Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Matthew 22: 37-39
Members of our Good Shepherd Lutheran Church Family,
Friends, we are facing difficult decisions together. Since we opened for in person worship over July 4th and 5th, Montgomery County became a level 3 Covid-19 area. Both Governor DeWine and our Southern Ohio Synod Bishop, Bishop Dillahunt, have strongly recommended we should consider online worship only. The leadership of GSLC agreed with this recommendation. For the foreseeable future, we will have online worship only.
We are not trying to confuse people with in-person worship starting and stopping. We have decided to stay with online worship until further notice. This difficult decision has been made keeping in mind our Lord’s command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
With the rising numbers in our county, to keep everyone safe, we decided that it was wiser not to gather together physically for worship. Even though we feel the guidelines in place for worshipping together (wearing masks in the building, safe distancing, hand sanitizer, etc) are important, it’s not worth risking anyone’s health. We want to be as loving as possible by continuing online worship.
Although we are not currently working under a specific timeline, we will keep you informed through our communication channels: the eBlast, our website, on Facebook, on our Youtube channel, and by letter. During this time please remember to give faithfully to the mission of GSLC by using the Tithely app or sending your offerings to the GLSC office. Our ministries of Worship, Bible Study, and meetings are available online so we can remain connected in our faith through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. That will never change regardless of the distance or the length of time that we are not physically meeting.
Please be safe. Keep one another in prayer. Love one another in any way possible. We will get through this pandemic together. Contact the church office with any needs that can be lifted in prayer or support we can offer.
As I end my devotions each week I will end this letter: Take care of yourselves, and each other.
God Bless,
Pr. Jamie Vannoy