Join us this Sunday, June 30th, at our 10:30 worship service as the final
prayers of commendation are offered for those honored in the "In
Memoriam" COVID ministry that has been our "outside the walls" ministry
for the past four years.
On June 30, 2020, an online memorial service was held as a ministry to
all who had lost loved ones in the beginning months of the pandemic but were unable to come together to grieve. Following the service, crosses with the names of those who had died were placed on our front lawn to honor them. The number of crosses grew through the four years, as many families experienced loss and disruption to the grieving process caused by the pandemic. As racial tensions increased and the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on persons of color was recognized, black crosses were added to the memorial. Many have stopped to photograph the project and to express gratitude for this helpful gesture in a time of mourning.
The project has also been written about in several news articles and was
included in a study on grief during COVID conducted by the anthropology department of George Washington University, funded by the National Science Foundation and headed by Dr. Sarah Wagner. (See below for various links.)
We hope you will join us this Sunday to remember and join in prayers
offering these - all who have died in this difficult time - into God's hands.