Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

 

I wanted to reach out to you about the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, how this will impact worship services at Our Saviour’s, and to share with you all some steps we will be making to ensure everyone’s health and safety at our worship services. As congregation leadership, we have been prayerfully considering the impact of this outbreak on the physical and spiritual health of our church family.

 

Worship Times: Our Saviour’s will gather for worship at our normal worship times—Sundays at 8:00 & 10:30 am, and our midweek Lenten services. 

 

Greeting and Passing the Peace: We will discontinue handshakes or hugs. Greet each other verbally and/or in another manner. We will continue to encourage our pastors to greet worshippers following the service, but will discontinue shaking hands for the time being. 

 

Offering: The offering plates will be placed in a stationary location at the entry to the sanctuary rather than being passed by the ushers. 

 

Holy Communion: We will continue to celebrate Holy Communion as part of our weekly worship, and will offer wine in individual cups in the trays.  Communion assistants will be especially attentive to disinfecting their hands prior to offering the elements. 

 

Sunday School and Confirmation:  As of March 18, 2019, in concurrence with the Fond du Lac Public Schools suspension of classes, Sunday School and Confirmation classes will be suspended until public school classes resume sessions.

 

Lenten Suppers: We are canceling the remaining suppers for this year.

 

Personal Hygiene: We have disinfectant stations throughout the church and narthex for your use.  I’m told that soap and water for 20 seconds is even better than disinfectant.

 

Staying Home: If you are feeling ill, or have extra considerations and concerns due to a age or health concerns, please stay home. We plan to continue live streaming the sermons via Facebook this weekend. If you haven’t liked our Facebook page, this is a great time to do it! For those who will not be physically present, we will offer a special petition for you during our worship.

 

Pray: Pray for all those suffering the effects of infectious diseases, for the medical professionals, healthcare workers, and family members caring for them, for scientists and researchers seeking vaccines and cures, for public health officials and elected leaders, for those unable to attend worship due to the disease, for those whose employment is threatened by the ongoing crisis, and for all those mourning the loss of loved ones.

 

If we receive additional direction from the Wisconsin Department of Public Health, or from the Synod, we will share that with you via email, our website, and Facebook. If you have any concerns, please feel free to send me a message at rstedt@charter.net.

 

As we walk together through the days ahead, I want to share with you a prayer of hope for times of turmoil:

 

O God, where hearts are fearful and constricted, grant courage and hope. Where there is anxiety, grant peace and reassurance. Where impossibilities close every door and window, grant imagination and endurance. Where dread twists our thinking, grant healing and illumination. Where spirits are overwhelmed and weakened, grant soaring wings and strengthened dreams. All these things we ask in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

 

May the peace of Christ be with you all.