ERLC message from Pastor Nathan
3/19/2020
Dear Beloved Members and Friends of Elk River Lutheran,
You are all in my thoughts and prayers right now as we all experience this strange journey together. This coming Sunday the theme that we set months ago when we were planning worship during the season of Lent is “Plenty of Food,” as we hear the story of Jesus feeding 5000 people with just a few loaves and fishes. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we would be discussing this topic while so many grocery shelves sit empty. We can rest assured that there is plenty of food. A little bit of panic buying has cleared the shelves for now, but delivery trucks are still on the move and dedicated workers will be restocking those shelves. Let’s continue to pray and give thanks for those folks who are working so diligently to make sure there is food. (Tune into Online Sunday Worship for more on the topic “Plenty of Food”)
I think we’re all experiencing fear on some level, and that’s understandable. In the Bible, prophet Isaiah talks about fear a lot because he’s writing at a time when the people of God have had their lives turned upside down by an invading enemy. Some are living under occupation and some have been hauled off to live in a foreign land where they can’t speak the language and feel really alone and separated from their people. Fear is an everyday part of their lives (rightly so) and yet God says to them:
Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
God is with us at home and as we connect and gather in new virtual ways. Twice now we have done online worship services and I can’t express how much I love connecting in that way! I wish we could be together in person, but this kind of virtual connection, which wouldn’t have been as easy 10 years ago or even possible 20 years ago, is a real blessing. I want to continue to direct you to our “Staying Connected” page on our website, which has current information and links to live and archived worship services: https://www.elkriverlutheran.org/staying-connected.html
We will continue live streaming gatherings including:
Sunday Morning Online Worship at 9:30 AM
and
Online Dinner Church, Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM.
Instructions for how to find those feeds for live streaming or viewing after the fact are found at the above link to our “Staying Connected” webpage. The church staff and I have also been very busy figuring out additional new ways to communicate and connect during this time of social distancing. Continue to watch for updates and online events.
Your church staff and I are all committed to being even more available to you during this time. So even as our church’s regular office hours become less regular in the days and weeks ahead, as the staff practice more social distancing and working from home, we want you to be able to reach out and contact us any time. If you have specific questions or needs, please feel free to contact any of the church staff directly:
Many of you have asked about how the church can collect offering when we can’t pass the offering plate in worship. Thank you for your love and support of this church Your financial support is especially appreciated at this time. The three main ways to give financially include:
I want to leave you with one final request… In this time of increased isolation, I want to encourage you to check in on each other. If you think of a friend from church (or any friend) just reach out to them. I really believe that person popping into your mind is the Holy Spirit nudging you to check in on them. Call them and say hello (Or text, Facetime, Email, Snapchat… contact them however!). Let them know that you care. Jesus once told his disciples that people would know they are his disciples by their love. Right now love looks like keeping a physical distance from people, but also connecting and showing we care in other ways. Now is the time to put love into action by making sure ALL the people in our lives know how much we care and how much we’re thinking of them. You all are in my prayers and I know you will put love into action in so many ways in these days and weeks ahead. Thank you!
