Weekly Newsletter

April 30, 2020

Glimpses of Glendale Glendale Lutheran Church Newsletter April 30, 2020 Below is a letter from LCMS Missouri District President Lee Hagan. These, along with St. Louis County restrictions, will guide the elders going forward.   Missouri District Guidelines for Resuming Public Worship 5/1/2020  1. As previously noted in guidance that has been offered, decisions by congregations’ leaders seek to honor the third, fourth, and fifth commandments as we love and honor God, respect government authority, and serve our neighbor in love.    2. Congregation leaders and pastors should refer to local, county and state government orders as they consider any resumption of public worship. While the April 27, 2020 order of the Director of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services allows for a return to public worship with very specific limitations from May 4 to May 31, 2020, congregation leaders and pastors should defer to local jurisdiction for specific guidance.   3. Governor Parson has released “Show‐Me Strong Recovery Plan: Phase I Guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions.” The guidelines include restrictions on the building capacity based upon formulas for the fire or building code occupancy. These restrictions also include the six‐ foot social distancing requirement.    4. Congregations may not all return to public worship as local restrictions may differ, but the way that the congregation serves the needs of the members may also differ. Pastors should discuss possible scenarios with other pastors within the circuit in advance of a return to public worship.  Some congregations have been offering “drive‐in” worship services after consultation with local health departments. Some of those may choose to continue for the moment or others may cease the “drive‐in” service in favor of the return to worship in the sanctuary.   5. To maintain these restrictions, congregation leaders may find it necessary to offer more worship service opportunities than are normally offered.   6. Plans for a return to public worship therefore should include the congregation leaders offering a process for signing up to attend a specific service so as to limit the number of attendees.   7. Congregation leaders and pastors may wish to involve health care professionals in developing a plan for public worship.   8. Here are a number of suggested steps for a return to public worship:  Anyone planning to attend should be symptom free and not considered “at‐risk.”   Prior to each service, the pews should be sanitized/disinfected.   Hymnals and pew Bibles should be removed temporarily.   A gloved usher should hold the door open for people coming and going. If there are multiple doors, the congregation may wish to direct people to specific doors so that the door can be opened for them.   The service should be printed out in a (disposable) bulletin or projected (if this is part of the congregation’s practice).   Rope off pews to maintain social distancing (one or two pews between family groups)  Families should be directed to not sit directly behind other family groups.   Offering plates should be placed in entry ways and not passed.   There should be no shaking of hands or physical contact.   At this point, there should not be face‐to‐face Sunday School, Bible class, choir or other gatherings beyond worship.   Arranging the church parking lot so that there are empty spaces between vehicles.   9. Congregation leaders should also give careful consideration to the matter of distributing Lord’s Supper. Please consider referring to the March 27 Pastoral Letter and Guidelines for Distributing the Lord’s Supper that is available on the district website. Here are some specific steps to consider:  The preparation of the Communion vessels should be taken with great care to limit contact of people, vessels and elements. Those preparing the vessels should wash hands before and after and may wish to wear latex gloves if available.   The pastor should wash his hands prior to distribution. He may choose to wear latex gloves if available.   Distribution should take place separate from a communion rail so that communicants need not kneel or come in contact with hard surface.   Distribution should be done one family group at a time rather than continuous flow.   Pastors should carefully consider the process of distributing the host in relation to the contact with the communicants and the handling of both the hosts and the vessels.   Individual cups should be used and spaced out across the tray so that there are empty spaces around each cup.   Pastors should only commune members of their own congregation unless the other pastor is aware and such provisions have already been established.   10. Congregations that are currently recording or livestreaming services should continue to do for the sake of those who are at‐risk or not comfortable attending public worship for the foreseeable future.   11. There will be further conversations about pastoral care and those who view online services in the future. Under the present circumstances we understand that not all congregations are able to provide online services. At some point in the future, pastors will be wise to encourage online viewers who are members of other congregations to return to meeting together with the other members of their congregation. Congregation leaders and pastors should also discuss how to further engage online guests who do not have church homes.   12. Congregations should also provide intentional care for shut‐ins and at‐risk members who are not able to attend public worship.    Daily Bible Reading GLC Zoom Account Glendale Lutheran Church has a paid Zoom account which means meetings with unlimited time limits and participants. If you are interesting in holding a church-related meeting using the GLC Zoom account, please contact Pastor Scott or Michelle for the necessary account information. New Tax Benefits for Charitable Giving Included in the CARES Act The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that was signed into law on March 27, 2020, contains the following two provisions that may impact your giving to Glendale Lutheran Church and charities during 2020: Standard Deduction - For those taxpayers who utilize the standard deduction on his/her 2020 income tax return, a new above-the-line deduction allows an individual to deduct up to $300 of cash contributions to qualified charities, including Glendale Lutheran Church. A married couple is allowed to deduct up to $600. This new deduction does not apply to taxpayers who itemize deductions. What is exciting about this new deduction is the ability to take the standard deduction and still deduct charitable contributions up to the $300 limit per taxpayer. Normally, charitable deductions are only allowed for those who itemize deductions. Since most individuals take the standard deduction, this new deduction is now available to the vast majority of taxpayers. Itemized Deductions - For those taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2020 income tax returns, charitable contributions of cash are now deductible up to 100% of 2020 Adjusted Gross Income. Normally, these cash charitable contributions are limited to 60% of Adjusted Gross Income. Please note that this new limit does not apply to gifts of appreciated securities. Caveat: The deductions for cash contributions mentioned above must be made to public charities and cannot be made to a donor advised fund or private foundation. Please contact your tax professional to determine how these provisions impact you. Next Sunday's Bible Readings Acts 6:1-9, 7:2a, 51-60; 1 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-14 The Word Within the Word Online Calendar Glendale Lutheran Church Monday-Thursday 8:00 am-4:30 pm (314) 966-3220 office@glendalelutheranchurch.org Connect With Us: ‌ ‌ ‌

Glendale Lutheran Church | 1365 North Sappington Road, Glendale, MO 63122 Unsubscribe glendalelutheranchurch.webpost@blogger.com Update Profile | About Constant Contact Sent by mfiala@glendalelutheranchurch.org in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!