This Week from Mitch

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope and pray that you are all well, warm, and at this point dry. This week, we had to make the hard decision to cancel our Kanuga Parish Retreat, with the potential to reschedule. It was a hard decision. I wanted to communicate the rationale with you all.

Late last week and early this week, as I heard about the winter forecast, I will admit that my first thoughts were excited ones. A bit of snow in Kanuga means sledding and hot chocolate, and that seemed like a lot of fun to me. As the forecast progressed and in conversation with Neil, our Kanuga weekend’s fearless leader, a couple of things gradually became clearer. While Kanuga would have snow, there was also the potential for a lot of ice, particularly through Spartanburg County and potentially here at home. While we could all reasonably be assured of getting to Kanuga safely, the trip home and the potential of being stuck at Kanuga increased dramatically. While tomorrow looks good, Sunday's travel, particularly from up north, looks dangerous. By yesterday, we were looking at nearly half of our group cancelling, even without an official decision made by the church. Ultimately, the decision was one of safety. We are in conversations with Kanuga about the next steps. We will have more information next week. Currently, Kanuga is experiencing an all-hands-on-deck moment as they prepare for a forecasted 8 to 9 inches of snow and ice. 

Here in Columbia, I encourage everyone to be safe. The forecast is continually changing. If you feel unsafe coming to church, please stay home! As of now, Sunday services are still happening along with our livestream. Power outages may, of course, change that, but we will not know until we do. Most importantly, be safe and make the decision that is best for you and your loved ones.

I would normally make this announcement at Kangua, but since it is cancelled, I will make it here. Thank you to Neil Rashley and his amazing Kanuga leadership team. They had prepared a wonderful weekend for us, as they always do. Thank you for the work, the time, and the thoughtfulness that make everyone feel welcome. Thank you also for the support in the decision-making process.

Peace,

Mitch