Grace and Peace, Pastor Nathan
Dear Beloved Members and Friends of Elk River Lutheran,
You are all in my thoughts and prayers right now as we all experience this strange journey together. This coming Sunday the theme that we set months ago when we were planning worship during the season of Lent is “Plenty of Food,” as we hear the story of Jesus feeding 5000 people with just a few loaves and fishes. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I imagine that we would be discussing this topic while so many grocery shelves sit empty. We can rest assured that there is plenty of food. A little bit of panic buying has cleared the shelves for now, but delivery trucks are still on the move and dedicated workers will be restocking those shelves. Let’s continue to pray and give thanks for those folks who are working so diligently to make sure there is food. (Tune into Online Sunday Worship for more on the topic “Plenty of Food”)
I think we’re all experiencing fear on some level, and that’s understandable. In the Bible, prophet Isaiah talks about fear a lot because he’s writing at a time when the people of God have had their lives turned upside down by an invading enemy. Some are living under occupation and some have been hauled off to live in a foreign land where they can’t speak the language and feel really alone and separated from their people. Fear is an everyday part of their lives (rightly so) and yet God says to them:
Do not fear, for I am with you, do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
God is with us at home and as we connect and gather in new virtual ways. Twice now we have done online worship services and I can’t express how much I love connecting in that way! I wish we could be together in person, but this kind of virtual connection, which wouldn’t have been as easy 10 years ago or even possible 20 years ago, is a real blessing. I want to continue to direct you to our “Staying Connected” page on our website, which has current information and links to live and archived worship services: https://www.elkriverlutheran.org/staying-connected.html
We will continue live streaming gatherings including:
Sunday Morning Online Worship at 9:30 AM
and
Online Dinner Church, Wednesday evenings at 6:00 PM.
Instructions for how to find those feeds for live streaming or viewing after the fact are found at the above link to our “Staying Connected” webpage. The church staff and I have also been very busy figuring out additional new ways to communicate and connect during this time of social distancing. Continue to watch for updates and online events.
Your church staff and I are all committed to being even more available to you during this time. So even as our church’s regular office hours become less regular in the days and weeks ahead, as the staff practice more social distancing and working from home, we want you to be able to reach out and contact us any time. If you have specific questions or needs, please feel free to contact any of the church staff directly:
- Pastor Nathan Mugaas- 763-242-8347 [email protected]
- Linda Nielsen, Office Manager - 612-845-7335 [email protected]
- Jeremy Hallquist, Minister of Congregational Care and Discipleship - 612-201-6382 [email protected]
- Taylor Quinn, Director of Music Ministry - 816-519-2719 [email protected]
- Lisa Sampson, Director of Children, Youth and Family - 612-750-3959 [email protected]
Many of you have asked about how the church can collect offering when we can’t pass the offering plate in worship. Thank you for your love and support of this church Your financial support is especially appreciated at this time. The three main ways to give financially include:
- Online giving through our website and tithe.ly https://www.elkriverlutheran.org/give.html
- If you would like help setting up online giving, including automatic giving, or have any questions about how online giving works, please contact Linda.
- Mail in offering to the church: 729 Main St NW; Elk River, MN 55330
- Drop off offering into our locked mail box to the left of the front door.
I want to leave you with one final request… In this time of increased isolation, I want to encourage you to check in on each other. If you think of a friend from church (or any friend) just reach out to them. I really believe that person popping into your mind is the Holy Spirit nudging you to check in on them. Call them and say hello (Or text, Facetime, Email, Snapchat… contact them however!). Let them know that you care. Jesus once told his disciples that people would know they are his disciples by their love. Right now love looks like keeping a physical distance from people, but also connecting and showing we care in other ways. Now is the time to put love into action by making sure ALL the people in our lives know how much we care and how much we’re thinking of them. You all are in my prayers and I know you will put love into action in so many ways in these days and weeks ahead. Thank you!
Grace and Peace, Pastor Nathan
ERLC Response to Coronavirus
March 14, 2020
Dear Members and Friends of Elk RIver Lutheran Church,
Out of an abundance of caution and love for our neighbors, Elk River Lutheran Church is suspending in-person Sunday worship, all programming, and meetings, including the outside groups who use our facility*, through the end of March. We will continue to monitor the situation and reevaluate in the weeks ahead.
The church council came to this decision in a special meeting held last night after Gov. Tim Walz’s press conference on Coronavirus where he shared that the Minnesota Department of Health is now recommending the suspension of public gatherings (large gatherings with 250+ people and smaller gatherings with fewer than 250 people that are held in settings that do not allow social distancing of six feet per person). This social distancing would make worship and other gatherings very difficult, if not impossible. Experts say that collective action right now may help to flatten the virus’s growth curve, which, in turn, has the potential to decrease the risk to those most vulnerable to the disease (e.g., the aged, those will underlying health conditions).
