The Roadmap Blog

Christmas 2020 at New Roads

11/29/2020

This year has forced us to reimagine almost everything our church does, from worship to prayer to community and more. While this has brought about significant challenges, it has also brought about great opportunities to bring new life to our standard ways of being. As we approach Advent and Christmas this year, we’re faced with the same reality: great challenge to our normal practices during these seasons, and great opportunities too.

Christmas will look very different this year than in years past. Normally we welcome more than 1500 people to our two campuses at 4:00pm for Christmas Eve Masses. Obviously we can’t gather in anything close to those numbers this year. In considering the possibility of any in-person Masses this Christmas, the challenges are significant: singing is prohibited, capacity is significantly reduced, and people have to register in advance (on a day when the majority of people who attend Mass aren’t regularly connected with the church at all). All together, these restrictions create a sense of exclusion, so contrary to the spirit of Christmas and contrary to our mission as a faith community. In addition, holding multiple in-person gatherings in the midst of a worsening pandemic raises significant public health concerns.

Given this, and considering that the overwhelming majority of our community has chosen to worship online instead of in-person during this time, we’ve made the decision to host our Christmas Masses online only this year. We’ll have 2 online Christmas Eve Masses, both at 4:00pm, one from St. Joseph and one from St. Luke. Both Masses will be available to view on demand at any other time after they’ve been broadcast, either later on Christmas Eve or anytime on Christmas Day.

This is a challenge to be sure--we’d all love to be together in person for Christmas--but it also represents a great opportunity. Since we’ll be online, our capacity is unlimited and we can fully welcome everyone to join in. Our virtual doors will be wide open! Families will be able to worship together in our online campus, even if they are separated by a great distance this Christmas. We’ll have easy and fun ways to help you invite friends and neighbors to join us online this Christmas.

We’re also preparing Christmas Eve Kits, to help us feel more connected in our worship together. The kits will contain candles to light as we worship together, Christmas activities for your kids, and some other fun surprises. You can reserve your Christmas Eve Kit here and it can be picked up on the weekend of December 19/20.

Even though we’ll be worshipping from home this year, we’re committed to making this Christmas a wonderful and meaningful celebration. We hope and expect that Christmas next year will look very different from this year; but above all, we place our hope in the joy of Emmanuel, God with us, no matter where we are.

Stewardship Sunday 2020

11/5/2020

Dear Friends,

This Sunday we celebrated Stewardship Sunday at New Roads, celebrating what God has done in our church this year and inviting you to make a financial commitment to New Roads for the year ahead. (If you weren't able to join us this Sunday, you can view Mass on our Website.) If you have already made your Stewardship Commitment for 2021--thank you! If you have not yet made your commitment, simply click the link below to complete your online Stewardship Card for 2021.

Stewardship Card for 2021

Your giving supports the growth and development of our church—our staff team, worship team, and ministry teams; our technology; and our children’s programs. Every aspect of our ministry relies on the support and investment of our parishioners who give sacrificially to create a church where people can grow deeper in faith, a church that outsiders want to call home, and a church for this generation and the next one. If you missed the Stewardship Sunday video sharing stories of New Roads' impact, be sure to check it out here.

Thank you for your support. Thank you for your partnership in spreading hope, love, and good news. Thank you for your investment in God's Kingdom.

With gratitude,
Fr. Thom

Our first ever Virtual Fall Kickoff is tomorrow!

9/12/2020

Dear Friends,

Even though I don’t like to admit it, fall is upon us. I never like the end of summer and it feels especially challenging this year. While we are celebrating one in-person Mass at this time, the majority of our community is gathering to worship online together. Normally this weekend we’d be holding our annual Fall Kickoff, but this year we’ll have our first ever Virtual Fall Kickoff. At our 9:00am and 10:30am online Masses, we’ll be kicking off the new season with new music, new families leading us in prayer, and a new message series (with this week’s message shared by Kathy O’Leary at the end of Mass). I hope you’ll join us for worship this weekend, and I hope you’ll invite friends, neighbors, and family (wherever they are!) to join you for church online.

As you and your family adjust to new patterns and rhythms this fall, I encourage you to make weekly worship a priority. Our souls are thirsting for God’s presence and peace these days and God is with us and ready to meet us right where we are.

Be sure to check out the new Invite a Friend page on our Website which has some great ideas for how to invite a friend to Mass.

Blessings & peace,
Fr. Thom

Summer check-in and a gradual re-entry to our church buildings

7/25/2020

Dear Friends,

I hope you are enjoying a healthy and restful summer, whatever shape that may be taking for you and your family this year. I miss seeing you and know we all miss seeing each other. I am very grateful for our online worship experiences and know many are finding these to be meaningful and grounding experiences of connecting to God and one another during this time. We will continue offering our online worship experiences from both St. Joseph and St. Luke according to our regular broadcast schedule.

