In-Person Worship Suspended

Posted on Jul 14, 2020 in COVID-19 Updates |

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

Grace, peace and mercy be multiplied to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

God bless you all for your notes and calls and emails and texts. We miss being together!

Last week we received this mailing from Bishop Dillahunt of the Southern Ohio Synod:

Dear Partners on this Journey,

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment.  The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”  – Matthew 22:36-40

Last week, Governor Mike DeWine unveiled a new ‘Public Health Advisory System’ created by the Ohio Department of Health based on several key indicators the team has been tracking during the pandemic. According to the ODH Coronavirus website, ‘The Public Health Advisory Alert System is a color-coded system designed to supplement existing statewide orders through a data-driven framework to assess the degree of the virus’ spread and to engage and empower individuals, businesses, communities, local governments, and others in their response and actions.’

So, as good Lutherans, we ask, ‘What does this mean?’ It means we are in a new phase of the pandemic in which, as Governor DeWine said, we are ‘living with COVID’ and need to adjust our daily lives and worship gatherings accordingly.

Currently, Butler, Franklin, Hamilton and Montgomery counties are listed at a Level 3. Governor DeWine recommends that congregations in counties at a Level 3 should worship online and limit in-person gatherings. This is a recommendation, not a mandate. Your pastor(s) and leadership team should work together to decide what is the most loving response for your congregation in light of the Public Health Advisory level in your county.
 

Because of this recommendation, we will suspend outdoor worship offerings until things begin to trend in the right direction and Montgomery County returns to Level 1 or 2.

I believe this is the right thing to do. While frustrating, the safety and health of members and staff are our priority.

Please know that we will continue to offer online streaming every week with the same rotation of one week contemporary/praise and the following week traditional.

We hope to be able to worship in person again soon.

The Public Health Advisory Alert System is to be updated each week on Thursday. When the level in Montgomery County returns to Level 1 or 2, we will begin the process of preparing for the return of in-person worship, which will take a few days to put into motion. 

Thank you again for your understanding. I invite any questions you might have.

Continue to join us for online worship every Sunday at 10:30 am. Stay connected with the daily devotions that I write for each day. And reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ and check in on one another.

God bless you all!

 

Peace,

Pastor Charlie

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