St. Paul Lutheran Church continued response to COVID-19
UPDATE: March 30th, 2020
Friends in Christ,
In light of the ever evolving situation gripping the world with the COVID-19 pandemic and in accordance to the latest local and federal recommendations, St. Paul Lutheran Church will continue its standing cancellation of all public worship services and in-person ministry gatherings through the entire month of April.
We ask that all members participate in as much as they are able with the current live-stream opportunities for worship, devotion and study. All Holy Week services will be live-streamed at the traditional times.
Our prayer is to be a strong Christ-centered community, despite the current situation. You are encouraged to stay in contact with friends that you miss seeing at church, be aware of opportunities to serve from home, and continue to nurture your faith with your families during this time of crisis.
Standing in Christ,
Pastor Jeremiah Jording and BOD of St. Paul Lutheran Church
P.S. Here is the live-stream schedule for Holy Week.
Sunday, April 5th, 10:15AM: Palm Sunday Worship
Thursday, April 9th, 7:00PM: Maundy Thursday Worship
Friday, April 10th, 7:30PM: Good Friday Worship
Sunday, April 12th, 10:15AM: Easter Worship
UPDATE: March 17th, 2020
Due to the risk associated with gathering with groups in excess of 10 or more, the St. Paul Board of Directors determined that it was no longer feasible to conduct a typical public worship service. Thus, regular services have been cancelled from March 18th-April 5th.
Instead, St. Paul is committed to providing the very best worship at home experience through live streaming. In addition to the live stream provided via Facebook Live, people can access a live stream directly through the website.
Simply go to www.stpaulsb.org and click play on the live stream window. Below you will find links to the worship schedule, copies of bulletins, and a link to the e-giving portal.
There will be Bible study and Worship at the normal time on Sunday. On Wednesdays there will be a Midweek Lenten Devotion at 7:00pm.
For more detailed schedule questions please feel free to call the church office at 574-271-1050, or pastor directly at 217-430-7853.
Please have patience at this time as all the details are coming together. The circumstances are pushing us all to do things we have never done before! Let us pray the God will continue to bless us as we march through the days ahead! Stay safe, healthy, and blessed.
Alive with Living Water,
Pastor Jeremiah Jording
March 14th
Members of St. Paul Lutheran Church,
We could not help but be aware, at this point, of the concerns within our country and community regarding the Coronavirus (Corvid-19), and it seems appropriate to comment on that in regards to our life together at St. Paul. I have had some helpful conversations with our Elders, fellow pastors of Lutheran churches, and much time in prayer. In our deliberations we have come to some conclusions to which you need to be aware.
1. Public worship will continue. Various state governments and the CDC have suggested restricting mass gathering events. Our Sunday gatherings have not exceed the number of 250, and thus are considered small enough to continue. However, if you are sick with symptoms indicative of Corvid-19 please stay home for the well being of others. If you have an immune system that is compromised in anyway please take the appropriate measures to ensure your continued health and safety.
2. Worship will be lived streamed via Facebook live. If you have a Facebook account, you will be able to tune-in live for worship to receive the Word remotely from home. While this is not ideal, the Gospel of Jesus Christ will be proclaimed for you. In a time of fear such as this, the Words of the Gospel that assure us of Christ’s victory over sin, death, and the devil are all the more vital to hear.
3. Extra sanitary precautions are requested for all members attending church functions. Please, upon arrival and before departure, wash you hands. It seems basic, but the CDC has said that this is the best way to slow the transmission of the disease. Also, I know that as a church family we love greeting each other warmly with handshakes and hugs. Until, this disease has ran its course let’s instead opt for elbows or knuckles so that we limit the transmission.
4. We will not be observing the Lord’s Supper as apart of the Divine Service this Sunday (3/15). In order to not burden the consciences of worshipers, we will take a hiatus from the Lord’s Supper. God’s grace comes to us in a numbers of ways, the Supper being among them. We receive God’s grace when we hear the words of Absolution, the proclamation of the Gospel, and when we recall our baptisms. God’s grace is bigger than our ability to gather around the table. The Board of Directors and Board of Elders will consider the question for future services. When to risk to public health is minimized, we will return to our practice without delay.
5. No Sunday school for the children. Bugs travel fastest when young ones gather together. We have been witnessing school closures all over the country and in our community. In light of this, now would be an excellent time to begin or invigorate a practice of home devotions. There will be Adult Bible study for those who gather at church starting at 9:00am.
For more detailed schedule questions please feel free to call the church office at 574-271-1050, or pastor directly at 217-430-7853.
In general, my understanding is that the Coronavirus is likely to spread to most (if not all) people within a period of time, though many people may not experience any symptoms. As in the case of the flu in general, there are people at risk, and there will be deaths as a consequence of this new virus. The greatest danger and risk is for those with an already compromised immune system. The goal of precautions is basically to slow the spread of the virus, in order to allow the medical community a better chance of keeping up with the needs of those who are most at risk and in need of care. With that mind, remember that our concern is not simply for ourselves, but for our neighbors in the world. We remember that Christ is king, and all things are safely in his hands now and into eternity.
In Christ alone,
Pastor Jeremiah Jording, Congregational President Heintz Hayen, and the Board of Elders