Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not be afraid" (John 14:27).
 

In troubled times like these we don't panic or give way to fear. We know that God our Father is in control, we are certain of his love for us in Jesus, and we know that we belong to him as members of his family, the body of Christ, his Church.

Our heavenly Father provides for the birds of the air, and he clothes the grass of the field. He certainly takes care of us, giving us everything we need for our bodies, our lives, and most importantly, our souls. "If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also along with him graciously give us all things?" (Romans 8:31,32).

We need the comfort of God's Word more than ever. We need to hear God's message of forgiveness through Jesus' life and death. We need to be reminded that death has been overcome by Jesus' victorious resurrection on Easter.

We are deeply concerned about the physical health and welfare of our congregation and our community. For this reason we have taken reasonable measures to comply with government recommendations for public gatherings. That is why we believe it is wise to listen with sound mind to the counsel of public health officials who are doing their best to mitigate the impact of this dsease. As a church, we are committed to being prepared, but not panicked; aware, but not afraid.

This was a difficult decision for us to make because while it is important for us to gather as a body, we all have the responsibility to care for those of us who are more vulnerable. More than physical welfare, though, we are concerned about spiritual health. We will continue to serve God's people with his Word and Sacraments. We are making use of every opportunity to use technology and all the means at our disposal to bring people comfort, peace, forgiveness, and encouragement from God's Word.

We are taking this one week at a time.