Way back when we were able to worship together, in-person and in the sanctuary (it seems like that was ages ago,) you might remember the antics of interrupting the worship service announcements with signs saying “It’s Coming” and “Stay Tuned”. Back then we were introducing the now suspended capital campaign, 100% for 100 Years, in conjunction with St. Luke’s 100th Anniversary. Well I can happily proclaim…
 
IT’S COMING – LIVE, IN-PERSON WORSHIP!!!
 
The Executive Committee has been actively meeting and discussing ways in which we can once again worship together and begin “opening-up” the church building. Council president Larry Nelson assembled a task force made up of council members and staff to figure out how we can safely begin to open-up and how we, as a congregation, can once again safely resume on-site worshiping together.
 
We plan to have our first worship together before the end of June!
 
The first step will be to gather on-site, in-person for outdoor worship. We envision a drive-in theater type arrangement where one can remain in their car, watching the worship leaders, listening to worship via the car’s radio, and singing along with the music. The ability to sit outside, next to the car, and remain safely distanced from others will be possible. A special area will be reserved for those who walk or bike to worship.
 
Necessary equipment has been ordered and the design and implementation of staging and production is underway.
 
Pre-recorded online worship will continue to be offered even as the live, outdoor worship occurs. The plans are to have the existing online worship available Sunday mornings at 8:30am and the “drive-in” outdoor worship experience beginning at 10:00am. This follows the same schedule we enjoyed prior to the restrictions imposed due to the pandemic.
 
The second step in opening up is to establish a Coronavirus protection program. This personal safety protocol is being drafted and needs to be implemented before we can gather in-person and indoors. This plan is well underway and will be in place prior to the building being opened up.
 
In-Sanctuary worship will occur!
 
With the protection program in place, sanctuary worship services will also be able to begin. Government guidelines restrict gathering to 25% of maximum capacity. Our sanctuary is being “mapped” to figure out maximum occupancy while respecting physical distancing recommendations. Safety concerns for those who gather is more important than achieving some set number. Anticipate indoor worship to begin later this summer.
 
Online worship will continue!
 
The online worship option has been well received and appreciated as a way to connect with members who, for whatever reason, are unable to worship in person. So, as we start to worship in person, our goal is to continue this option through a live stream of a service(s) through existing social media web sites.
 
Your church council and elected leadership team wants to be able to resume live, in-person, on-site worship, but we also have a responsibility to protect each other during this difficult time. We are actively moving forward but will not risk your health and safety to do so. We acknowledge that we are experimenting and working with a rapidly changing set of rules and guidelines. We also recognize that each of us has some varying level of comfort with anything we do or chose not to do.
 
The most important consideration is We Are Family! Please let us know if there is any way we can be supporting one another.
 
Please reach out to your leadership team with any questions, comments or concerns. Contact the church office at (952) 881-5801 or office@stlukesbloomington.org for phone numbers, email addresses or more information.
 
Yours in Service,
 
Paul Klein – Church Council, President-Elect

Fellow ministers of Christ, I am writing today on the subject of STEWARDSHIP!

Frankly, this scares me and while I cannot speak eloquently on the topic that I have been given, I feel that I can speak from the heart.

When I was getting ready to put my thoughts down on paper – or in my case because my writing is often illegible, by keystrokes to computer screen. I did read the four chapters of Paul’s letter to the Philippians. I also bought a book titled “Not Your Parents’ Offering Plate: A New Vision for Financial Stewardship” by J. Clif Christopher.

And while these gave me insight and inspiration, they didn’t tell me what to write.

When I think about Stewardship, I think about examples in my family, of my Mom writing a check every Sunday to drop in the offering plate, this happened at Woodlake Lutheran Church, at the lake, and in Florida while snow birding. I think about my Dad who spent most of one summer, after retiring to his lake home, helping build a new church building for Bone Lake Lutheran Church. I think about my sister who, with her husband and two year old son, left her family farm in St. James, Minnesota to move to Papua New Guinea in support of Lutheran Missionaries. Then she spent four years in a variety of jobs: house parents for the children of missionaries who were in the bush, to performing well baby clinics, and teaching sustainable farming techniques.

When we speak about how to support the church, it always comes down to our time, our talents and our treasure and I get that. My family gets that. And yet, here I am trying to explain why your giving – your stewardship is so important now. The impact of the Government shutting us down, sheltering in place and decreasing or eliminating our work is having a direct impact on the ministries and missions that we support. I can’t go pack meals a Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) and I can’t fill the VEAP box in the narthex, but I can support these mission partners financially. Did you know that FMSC is still packing and shipping meals? They are paying for a manufacturer to pack the meals in lieu of volunteers.

​I believe that like these providers, we, the St. Luke’s mission outpost, are obligated by our faith in Christ Jesus to keep the lights on, keep the coffers filled and be ready for more change and to be able to embrace our future as a Congregation busy making Christ known to others!

Craig Brandt, Stewardship Team

This Sunday was scheduled to be Music Sunday. As I write this, I would normally be preparing for the final rehearsals with The St. Luke's Choir and Bells of Praise. And while I am disheartened over this. It's hard to be away from people--we weren't meant to be alone--but I also cannot write an article about sad I am about our situation.

The power of music is well documented and Music Sunday celebrates that. There are over 140 verses in the Bible referencing music, of course many in the Psalms. Music in the time of the Bible is like music today. Some celebrates, some mourns, and some just is. Music lifts us up. Music brings us down. Music helps us heal.

Before we readied ourselves for Coronavirus, before some of us had heard of COVID-19, we, the staff, came up with 2 social media posts involving music, one was songs of hope and the other was hymns for those dealing with anxiety and depression. It was interesting the way people reacted to those two. Most positively, some negatively. I invite you to look at those posts on Facebook, and comment or share them, if they speak to you. Tell us which songs give you hope and which hymns help you when you are feeling down.