WELCOME FROM HAYWOOD STREET:
UPDATES:
Haywood Street staff will meet on Monday, March 16 to further work through our response to COVID-19. For now, here is what you need to know:
– There will be no visiting groups for the next 30 days.
– Fresco visitation hours are canceled until further notice.
– For now, clothing will not be accepted at the bins or at the church.
– Meal prep this Saturday (March 14) is cancelled.
This Sunday (March 15): Meals will be prepared and handed out, to-go style, by staff and a few volunteers between 8:30 AM and 10:00 AM. The building will be locked and there will be no Worship service. Plans for Wednesday and beyond will be shared early next week.
We will work together and we will work with the Holy Spirit. Our decisions will not be made from a place of fear, but rather, from a place of defiant love, faith, and care for our community. We will strive to understand our mission, ‘Relationship, above all else’, in a time of isolation. Our bias is to remain open while implementing as many safety measures as possible and our primary commitment is to a Jesus who moved toward every sickness without hesitation. We will walk this path together, one mindful step at a time, communicating updates and changes as clearly and as often as possible.
| A big THANK YOU to our partner chefs from Posana and Bargello who served up a beautiful meal at the Wednesday Welcome Table. And oh that banana pudding… |
It was such a thrill to attend the opening for Christopher Holt’s exhibit, Contemporary Frescoes/Faith and Community featuring the Haywood Street Fresco last weekend in Raleigh at the NC Museum of Art. Many attended the Thursday night reception, and a group of models and staff made the road trip to Raleigh on Friday. They enjoyed lunch, a tour of the museum, and of course, time with the Fresco exhibit. It was a sacred time for everyone involved.
All the elements are beautifully shown in the exhibit – sketches, cartoons, and art materials. It is exciting to know that many new people will learn about this wonderful project – and visit Asheville to see the fresco in person. Congratulations to Christopher and all the artists, the models, and everyone who loves Haywood Street Congregation. The exhibit will be on display through July 26. For more information, click here.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. May 2020 offers a unique opportunity to enjoy a weekend of fantastic music, from bluegrass to broadway, in support of Haywood Street! Friday, May 8th, the Steep Canyon Rangers hometown show @ Salvage Station benefits the Downtown Welcome Table; Saturday, May 9th, Imagine….Reprise! supports Fresco programming. Tickets for both events are going fast, so get yours today!
COMPANION CORNER:
| 1. Prepare a meal for Respite! Sign up here. |
| 2. Room In The Inn is coming to Haywood Street! More information in the graphic below, contact Kate if you are interested in helping. |
A HAYWOOD STREET REFLECTION BY: REV. MIKE
(Written: January 27, 2020)
To Haywood Street Congregation,
I am so deeply honored and filled with joy to be writing you all as the next Associate Pastor at Haywood Street Congregation. When I came to Asheville in December to interview for the position, I saw firsthand how unique and special this place is for all who enter its doors. After meeting Rev. Brian, Rev. Mark, and the entire hiring committee, I immediately knew that God was up to something remarkable in the hearts of the people here and in the ministry you all help to carry out. Your deep commitment to Jesus Christ and the heart of the gospel was evident, and I felt an overwhelming call to serve at Haywood Street. Thankfully, the hiring committee shared this feeling. I owe my deepest gratitude to all on the committee who prayed with me, listened to me, and treated me with such hospitality.
When I listen to stories about Haywood Street, I am reminded of Jesus’ words in Matthew 11 where he remarks, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. My yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30).” Haywood Street is a place made up of gentle hearts—it is a place where one can find a place to rest in a world of toil. My prayer is that I can do my best to be the pastor that you all deserve. I pray to do my part to ensure that Haywood Street is a place of peace and rest in the Lord and in one another. I pray, too, that I might rejoice with you in all of life’s celebrations, and stand with you in the midst of life’s greatest hardships.
I look forward to relocating to Asheville and beginning with you all on Sunday, March 1. I feel so lucky to have been called to ministry here, and look forward to meeting and praying with you all. I have spent the first twenty-six years of life in Connecticut, so I look forward to new horizons and new places to explore. I will be moving to Asheville with my wife, Miryam, who will serve as a family medicine resident at Mission Hospital, and with our chihuahua, Mo. We all look forward to becoming a part of the Haywood Street community. I will also bring my tradition to Haywood Street—I am a newly ordained priest in the Episcopal Church. I hope that this will bring a unique perspective to worship and life together. So, until we meet again in March, “The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus (1 Cor 16:23).”
Peace,
Rev. Mike Reardon
