​We're excited to share today some dreams and plans we have for the future, specifically for the future of our worship space at St. Joseph. We’ve made some gradual upgrades to our worship space (which we call the South Worship Space) over time, but we realize now more than ever that we need to make some significant upgrades to our worship space so that it’s less temporary in nature and better suited to our needs as a growing, modern, and online church. We have been blessed to have some amazing friends and partners who are helping us design and plan our space upgrades. We even have some rough sketches to share!

​In this photo above, you’ll see a sketch of the worship space with:

• a new wall behind the altar to allow for liturgical lighting
• new screens so everyone can easily see lyrics, images, and videos 
• a lighting truss hung over head which will dramatically improve our ability to light key spots
• new and consistent staging that doesn’t creak and provides sufficient space for us to lead worship

One of the dreams we have with our space is to be able to better control lighting. Being able to darken the space allows us to use lighting intentionally to engage and draw people into the experience of worship. While we can and will use some window tinting and curtains in certain areas, we’re planning to construct some walls in the back of the worship space to help control the lighting and improve the acoustics of the space. 

​The photo above shows the entrance to the worship space as you approach the steps (the walls are highlighted in yellow). As you approach the steps, you’ll see a mounted welcome screen, and if you go up the steps, you can enter the worship space to the right.

​​The photo above shows the view up the ramp as you enter the worship space, with a wall constructed to block the light and sound that enters from the hallway near the courtyard.

​The photo below shows a view looking from the back of the worship space toward the information desk.

​I realize it may be hard to really visualize these changes but they will vastly improve our experience of worship from an audio, visual, and lighting perspective.

We’ve been working with the best professionals in the Boston area to scope out this work and we’re really excited about the possibilities. In addition to upgrades to our physical worship space, we also need to invest in technology for recording and streaming. In our new hybrid world, we must invest in technology to continue and expand what we’re doing online and in person. We need to invest in upgrading computers and purchasing new equipment.

Finally, we have dreams of refreshing our kids spaces so that our church is an engaging, fun space for kids--a church kids want to come to. The photos above are some photos, not of our space, but of some inspiration for where we’re hoping to go with our kids spaces in the future.

To move toward making those dreams and plans a reality, we are inviting you to make a one-time gift to New Roads in the coming week. As we’ve been dreaming with God about the future at New Roads, a family in our community has generously stepped up to give to get us started--and, they want to encourage and inspire others to give by offering to match every gift made to this effort.

All gifts of any amount, from $100, $1,000, $5,000, all the way up to an individual gift of $25,000 will be matched. To be clear, this is a one-time commitment to support this project. We won’t be coming back to you in a month to meet a particular dollar amount. We’re praying that our community will respond to this opportunity and help us take this significant step forward. To give, simply visit: givebutter.com/NewRoadsMatch. Thank you for your support and partnership in what God is doing in our midst!

Dear Friends,
​
It has been a joy to worship with many of you online (and some in-person) over this past year. While online worship has lifted our spirits during a difficult time (and may continue to be the best option for some), we’re thrilled to be gathering in person more this summer, starting next Sunday, June 20th.

What’s happening in person?

• At St. Joseph, we’ll resume our 9:00am in-person Mass in the south worship space on Sunday, June 20th. (We’ll resume the 10:30am Mass in person when needed based on capacity.)
• St. Luke’s will continue to have in-person Masses on Saturdays at 4:00pm and Sundays at 10:00am. 

What will in-person worship be like?

• Following guidance from the State of Massachusetts and the Archdiocese of Boston, masks are no longer required for fully vaccinated people, but are always welcome and respected on our campuses. Masks are advised for non-vaccinated people. 
• For the comfort and safety of all, we are practicing social distancing of at least 3 feet. 
• Registration is not required for any of our in-person Masses. However, given that we cannot anticipate attendance (particularly at our 9am Mass at St. Joseph), it is possible we will reach capacity. We’ll add a 10:30am Mass in person at St. Joseph when needed. Thank you in advance for your flexibility and patience as we work through this transition time together!
• We are planning to resume our in-person children’s worship experiences (Tiny Disciples and Kids’ Church) this fall. These programs are normally on break over the summer.
• For more details about in-person worship, as well as FAQs, please visit our website.
• Questions? Please reply to this email. We’d be glad to hear from you and we’re here to help!

What’s happening online?

• Our Sunday online broadcast schedule remains the same: 9:00 & 10:30am from St. Joseph and 10:00am from St. Luke. Find the links to join us on our Website.

We are deeply grateful for your support and for all the ways we have carried out our mission through new methods this past year. We look forward to seeing you very soon.

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