a result, you will notice a few differences between this spreadsheet and the model we showed you a few months ago.

First, we are now using a 7-day rather than a 5-day rolling average. As with the 5-day figure, the 7-day average adjusts for the fact that different people will be tested at different stages of illness. The 7-day average further allows us to account for the differing availability of testing throughout any given week.

Second, having heard your concerns about the differences in population density in different counties, we have adopted a population-sensitive severity scale used by the CDC. Different colors designate different saturation rates in the county:

Green: averaging ≤ 1 case/day per 100,000 people

Yellow: averaging 2-10 cases/day per 100,000 people

Orange: averaging 11-25 cases/day per 100,000 people

Red: averaging >25 cases/day per 100,000 people.

We have averaged the number of cases in your county for the past 14 days, compared that number with the population of your county, and assigned your county a corresponding severity color. Faith Communities in counties with an orange or red designation should not gather for in-person worship, even if they have experienced a 14-day decline in cases. 

Faith Communities in counties with a yellow designation should be exercising caution. This means not gathering for in-person worship if the county has experienced a 14-day increase in cases. The exception we are making to this is in counties where the population is so small that a single case would show up as 3-4 cases per 100,000 people. In order to adjust for this, we have marked counties remaining below 5 cases/day as both yellow and green, meaning that faith communities should remain watchful with regard to a rising number of cases, but may still gather for in-person worship. 

We are issuing this information on Thursday afternoon so that you have time to take appropriate measures before Sunday. What this means, however, is that we will be using, at best, the data from Wednesday. It is therefore your responsibility, as clergy and lay leaders, to continue monitoring the situation on Friday and Saturday and to cancel services if there is a sufficiently large spike in cases as to change the profile for your county. You always can call me at 574-850-5722 in order to consult if you are in doubt.  

We realize that this situation will require you to deliver unwelcome news to people who are longing to return to worship in a beloved and comforting setting during troubled times. Know that you are in our prayers, for strength, courage and patience now, for the health and safety of your counties to improve soon and for an ongoing renewal of faith as together we walk the path God has laid before us.

Your sister in Christ,

Terri

The Rev. Canon Terri L. Bays, PhD.
Missioner for Transitions and Governance
Emergency Response NGO/Government Liaison

A Joint Statement from the Bishops of Indianapolis and Northern Indiana Regarding a Phased-in Approach to Regathering

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May 1, 2020

Dear People of God in the State of Indiana,

The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows XI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis

The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrows
XI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis

As you may have heard, Governor Holcomb this afternoon sketched out a five-phase roadmap that he hopes will return our state to pre-pandemic levels of openness and activity by July 4. Under this plan, communities of faith can return to worship in their buildings beginning on May 8.

In granting this permission, however, the governor made it clear that he would prefer that churches continue to worship online, or outdoors, rather than in person, and he expressly asked Hoosiers over 65 remain at home. We appreciate both the governor’s commitment to freedom of religious expression and his candid admission that gathering to worship in person still poses risks to people of faith and those with whom they come in contact.

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana

The Rt. Rev. Dr. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana

We remain committed to doing everything we can to slow the spread of the pandemic. For that reason, we will not be reopening our church buildings for in-person worship this month. The restrictions that Bishop Baskerville-Burrows announced on March 24 and that Bishop Sparks announced on March 26 remain in effect, and we urge that you continue to observe them.

Like so many of you, we are eager to return safely to our church buildings and look forward to celebrating the Eucharist with the people of our diocese. But we must do so with the utmost care, or else we put the lives of vulnerable people at risk. To help guide us in this endeavor, we will release a detailed plan next week explaining the conditions and sketching out a possible timeline for a return to our church buildings. The plan will require some serious thinking on the part of each congregation about the ways a return to in-person worship might best be achieved, and we urge you to begin giving this some thought immediately.

In his recent Word to the Church, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry wrote: “As our seasons of life in the COVID-19 world continue to turn, we are called to continue to be creative, to risk, to love. We are called to ask, What would unselfish, sacrificial love do?”

We believe unselfish, sacrificial love requires abstaining a while longer from worshipping in person. We invite you to embrace this discipline as a way to express your care for the most vulnerable among us. You are in our prayers, and we will be in touch again soon.

Faithfully,

The Rt. Rev. Jennifer Baskerville-Burrow
XI Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Indianapolis

The Rt. Rev. Douglas E. Sparks
VIII Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern Indiana

Foreclosure Prevention Network

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May 1, 2020 - Foreclosure Prevention Network

Did you know that the Indiana Foreclosure Prevention Network runs a federally-funded program that provides assistance for homeowners in danger of foreclosure and renters in danger of eviction. For example, homeowners can get mortgage assistance for up to 6 months or $30,000. Learn more about this free program at https://www.877gethope.org/

Questions? Contact Canon Terri Bays, Diocesan Disaster Coordinator and NGO/Government Liaison

SNAP Benefits

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April 24, 2020 - SNAP Benefits

Wondering whether you might be eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)? The state SNAP website has a confidential screening questionnaire to help you find out. First, gather the following information to help you answer questions: - Household financial information, such as:•Money spent on rent, house payments or heating and cooling•Cash on hand or money in a bank account•Income from a job or training•Payments for adult or child care•Unearned Income such as Social Security, SSI, child support, unemployment benefits- Benefits you get now or have gotten in the past (for example, Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, veteran's benefits, etc.) - Medical information related to you and the people who live with you Then visit: https://fssabenefits.in.gov/bp/#/screening/screen-for-services

Questions? Contact Canon Terri Bays, Diocesan Disaster Coordinator and NGO/Government Liaison