Our ERLC staff is holding a special meeting today to make plans for special “virtual” worship services beginning tomorrow, Sunday, March 15 at 9:30AM. You can find this worship service streamed live on our Facebook page or at the following page on our website, which will serve as an ongoing update page:
https://www.elkriverlutheran.org/staying-connected.html
In the days ahead the staff will also be working on additional ways for our congregation to maintain connections with one another, even as physical gatherings are being limited.
The irony is not lost on me that our Lenten theme, “At This Table,” is all about the importance and value of gathering around tables and sharing meals. The fact that we will not only be missing Sunday morning worship, but also Wednesday night dinner church breaks my heart. Yet we trust that God will be faithful and will continue to guide our church even in this uncertain time. Please watch your Email and our Facebook page for ongoing updates and opportunities to connect virtually. And please check in with one another. Call your church friends and family, to see how they’re doing and just to say “hello,” and by all means, if you and they are feeling well, get together in person. We are still the church powered by love!
The church offices will remain open, although some staff may choose to work remotely, and we encourage anyone who feels sick or vulnerable to stay home. Thank you for your understanding in this difficult decision. These are uncharted times. Please pray for health workers, first responders, government officials, and all directly affected by this pandemic. May God bless us as we continue on this journey, maybe not side by side for this time, but together nonetheless.
Grace and Peace, Pastor Nathan
*The Way Out AA group is the one exception to this rule and will continue to meet on Thursday nights at 7:00pm.
March 14, 2020
Dear Members and Friends of Elk RIver Lutheran Church,
Out of an abundance of caution and love for our neighbors, Elk River Lutheran Church is suspending in-person Sunday worship, all programming, and meetings, including the outside groups who use our facility*, through the end of March. We will continue to monitor the situation and reevaluate in the weeks ahead.
The church council came to this decision in a special meeting held last night after Gov. Tim Walz’s press conference on Coronavirus where he shared that the Minnesota Department of Health is now recommending the suspension of public gatherings (large gatherings with 250+ people and smaller gatherings with fewer than 250 people that are held in settings that do not allow social distancing of six feet per person). This social distancing would make worship and other gatherings very difficult, if not impossible. Experts say that collective action right now may help to flatten the virus’s growth curve, which, in turn, has the potential to decrease the risk to those most vulnerable to the disease (e.g., the aged, those will underlying health conditions).
Our ERLC staff is holding a special meeting today to make plans for special “virtual” worship services beginning tomorrow, Sunday, March 15 at 9:30AM. You can find this worship service streamed live on our Facebook page or at the following page on our website, which will serve as an ongoing update page:
https://www.elkriverlutheran.org/staying-connected.html
In the days ahead the staff will also be working on additional ways for our congregation to maintain connections with one another, even as physical gatherings are being limited.
The irony is not lost on me that our Lenten theme, “At This Table,” is all about the importance and value of gathering around tables and sharing meals. The fact that we will not only be missing Sunday morning worship, but also Wednesday night dinner church breaks my heart. Yet we trust that God will be faithful and will continue to guide our church even in this uncertain time. Please watch your Email and our Facebook page for ongoing updates and opportunities to connect virtually. And please check in with one another. Call your church friends and family, to see how they’re doing and just to say “hello,” and by all means, if you and they are feeling well, get together in person. We are still the church powered by love!
The church offices will remain open, although some staff may choose to work remotely, and we encourage anyone who feels sick or vulnerable to stay home. Thank you for your understanding in this difficult decision. These are uncharted times. Please pray for health workers, first responders, government officials, and all directly affected by this pandemic. May God bless us as we continue on this journey, maybe not side by side for this time, but together nonetheless.
Grace and Peace, Pastor Nathan
*The Way Out AA group is the one exception to this rule and will continue to meet on Thursday nights at 7:00pm.