While it seems clear that many will continue to prefer to join us online instead of in-person at this time, we will be experimenting with a gradual re-entry to our church buildings starting with a 4:00pm Saturday Vigil Mass at St. Joseph Church (in the north worship space) on Saturday, August 1, 2020. Due to safety mandates, please keep in mind that these experiences of worship will be very different - no congregational singing, social distancing, masks, etc. There are several procedures and protocols that anyone who wishes to attend Mass in person must follow, including pre-registration, social distance seating, and wearing a mask at all times. If you wish to attend Mass in person at this time, please carefully review the procedures for Mass in person on our website by clicking here.

Please note: While in-person Masses are currently permitted in limited form, Cardinal O’Malley has dispensed the Sunday Mass obligation indefinitely. With this in mind, all people who are 65 and older, those with existing health concerns, those unable to wear a mask for an extended period, or anyone who feels fearful, anxious, or simply unsure of the safety for themselves or their family are encouraged to stay home and join us online. While public health trends in our area are trending in a better direction at this time, the increase of COVID-19 transmission in our wider country gives clear reason for continued prudence and caution.

We will continue to keep you apprised of our plans moving forward. And most importantly, we’ll continue to move forward with our mission to love God, love others, and make disciples.

Please know of my daily prayers for you and your family.

Blessings and peace,
Fr. Thom Mahoney

New Roads COVID-19 Update: June 5, 2020

6/5/2020

Dear New Roads family,

As we continue to navigate this time together, I want to share an update about our measured and deliberate approach to the possibility of reopening our physical church buildings for public Masses. Our team continues to closely monitor updates from local and state officials and public health experts, as well as the experiences of other local parishes. In addition, we have been gathering input and information from members of our community, individually and in small group discussions.

As you know, houses of worship are permitted to open in Phase 1 of Massachusetts’ Reopening Plan, with numerous and restrictive guidelines and requirements. The Archdiocese of Boston has defined further guidelines and restrictions for resuming public Masses. Attending Mass under these guidelines is a profoundly diminished experience of worship.

One restriction is a limit of capacity, with 40% of total capacity being the maximum allowed, and the reality being far less than that due to the requirements of social distancing. The idea of limiting the number of people allowed and requiring reservation of seats runs counter to our New Roads mission, vision, and values. Radical hospitality and welcome of all is a central component of our mission and vision and, in many ways, the rally cry of our community.

Over the last few years in particular, our community has worked tirelessly to create inspiring, relevant, and engaging experiences of worship. For me, requirements such as no singing allowed by the congregation during worship violate principles of liturgy itself. I recognize that many have a very real and heartfelt desire to receive the Eucharist, and while I have compassion for the fasting from the Eucharist which we are enduring as a community, I want us to celebrate the Eucharist in a way that reflects its true meaning and value.

I recognize that online worship is not a full expression of worship either. However, we are able to create a better experience of worship online than we can in person at this time. Many New Roads members are finding our online worship experiences to be engaging, relevant, and inspiring and new people are finding us and connecting with us online every Sunday. New Roads members are inviting friends. God is at work through our online worship.

We’re patiently waiting for a time when the quality of an in-person experience surpasses what we’re capable of accomplishing online. With our current circumstances, online is simply the best forum to clearly and effectively communicate the gospel and foster community. It also seems clear that the majority of our community continues to prefer to join us online at this time. This may change going forward and we will be tracking that and adjust as needed.

When we do reopen our physical churches for gathering in some way, we will start slowly with one church and a limited number of Masses. At this time I can’t imagine resuming our modern worship Masses with our worship team (band), kids programs, and hospitality team until the public health risk and the restrictions are significantly reduced or eliminated, and that may not be for quite a long time.

I fully appreciate that other churches are choosing to open more quickly and that some New Roads members will be disappointed with our slow though intentional pace. It is not my place to second guess the decisions and practices of other pastors and parishes. Every parish and collaborative is unique. My singular focus is on the best path forward for our community. Some of the things that have been unique to New Roads during this crisis and which have helped determine our pace and path forward include:

Our ability to broadcast high-quality worship experiences online from each parish within a few weeks of the start of the pandemic
Our ability to offer opportunities to new and existing members for connection, prayer, and engagement
The financial commitment and support of our members which has resulted in offertory at St. Joseph being ahead of budget and offertory at St. Luke not far off of budget.

The engagement, participation, and financial support of our community is extraordinary and a testament to both the generosity of our members and the work of our staff team and volunteers to create meaningful worship experiences for our community during this time. Thank you for your support and engagement, and please keep it up. I am grateful we are not in a position where we feel we must open in order to survive financially or otherwise. Although I miss being together more than ever, I know God is at work in and through New Roads. We’ll keep doing everything we can to follow God’s lead to grow disciples and reach people for Christ.

