Trinity Lutheran Church,
As of 27 May 2020, the State of Colorado has extended the COVID-19 "Safer at Home" restrictions until June 1st (https://covid19.colorado.gov). This means we will continue with our current method of online worship, bible studies, and gatherings. However, with this short extension, various restrictions have started to be relaxed and I will be working with the Elder’s and Church Council to develop a plan to allow us to phase back into in-person worship after allowed to by state and county law.
However, I would like to emphasize that regardless of the current legal requirements or recommended guidelines, we will do what is in the best interest of our congregation’s spiritual AND physical health. This might involve a slower return to in-person worship than what the state allows or it might not, but either way, we will continue to record the worship services and provide for a virtual and televised worship experience into the foreseeable future. The timing and method of this virtual worship experience might change, but its availability will remain.
Additionally, I am also taking into account what type of Christian witness we are giving to the community in our observance of legal requirements and recommendations. You might know of other churches who return to in-person worship at a different pace than we do, so please avoid judging their context and Christian witness based upon our own approach or, in contrast, comparing their approach to our own. We are all working within the ministry context where God has placed us and we are all doing what God has led us to do.
Pray for the various people affected by this pandemic through sickness, work, stress, or isolation.
Pray for myself and your church leadership as these plans and decisions are discussed in the next several weeks.
Pray for our community and state as we enter the next phase of our COVID-19 pandemic journey.
Pray for the nation and world as God brings this pandemic to a close.
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God’s Blessings,
Luke Scheele, Pastor
Trinity Lutheran Church