2020-03-30Response to Coronavirus

St. Luke’s UMC Coronavirus Response (Updated on 3/27/2020)

WHAT In response to Governor Holcomb’s Executive Order to all Hoosiers on March 25th, the leadership of St. Luke’s is taking the following actions to minimize person to person contact both among staff as well as our congregation and the communities we serve. The intent of the Governor’s Order is for all Hoosiers to remain in their homes through April 7th except when at work (in essential jobs) or for other permitted activities such as taking care of others or obtaining necessary supplies for health and safety.

SO, WHAT Church on Shut Down While church is considered an essential service in the Governor’s recent Executive Order, we are encouraging all employees to work from home and only have people on-site when necessary to film and produce online offerings or to carry out benevolence work. We have moved as much as possible to an online format and continue to seek new ways to use technology to help others find and give hope during this time.

In compliance with both the Governor’s Order and CDC Guidelines, we have canceled all in-person programming at St. Luke’s through May 3rd. The church building will remain locked with access limited to Door 6 by calling the front desk between the hours of 8:30-5. We are evaluating this going forward.

Link to the Governor’s most recent Executive Order, and CDC Guidelines.

To date, the following major events have been postponed or canceled:

• Wednesday Night Live

• Mid-day Spiritual Pause

• Stephen Ministry Commissioning

• Middle School Invite Night

• High School Nerf & Nachos

• Monthly Men’s Breakfast

• Exploring Membership Class

• Children’s Easter Celebration

• Stations of the Cross

• Confirmation Retreat & Celebration Dinner

• Graduation Celebration

• College Care Packages

SO, NOW WHAT The mission of St. Luke’s UMC goes on! More than ever, the Church is needed to care for all of God’s people. Here is what we are doing to continue to help people find and give hope through Jesus Christ.

Worship and Sunday Experiences: Sunday worship and other special worship services will be online only through Easter. We will make announcements regarding post-Easter worship once we see what state and federal guidelines are offered at that time. This will also allow us time to continue to adjust our worship format. We encourage everyone to share this link with people they know as a way of introducing them to St. Luke’s and welcoming them into our virtual community. Know that we are engaging as few personnel as possible and maintaining social distancing, while still trying to provide a meaningful worship experience.

• 3/29 - Online worship services broadcast at 9:30 & 11AM (NEW adding rebroadcast at 4PM & 7PM with our AnchorPoint Bible Study at 8:45, 12:15, 3:15 and 6:15) • 4/5 - Online worship services broadcast at 9:30 & 11AM, 4PM & 7PM (Palm Sunday), AnchorPoint Bible Study will air at the times noted above.

• 4/9 - Maundy Thursday – We are planning to stream a brief service online with an invitation for people to serve one another communion at home. More details to come.

• 4/10 - Online worship services broadcast at Noon & 7PM (Good Friday) • 4/11 - Broadcast of AnchorPoint • 4/12 - Two services: a Traditional and a Contemporary both broadcast at 8:00, 9:30, 11:15AM and 4PM and 7PM (Easter)

Announcements/Bulletins: We will update the video announcements (link to watch) each week with information the congregation needs to know and will include a Bulletin at the bottom of our Watch Live Page that people can download and view with each service.

Youth and Children: • Middle School Youth & Small Groups Sundays at 11AM via Zoom • High School Youth & Small Groups Sundays at 1PM via Zoom • Sundays at Home newsletters with video lessons and activities (Early Years & Elementary) • 5th-12th grade is reading the New Testament in 40 days via the YouVersion Bible App • Mid-week engagement activities (Early Years & Elementary) • Children’s Ministry Facebook group with almost daily engagement • Children’s Ministry Pinterest with added resources for parents/guardians

Online Groups and Classes: • All Groups and Classes are being encouraged to meet via Zoom. We have increased our Zoom licenses to five to allow all groups to use this technology. Leaders may reserve a “room” for their virtual meetings through Dorothy Eads at eadsd@stlukesumc.com.

• We are offering WNL teaching and group experience virtually during Lent.

• Pastor’s Book Study will continue via Zoom during Lent.

• AnchorPoint has been added as a pastor-led Bible Study broadcast on Sunday mornings at 8:45AM and again at 12:15PM as well as 3:15 and 6:15PM on our live stream.

• The Well (an online faith community for women) resumed on Facebook this Thursday and will continue on Thursday nights at 9:00PM. Join via this link. Their theme is Finding Christ in Crisis.

• Stephen Hoskins, Volunteer Class Leader, has been encouraging our class leaders to meet via Zoom, even if just to foster connection. He is also keeping them get connected to one another via an email thread.

• Our goal is to keep not only groups and classes connected, but leaders as well.

