A Message From Your Calvary Council & Staff
 

March 18, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

During this Coronavirus crisis, your pastors and church leaders are dealing with many unknowns. This is unprecedented territory, and no one can say how long it might last.

We had hoped that with multiple precautions to minimize physical contact while encouraging at risk members to stay at home and live stream we could stay under the previous CDC guidelines for gatherings and still hold worship and other activities at Calvary. We know this was a controversial decision, but it was made in good faith and with prayer and serious deliberation.

With the new CDC recommendations and the uncertainty of what will come, meeting together for worship is no longer possible, so your pastors and church leaders have decided to close Calvary for at least four weeks.


This was a very difficult decision to make but it is the most responsible and the only one we could make to protect the health of all CLC members, especially our most vulnerable.

The CLC staff is very resourceful and creative and has already come up with many ideas of how we can continue to be a faith community even if we don’t physically meet. It is an evolving process. This is what we have so far.

Worship

  • We will live stream Lenten and Sunday services on YouTube and are working to improve the sound quality and production value.
  • The Wednesday service will be streamed at 7 PM. Some youth and choir members will help the staff lead the service.
  • The Sunday service will be streamed at 10 AM. A small number of choir and musicians will help lead. We will alternate 11 and 9:30 formats weekly. We will begin with the 11 AM format this week.
  • Bulletins will be emailed and posted online before each service so that you can sing along at home.
  • We encourage you to have bread and wine/grape juice available at home to participate in communion in the Sunday service and have family members commune each other.
  • The worship leaders will make an offering using our Give Plus app and encourage you to do the same at that time or you could write a check at that point and put it in an envelope to be mailed.
  • All Holy Week services will be streamed:
    • Maundy Thursday
    • Good Friday
    • Easter Sunrise in the outdoor chapel
    • Easter Worship at 10 a.m.

Children’s Ministry

  • Each morning starting this Wednesday individual members of the staff will take turns leading a sing-along time including some traditional hymns on FB live.
  • Home activity kits are available to engage children. Contact Janelle.
  • Interactive ZOOM with Janelle – who knows what she’ll come with!
  • We have a Facebook page Calvary Families with Children for families with children up through 5th grade. Please join that group if you have children/grandchildren in that age group. This is a closed group so sharing things via photos will be in a protected space.
  • Lots of things are evolving and Janelle will continue to update families of Children, Youth and Family via email and this Facebook page.

Confirmation and High School

We are working on a plan and it will roll out later in the week. Janelle will communicate directly with those youth and parents.

Adult Education

Pastor Phil, Pastor Kyle and Intern Evan will take turns leading a once a week online interactive lesson on the upcoming Sunday scriptures beginning next week.

Pastoral Care

Pastors are available as always for pre-surgery prayers, hospital visits or home communion. Contact the church office. We are not permitted to visit Nursing homes or Rehab centers.

Giving

We will reopen in time and get back to the vibrant communal faith life that is Calvary Lutheran. Our financial obligations will not change during this time. Salaries, utilities, operational costs, and our mortgage payments need to be paid. We can find ourselves well behind budget after just a few Sundays of missed offerings.

Please remember to be faithful in your financial offering as long as you are fiscally able. In this way you are helping maintain Calvary’s mission in a time when that commitment is more important than ever. Read more ways to give . . .

We are Family

When we went through the new building process and renovation, we came to see that we were more than the space in which we worshipped. We are family. The family of God at Calvary. Granted, this is even more of a challenge and uncharted territory, but we believe that God is more than able to accomplish what concerns us today… to do much more than we could ever dream... to make us what God wants us to be. (He Is Able - Ephesians 3:20)

This is our time to overcome the obstacles set before us. This is our time to run the race with perseverance. This is our time to be the people of God we have always been and always will be.

We are Listening

We appreciate your feedback and any ideas you might have. We are in this thing together. If you have specific needs that you cannot meet, we have teams of volunteers that can help. Contact the church office.

Prayers

Remember in prayer those affected around the world, their families, as well as all medical staff and professionals.

Renewal

Once this crisis is over, we will resume normal worship. Regardless of that date, our very first Sunday back we will celebrate Easter, followed by Western Worship the next Sunday. And what a joyful occasion that will be!

Grace and peace,

The CLC Council and Staff

 

   
 
 
site by ReichenbachDesigns