This 6th Sunday of Easter, May 9th, we will gather in-person outdoors in our parking lot for worship. Holy Communion will be provided. Please wear a mask and bring your own chair. We will gather for a physically distanced fellowship time immediately following outdoors for those who would like to. I encourage us to stay a little while and greet one another as we begin to slowly return to some of our regular practices. Coffee and goodies will not be provided just yet.
We will also be announcing the election of a new Bishop for the 190 congregations of our Sierra Pacific Synod, who will serve for the next 6 years. Please keep this election in your prayers as Barbara Rice, Kent Madsen and myself will be attending the first-ever virtual online Synod Assembly that began Thursday May 6 and ended Saturday May 8.
Next Sunday May 16th (Last Sunday of Easter), we will offer a recorded worship service with Holy Communion that you can find on our website anytime that day.
The following Sunday, May 23rd (Pentecost), we will gather in-person outdoors in our parking lot at 10am for a livestreamed worship service. I encourage everyone to wear something red to celebrate the color of the day – a sign of the Holy Spirit among us.
It is also a significant day for our church as little 5 yr. old Ila, who attended our preschool and whose Great-grandmother & Great-grandfather were some of the first residents of St. Stephen’s Senior Housing, will be baptized. This is the first baptism of someone from our preschool since it opened 8 yrs ago, and the first from a family from St. Stephen’s Senior Housing. Thanks be to God!
Beginning in May and continuing through August, on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month at 10am, there will be an outdoor, live-streamed worship service. The recording of that service will be available after 5pm on our website. Sundays: May 9, 23 / June 13, 27 / July 11, 25 / August 8,22. All other Sundays will be recorded on Fridays at 11am. and posted to our website by Sunday morning.
Our gathering for worship each Sunday at church, in our homes, or wherever we are able, is very essential to strengthen us to meet the world’s challenges. These days, especially, we cling to the messages of our faith that call us to new beginnings and living a new life. Previous Sunday worship services can be found here on our website.
Thank you all for your amazing support and love and faithful prayers for Leslie and our family. Please refer to Leslie’s “CaringBridge.org” page for updates and details about her story in case you may not have heard about her accident. Please look for your newsletter – Leslie has written an article sharing her thoughts and feelings since the accident. She is also now able to walk much easier and is returning to the office a few hours each day. We are so grateful for our office volunteers Sherilyn Jager and Kathy Allen who have graciously stepped in to help with office duties while Leslie recovers!
Thank you for your continued faithfulness in your financial giving back to God through our church. Please remember to either give your offering through the mail, through our website donation option, signing up for monthly electronic giving, OR if you just want to get out of the house, then come by the church and drop it off in the mailbox in a secure slot called “Incoming mail”! Office hours are M-Th 8:30-2:30. If you come during those times, you may also want to step into the sanctuary for some prayer and quiet time with God. We would love to see you. Our library is also open to you with quite a variety to choose from.
Thank you to those of you who have been sending notes and messages of encouragement and support. They help keep us hopeful and joyful! We always love to hear how things are going. We would like to share your experiences in the Newsletter each month. So, give some thought to what’s been happening in your life – we all miss each other, and would be thrilled to hear what’s up!
Other notes:
- If any of you would like to participate, it really helps to have a few people Reading Scripture and offering the Prayers of Intercession from the Celebrate page. Or if you would just like to come to worship – Fridays (new day) 11:00 am. Call the office at 476-4700 to schedule your spot.
- Habitat for Humanity Lunches. We will be providing Lunches (sandwiches, chips, fruit & cookies) for 10 volunteers. Reply to this email or call the office if you would like to help out. Our next date is Tuesday, May 25.
- A few copies of “White Fragility” are available to borrow. Call the office to inquire.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jim
You must be logged in to post a comment.