SHLC COVID-19 Update #1

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

The world has seen the devastating power of COVID19 – the coronavirus – in recent weeks. The extensive loss of life is profoundly tragic, and we pray for those who grieve the loss of their loved ones, as we should whenever death leaves its mark.

We’re also witnessing governments, institutions and organizations taking drastic measures to try to contain the spread of this virus. The state board of health has issued a statement that recommends cancelling non-essential gatherings of 250+ people. Whether we all agree about the need for these actions or not, I believe that people in leadership positions are seeking the best medical advice they can find, and implementing precautions that are in the best interests of those they are called to serve.

We should do likewise here at SHLC.  We do NOT plan to discontinue our worship or educational ministries here. God’s command and blessing, along with our need for His means of grace in Word and Sacrament, are the overriding factors in determining to carry on in His mission and ministry within our Church Family and community. He has shepherded His people through far worse threats and disasters, and I firmly and joyfully believe that He will do so again and again!

We will also be taking every feasible step toward keeping our facility as clean as possible. That being said, we do not want to take unnecessary risks, or expose our brothers and sisters to those risks, if we can help it. Based on what we’ve learned from the latest communications from medical experts, and my own conversations with medical professionals, we will move forward with the following directives for our congregation:

1. If you are feeling sick at all, please stay home! This should be true with any virus making the rounds, but it is especially crucial now. Fever, cough, sneezing and the like may well be something else entirely, but if you have even mild symptoms, please love your neighbor enough to keep your illness to yourself, so to speak. We will be streaming all of our services online, so you can watch from home.
2. If you believe you are especially vulnerable to viral infection, please stay home! This virus, like so many others, weighs especially heavily on the very old and the very young, as well as those whose immune systems are already compromised by other conditions. God understands. Please do not take unnecessary risks. Again, you can watch the service online, and if you need to stay away for an extended time, Pastor Chad or myself will come and visit you privately and provide the Lord’s Supper for you at home. Just give us a call. And again, we will be streaming our services online.
3. Wash your hands frequently. Our mothers were right, as usual. Use soap and warm water. Do this often in remembrance of germs.
4. Avoid touching your face. Good luck with this one! If you do cough or sneeze into your hands, or wipe your nose, scratch your head, etc., please proceed directly to the sink or the sanitizer.
5. Use sanitizer. We will try to keep a supply on hand and readily available. We also have a supply of sanitizing wipes that we will try to use frequently to wipe down surfaces that are frequently touched, but every additional hand that touches brings another opportunity for germs to spread, so help everyone out by keeping your hands as clean as possible.
6. No handshakes. We all love each other and want to make everyone feel warm and welcome, but hand-to-hand contact is the most common way for viruses to transmit. So we won’t be greeting with a handshake for a while – use the firstbump or elbow tap as needed. Smiles and hellos are still welcome and accepted.
7. Self-quarantine. Going along with our first two points, if you or someone you’ve been in close contact with have recently returned from areas where the infection has really taken off (Asia, Europe), please get yourself tested, and stay home until you’ve been cleared. If you need one of the pastors to visit, we will gladly do so.
8. It’s entirely up to you. We respect the right of every individual/family to make decisions that they feel are in the best interest of their family. Pray that the Lord guides each one of us in these decisions.

 
I don’t know how this pandemic is going to go, or when it will subside. But this I do know: our God is bigger and stronger than any virus! His grace is more than sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:7-10), and His power is made perfect in our weakness. That doesn’t make us immune. It makes us conquerors.
 
In Christ,
 
Pastor Steve Kline
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church