Cathedral Church of the King Year 2020 in review
Cathedral Church of the King Year 2020 in review, For many people and churches, 2020 has been a time of struggle and stress as we have tried to cope with the changes that were presented to us.
We at the Cathedral found ourselves closed on very short notice, by the State of Kansas, and restricted to just a few members who were allowed to gather at our times of worship.
On March 22, 2020 we had no church service. The following Sunday, March 29th, we did our first live stream of the worship service, and we continued with only live stream services until May 17th, when we were again allowed, in limited number and with proper social distancing, to hold church with members present. We continue to live stream and plan to keep this as part of our normal procedures.
During the time that the church was not able to be attended by many, we proceeded to go forward with the time and space God had given to us.
We first started a church wide housekeeping project when we went through all of the classrooms and storage areas and began to sort through years of accumulated materials.
This was a real call on God’s discernment when we had to make decisions as to keep or discard things, like empty microphone boxes from twenty year ago, and lots of other items that have been held onto as a sort of holy relic from years of ministry and worship together.
And, while we were not able to have members in the church building, we painted the ceilings in the basement, the Nave and Sanctuary. The contractor told us that it did not appear that the Nave ceiling had ever been painted before. Fifty years of accumulated smoke from incense and candles!
We also painted the exterior trim on our church.
After we were able to resume “normal” services the Cathedral was blessed with new members. Church growth can continue even in times when it appears that nothing is going forward in evangelism.
In addition to new member growth the Cathedral was blessed to receive Deacon Drew and Stephanie Bradfield as part of the Cathedral. Deacon Drew and Stephanie came to us from Saint Michael’s CEC in San Clemente, CA.
In November the Central Diocese received Father Allen Bailey. Father Allen, Cortney and their three children, Sarah, Elisabeth and Samuel will be moving to St. Joseph, MO. Where Father Allen will be installed as the Priest of St. John’s CEC church. Father Allen baptized his son, Samuel, at the Cathedral on Sunday January 17, on the Feast of our Lord, the Giver of Life.
As the “new normal” season continued through the summer, we kept moving forward with facility projects.
The old concrete and side door steps were removed and replaced.
Old landscape and mulch, along with the resident termite poplation, were removed and replaced with new permanent landscape.
And we replaced our old and well-worn parking lot with a new lot.
Many would speak of the frustration of this past year, but we watched as God opened up new ways using technology to reach new people with the Gospel, to activate members to reach out to those seeking a church that was open to worship in communion, and saw hands that were willing to do physical labor to beautify the place where we come into the Presence of Our Lord.
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