Peace & blessings,
Fr. Thom and the New Roads team

Belmont Unity Vigil--join us online tonight

6/4/2020

Join us tonight, Thursday, June 4th at 7:00pm, for Belmont's Virtual Unity Vigil. New Roads is honored to participate and join our community for this online event. Hear healing words, prayers, and music from local faith communities, Belmont Police, and state officials, then go outside and light a candle with your neighbors. More information can be found here.

Watch live online: bit.ly/BMC-PublicTV
Watch on cable TV: BMC-Public TV, Ch 9 (Comcast) & Ch 29 (Verizon)

New Roads COVID-19 update: May 20, 2020

5/20/2020

Dear Friends,

Earlier this week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced that as part of Phase One of reopening Massachusetts, houses of worship are allowed to open with highly restrictive guidelines. Following this announcement, the Archdiocese of Boston released many additional and restrictive guidelines which must be met in order for public Masses to resume, stressing that “no parish should have Mass unless they can do it safely, and in compliance with the guidelines.”

What does this mean for New Roads right now?

Our physical campuses, and both church buildings, remain closed at this time
We will continue to broadcast Masses online from both churches according to our regular broadcast schedule
For all people, dispensation from the Sunday Mass obligation will continue for the foreseeable future.
We’re closely examining and evaluating the new restrictions and guidelines, as well as the status of COVID-19 transmission in our local area
We miss you so much and are praying for you!

We will continue to keep you informed of any updates, all of which will be sent to our email list and posted to our Website. As we think about how to move forward during this time, we will continue to operate not only out of an abundance of caution, but out of an abundance of love. We will proceed at a deliberate pace to ensure the safety and health of our staff, volunteers, parishioners, guests, and neighbors, all of whom we are entrusted to care for and love.

While we all want so badly to be back together and to have some sense of normal in our lives, it's very clear that the celebration of Mass will not be back to normal for a long time. For example, the current guidelines and best practices for safety at this time include: no congregational singing; registration or sign up in advance to attend Mass; assigned seating; and of course, masks at all times, among many other restrictions and protocols.

Although our church buildings are closed, we are grateful that our mission and vision is alive and advancing--even during this time. We are reaching new people, growing in relationship with God, and spreading hope at a time when people are hungry for the truth of God’s love and presence. And it’s all possible because of you. You are living out the truth that the church is not a building; the church is the people of God advancing God’s Kingdom together.

Thank you for participating fully in our online worship. Thank you for your support and encouragement. Thank you for your photos and stories. Thank you for giving and continuing to support our churches financially. Thank you for inviting friends and neighbors (no matter where they live!) to join you at New Roads. Thank you for praying with us and for us. Most of all, thank you for your patience and trust as we continue to journey together listening for God’s voice.

See you online this Sunday!

Peace, health, and blessings to you and your loved ones,
Fr. Thom & the New Roads Team

Adding a broadcast time - “see” you tomorrow!

4/25/2020

Dear Friends,

We look forward to worshipping with you online tomorrow morning. We’re adding a 9:00 a.m. broadcast starting tomorrow. Below is the full schedule with links.

9:00 a.m. from St. Joseph:
newroads.online.church

10:00 a.m. from St. Luke:
YouTube Live (channel trailer here)

10:30 a.m. from St. Joseph:
newroads.online.church

Masses will be available to view on demand on our Website after they are broadcast at the above times. Resources for kids and families can be found here.

Peace,
The New Roads Team

Our "new normal" Sunday Schedule

4/17/2020

Dear Friends,

We hope and pray you are staying safe and well during this time. Although it was a very different kind of Holy Week & Easter, we loved celebrating with you online last week. Thank you for your continued support, engagement, and participation in the life of our church.

We want to let you know of our “new normal” Sunday schedule. Going forward indefinitely, we will be broadcasting Sunday Masses at:

10:00am from St. Luke: YouTube Live
10:30am from St. Joseph: newroads.online.church

Both Masses will be available to view on demand on our Website after they are broadcast at the above times. Weekly resources for kids & families will be posted on our Website by Sunday morning. If you haven’t seen them already, be sure to watch these short videos:

Blessings and peace,
Fr. Thom

An Easter invite from New Roads

4/11/2020

Friends,

Join us tomorrow for a celebration full of life and joy. Vibrant and moving music, a relevant message, and fantastic kids programs – all online! Easter Sunday Masses will be broadcast at:

10:00am from St. Joseph: newroads.online.church
10:00am from St. Luke: YouTube Live
11:30am from St. Joseph: newroads.online.church

Our St. Joseph broadcast is brand new this weekend. Our amazing worship team has been hard at work creating a way to lead us in worship remotely. To view song lyrics and readings for this Sunday, download the online St. Joseph worship aid found here.

Fr. Fleming will celebrate the 10:00am Mass live-streamed from St. Luke. Thanks to all those who have made our St. Luke liturgies possible the past few weeks.

Our Easter resources for Kids & Families can be found anytime on our Website.

Finally, be sure to invite a friend or family member who doesn’t have a church to join you online this Easter!

"See" you tomorrow!

Easter blessings,
Fr. Thom

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