Listening to the direction of the CDC and the Indiana Kentucky Synod, Resurrection will be suspending its public gatherings for worship until further notice.  

 

Worship will be

 

·         Livestreamed on Resurrection’s Facebook page at 8:30 on Sunday mornings.  The service will then be available as a recording on the page for later viewing.

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·         Fully staffed. John Westrem, Dave Exner, and Kay Humbert have volunteered to gather with me and to lend their gifts to make our virtual gatherings as personable as possible.  John will continue to play the organ as before, and Dave and Kay will lead the congregation signing the hymns and reciting the congregation’s portions of the liturgy.

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·         Bulletins.  We will email the bulletin to our members each week (they can also be found on the front page of this website) so that you can follow along with the livestream service.  If you prefer a hard copy, there are copies in a bin outside the front door of the church – feel free to drive up and grab a copy.

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·         Communion will be available by drive thru from 9:45 until 10:30.  (This time will be extended depending on need.  Sanitary steps will be taken in preparation and in serving each car.)

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·         Offerings A time of offering will be observed during worship, and your offering can be given during the Communion drive thru time.  However, given our current conditions we are encouraging everyone to consider using a form of automated giving.  Please think about:

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o   Mailing in your offering.  Office hours will be irregular since we will be doing whatever work we can remotely during the week.  We are also discouraging people from making unnecessary trips, even to church, but the postal service continues to run.  

o   Using Bill Pay  If you make use of online banking or another form of automated payment for your bills through your bank, you can use that same platform for scheduling checks to be sent automatically to the church at no cost to you or Resurrection.

o   Using Venmo  You can now use Venmo to give your offering to Resurrection or schedule automatic giving at no cost to you or the church.  From the app search for us: @Resurrection-Lutheran

o   Using the GivePlus app  This app makes it possible for guests to quickly give using a card, and makes it possible for us to give electronically to special offering requests and fundraisers. It is also helpful for members who want to give directly from their bank account and want to be able to easily manage that giving over time.  There are fees associated with this service—less for using a debit card and even less for using your bank account—however, the cost is less than that of providing traditional giving envelopes and there is an option to add the church’s fee to your amount.

o   If you need assistance setting up Bill Pay, Venmo, or GivePlus, please contact the church office at office@rlcfw.org

 

·         Your continued giving has been amazing, and it is making it possible for your ministry teams, council, staff, Barb, and Pastor to carry the life and ministry of Resurrection forward to meet each of us and our neighbors where we are today.  We want you to be a part of Resurrection’s powerful work of showing up, being with, and loving even in the uncertainty of tomorrow.  Some of us may find that events will require us to give less, while our need to stay home may make it possible for some of us to give more.  We need you to know that it is okay to give less when changes in circumstances require it.  But, for all of us, this is an opportune moment to contemplate our giving—what we can give and remain whole so that we can feel good about our giving as well as the difference we are making in the world through it.

 

 

 

What we are asking of you

·         Take the directions we are receiving seriously.  Stay home whenever you can.

·         USE COMMON SENSE and don’t operate out of fear.

·         Let the office or Pastor know if you have needs or concerns.  We want to know about your ability to be connected, changes in your livelihood, your emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and any safety concerns.  We are working to make connections for support.

·          Spread the word in your circles about the services and resources Resurrection is making available.  Let the office or Pastor know if

 

What we are doing for you

·         Live Streaming the service.  If you have Facebook you can attend worship virtually by liking Resurrection and navigating to the live stream for each worship service.  If you need technical help to be able to attend, contact the office or Pastor.  We want you with us in worship!!!

·         Sermons recordings will continue to be available on the church website

·         Kay and Sue are working on ways to continue to teach and gather with the children, youth, and young adults in our community remotely.  Barb and I are working on ways to check in on our older members and to stay aware of congregational needs for support.  We are exploring ways to provide such things as prayer groups, Bible studies, support groups, and sources of additional information. 

 

Additional Resources:

For your own information here are some trusted sources for information on the subject.

·         https://elca.org/PublicHealth

·         For information from the Indiana Health Department including updates on cases  https://www.in.gov/isdh/28470.htm

·         For a factual information sheet concerning the virus  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/2019-ncov-factsheet.pdf

 

 

Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions or concerns.

 

The Lord be with you.

 

Pastor Smith

 

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