Our plan is to get the congregation together in person, safely, as much as possible in the next two months. We know that time is short, and winter is coming. We know that, barring a miracle(which we are praying fervently for!) we are likely going to be exclusively online for most of the late fall and winter. Knowing that we are offering a robust series of outdoor worship opportunities, each including Holy Communion. I encourage you to take advantage of these.
On Sunday mornings we gather on the lawn of the church for worship. We sit six feet apart and wear masks. Holy Communion waits for us on our chairs. We worship using the video created for that week, stopping it for the children’s dismissal to Sunday School after the children’s sermon and then again to celebrate Holy Communion prior to the prayers. After worship we get to fellowship and catch up, all while remaining safe with the added security of the outdoors. Join us at 8am or 10am.
On Wednesday morning, beginning on September 9th, we will begin having worship weekly at 9am. We’ll begin a new sermon series called “The Church has Issues!” exploring the letters Paul wrote to the early church as they figured out how to be Christians. There will be music and prayers and Holy Communion.
On Wednesday evenings, beginning on September 9th, we launch a new worship service called Wednesday Night LIGHT. LIGHT stands for Living in God’s Holy Truth. As the sun sets we’ll gather under new lights on the lawn and enjoy a pleasant evening of worship together. This service will focus on the basics of the Christian faith. We’ll begin with a series on Martin Luther’s small catechism discussion of the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostle’s Creed. This service will also be live-streamed. Following worship, which includes Holy Communion, we’ll gather confirmation students for their class and one of the pastors will lead a conversation with the adults. We intend to add this service as a permanent feature of our ministry going forward.
We will continue to pour our energy and resources into the online video as that reaches the largest percentage of our congregation. However, if you haven’t had communion for awhile, if you’re feeling isolated and lonely, if you just miss seeing your congregation I encourage you to take advantage of one of the above opportunities. I think we all need this and it will serve us well during this Covid year.
-Pastor Travis
First Thoughts at First 
Are there certain books of the Bible that would be helpful to read ahead of time?
Also, which version do we use these days?
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Might there be an opportunity for distributing communion in a drive through option for those of us who cannot attend the planned services on the lawn?
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