Message from Pastor Stanton for May 2021
First Lutheran is cautiously returning to gatherings. Worship continues to be offered three ways: indoors and live streamed Sundays @ 8:00 and Wednesdays @ 6:15. Sundays at 10:30 are a mixture of inside and outside. Small groups are feeling more comfortable, too, as more and more of our members are reaching ‘fully vaccinated’ status.
Variants of COVID-19 remain a threat. The future is certainly UNcertain. But as we look into May and the summer, I hope to see more and more of our precautions unravelled. Already, outdoor services no longer require registrations. The nursery is open for all indoor Sunday services for as many as 4 kiddos. And maybe we will choose to increase capacity in the sanctuary and small-group meeting areas. Maybe the numbers will get so much better that we won’t have to wear masks! Won’t that be a glorious day!
“I really mean it when I say that First Lutheran is keeping Faith Alive!”
While we wait, I want to THANK YOU for remaining engaged in your faith life. Just reading this pastoral letter is a way for you to remain connected to the ongoing work and ministry of First Lutheran. Our work together continues in the midst of it all!
During worship on May 2, the Stewardship Team will share a brief update on how we’re progressing toward our Big 3 goals for 2021: 1) pandemic relief for Sugar Creek Bible Camp, 2) increased access to faith events and 3) hiring a full time faith formation director. May 2 is also the date of our preschool’s annual SpringFest. Items will be made available for bidding after worship at each service. Enrollment for the fall looks GREAT. Our preschool continues to be an extremely important way our church serves the community. Come support our preschool at SpringFest.
On May 9, Mother’s Day, half of our confirmands will affirm their baptisms at 1:00. The other half will do so on May 23. Confirmation is usually in the fall,
of course, but the class of 2020 is resilient and persistent. Keep all the confirmands and their families in your prayers.
And, of course, it’s the month when we celebrate our high school graduates. On May 16, we will see them all ring the cowbell in celebration of the commencement of their adult lives.
May is a pretty BIG month for our area and our church. I look forward to rejoicing in the opportunities First Lutheran has to offer the best preschool in town, celebrate the work of our confirmands and grads and move forward with great momentum as we strive to meet our financial generosity goals. I know I sign off on my social media posts with our tagline, “Keep Faith Alive!”, but I really mean it when I say that First Lutheran is keeping Faith Alive!
May God continue to bless us with courage and wisdom to navigate the next part of this pandemic together. In Christ’s peace!