Dear Church Family,

I hope that you all are staying safe during this season of social distancing and the COVID-19 pandemic. It seems like the news keeps changing rapidly as far as executive orders from the state and federal governments. With news of the shelter-in-place order from yesterday, we received guidance from our Bishop's office to extend the suspension of all in-person activities until the shelter-in-place order ends on April 13th. To comply with this guidance from our Bishop and the shelter-in-place order, it means that we will not gather together in person until after Easter. It has weighed heavily upon my heart that we will not worship in-person until after the completion of our most important season, but I also value everyone's health and safety. On those two points, I will not cut corners or compromise. Whether we gather in person or not, these facts remain the same:

Jesus Christ conquered the grave, and the tomb was empty.
Through Christ's resurrection, the forces of sin and death no longer have their sting over us.
God did not cause this pandemic. However, through the power of resurrection and redemption, out of hopelessness and despair, something beautiful can blossom from it.

During this Lenten season, let us hold on tight to those truths as we navigate this season.

Shortly after receiving this guidance, our leadership team met via Zoom to determine some next steps for our church. Some of these vital pieces of information has changed in the past week.

Reaching Our Community: We realize not everyone communicates electronically. Our lead-team has begun the process of following up with such individuals. We also want to make sure that our homebound and older members are contacted during this time of limited visitation. If you know someone who does not email, please let us know, so we will assign them a person who will check in on them.

Building Use: For the time being, we ask that you refrain from using our building. Staff will enter our building only to check the mail, phones, and quickly grab information. For the safety and protection of our community, we have to keep track of who enters and leaves our building. Our safety has particular importance as we have many persons who fall in the high-risk category at our church. I do not like the idea that we close our building, but it is essential to remind ourselves that a building does not make our church, but rather its people. If you need to enter the building for an emergency need, please contact me to let me know.

Helping Out: The food truck this Thursday will continue as planned, with many precautions undertaken to limit contact between people. We also will share any information we receive from our local health facilities regarding the need for personal protection equipment (PPE). Munson Healthcare will put out a pattern for those who want to sew masks. A list of current needs can be found here. Drop off locations for PPE are the Prudenville Community Health Center, Grayling Hospital Emergency Department, and Tinkers Junction in Grayling.

Staying Connected: We all must continue to stay connected with God and one another throughout this time. Fortunately, we have the ability through technology to keep in touch and gather together online. We will continue to do so. We will gather on Facebook Live on the Good Shepherd page on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Again, for those who are not online, may we reach out so that they stay connected to the body as well. Please call, email, or text me with any concerns or needs.

Giving: In the past week, we made a deposit, but will not for another two weeks or so. We much appreciate the generosity of those who sent in donations to sustain our church. It is still vital for our congregation that we continue to receive support. For the next sixty days, the conference has set up a way for us do donate via PayPal, where they cover all of the processing fees, which will save us significant savings. There's a yellow donate button at https://www.gsumc-roscommon.com/take-action if you prefer to give that way.

Office Closure: Part of the executive order asks for workplaces to determine essential workers to comply with the shelter-in-place regulations. At GSUMC, we determined that all non-Child Development Center (CDC) staff do not meet the threshold of an essential worker in regards to the executive order. This means that all staff will work remotely from home until April 13th except for the tasks outlined above under the building use section. As a staff, we are committed to doing the work of the church to keep things going. In regards to the CDC, there are different executive orders regarding childcare availability with which we may have to comply.

As we go through this season together, may we grow closer to our God who created us, our Savior who redeemed us, and the Holy Spirit that sustains us. If you all have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me during this time.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Tom