• We are putting together a “Zoom How-To” sheet that will go out to all small group leaders this week.

• We are exploring ways beyond small groups and classes to connect people virtually and to draw people in who may not yet be connected via social media.

• You can find information on all of our new online classes and additional information here.

Community Outreach IF YOU NEED HELP: • Help is just a call or click away: Our Outreach Team has opened a dedicated benevolence hotline to assist congregation and community members who need help with food, rent, utilities or other forms of assistance. Call our benevolence hotline Monday-Friday at: (317) 749-2129. We may also be reached via email at outreach@stlukesumc.com.

• Help for the Homebound: If you are not able to leave your home and need medication or grocery items purchased and/or delivered, please call our team directly at (317) 749-2129. You will be connected with a Homebound Helper who will personally shop for you and deliver your items. If you are under 55 years old and want to volunteer to be a homebound helper, please email your information to: outreach@stlukesumc.com.

IF YOU ARE READY TO HELP: • Make an Impact: St. Luke’s has been blessed with a matching grant up to $50,000 to help congregation and community members who have been impacted by COVID-19. This will allow is to provide up to $100,000 in direct assistance to families struggling to afford food, childcare,

utilities and other basic needs during this pandemic. You can make an impact NOW by giving here and selecting Benevolence or sending your donation to the church with the memo: Benevolence.

• Signed, Sealed, Delivered Mission Project: We’ll be writing cards and letters to fellow St. Luke’s residing in assisted living facilities or those who are homebound during this time. Want to spread some Love (and not germs?) Sign up to send a card or letter to a member once a week for the next five weeks. After you sign up we’ll assign you your St. Luke’s pen pal!

• Sew in Love: There is a critical shortage of surgical masks for healthcare workers who are serving on the front lines of COVID-19. Use your gift of sewing by constructing surgical masks for Deaconess Health System which includes Henderson’s Methodist Health. To see an instructional video, delivery information and other guidelines click here.

• Board Games for Kids: Social distancing is hard on any family especially those who have limited space and financial resources. Washington Township Principals have asked us to provide board games for families struggling with these limitations. If you’d like to give the gift of fun click here and select Benevolence Fund and include the note “board games” in your donation.

• Donate Blood: If you are healthy and able to donate blood, the nation’s blood supply is dangerously low. Schedule an appointment with the Red Cross here.

• Provide Childcare: Ascension St. Vincent has approached us to ask if there are volunteers interested in supporting our healthcare workers by helping to provide childcare. They have asked that volunteers provide this care in the hospital employee’s home. If you are willing and able,18 years old or older, and have reliable transportation please contact: outreach@stlukesumc. com (We have also been asked to provide space in our children’s area by the YMCA, who is coordinating childcare for frontline medical staff. We will make our space available if needed.

Medical Providers provide the staff and arrange for cleaning.)

• SUPPORT for our Partners: There are many area organizations our congregation supports who serve on the front lines of homelessness, food insecurity, addiction and recovery and childhood development. Please consider donating to these organizations directly as they adapt to meeting the needs of our neighbors in a rapidly challenging landscape: • • • • • • •

Crooked Creek Food Pantry Habitat for Humanity Family Promise Outreach Inc. Lucille Raines The Dove House Fletcher Place

Congregational Care • Pastor-on-Call Phone available evenings and weekends for death, imminent death and tragic emergencies.

• We are creating a new helpline for Emotional and Spiritual Care. This new number will be (317)-643-2293 and will be staffed by people from our Care Team. It will be available between the hours of 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.

Staff Calling Members: • We’ve divided up our membership database and asked our staff to make personal phone calls to check in with people. They’re learning a lot (updated information etc. and having some touching encounters while discovering ways we can support folks). We see this as a way we can help people find and give hope during this challenging time.

Daily Devotionals (aka our Mobile Messages): • Clergy and other staff will continue to provide a moment of inspiration each day (MondayThursday) along with Rob’s Rev-elations (and devotional) on Friday to help people through the week. To see all of these messages click here.

No weddings or funerals will be held at least through April 7 based on the Governor’s latest Executive Order.

Giving Info • We’ve received $65,000 in donations towards our operating budget in each of the past two weeks. Our per week need (on average) is around $88,000. Giving so far is down about 25% to support our mission and ministries. Nancy Lange has been talking with our staff about ways to reduce expenses over March and April, including delaying some capital projects. The next step are conversations with our Finance Committee on actions they might recommend we take.

• We have received a $50,000 matching gift towards community benevolence and are challenging the congregation to give to match it. Last Sunday $23,885 was received and we are grateful for your generosity. Our Outreach Team has opened a dedicated phone line to receive Benevolence requests and is overseeing the distribution of those funds to community and congregation members in need.