First Lutheran, Manhattan (MHK)

                                                     
In order to slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect the most vulnerable in our community, First Lutheran Church is CLOSED until Monday, March 30. Please see below a note about how we are planning to stay in community in this time.

Dear First Lutheran Friends,

This week in our gospel reading we heard how we who worship God “worship in spirit and truth,” (John 4:23). Jesus promises us that God can be found in all corners of our world, not simply in one place, or one building. In this time of coronavirus, we as a faith community are having to readjust our patterns of ministry in order to care for one another. As a congregation, you can anticipate the following changes, effective Monday, March 16^th, and extending through Monday, March 30^th. Following that time period, we will reevaluate the situation.

• In-person worship will be suspended the weekends of March 21^st and 22^nd, and March 28^th and 29^th. We will continue to offer virtual worship experiences, which you can find here, through your email, or through our facebook page.
• Beginning March 16^th, our church office will be closed, and we are suspending all in-person ministries, including: Wednesday prayer service, committees, bible studies, youth groups, music groups, outside groups, and volunteer work. If you have any questions, please contact that leader of your group.
• Church office can receive calls via voicemail, so if you have questions, don’t hesitate to call. Emails to office@flcmhk.org will also be answered promptly. If you would like to have your group host a virtual meeting, let Pastor Liz know for help setting that up. Staff will primarily be working from home, although staff will continue to have building access.
• First Suppers and Food Pantry will be run by the leaders of those ministries and staff, and adjusted to be served in safe and responsible ways. We are going to continue to feed our people, but additional volunteering for these ministries will be temporarily suspended.
• Virtual Bible Study, Devotional, and Prayer will be available online on Wednesday afternoons- check it out! This time will also include ideas and ways you can continue to serve your neighbor.
• Kid’s Virtual Devotional will be available on Thursday afternoons- all ages will enjoy!
• Take-Home Faith Packs- We have a fabulous family activity and devotional pack available for anyone, with an emphasis on Lent and prayer. This pack includes a mini service project. Available for all ages- it’s geared towards kids, but all generations will enjoy! Let Pastor Liz know if you are interested- pastorliz@flcmhk.org
• LOG ECM will have separate communication for our child care procedure for the next two weeks, if you have questions, contact LOG ECM Director Tynisha Moore at logschool@flcmhk.org
• During this time, you can access quick and convenient online giving here. You may give a one-time amount, or set up a recurring donation for further ease of access. 

Your grace is appreciated as we take this unknown situation one step at a time. Know that your leadership and staff is working diligently to stay aware of the most recent information, and is in communication with other churches and community resources to see how we can best respond to this changing situation. Email, website, and Facebook will be your best methods of keeping up-to-date with our situation following March 30^th.

We will stay connected and caring for one another, even if we cannot meet in-person. Never forget the power of prayer, a phone call, a card, and all the other ways we have to stay in touch. God is here, God will continue to be with us. Know how proud I am for how our church has risen to the occasion, and how we will continue to shine God’s light to our weary world. 

Blessings,

Pastor Liz

First Lutheran Staff

First Lutheran Council