Since Germany has done a good job of controlling the spread of the virus and testing its population, their major league soccer came back this weekend. With that as the only option, starting now I’m a lifelong die-hard fan of teams in Munich and Dortmund. There were no fans in attendance, of course, but gosh it was good to watch. As a matter of fact, South Korea has done such an excellent job in their response to the virus that their soccer league started back two weeks ago. As I have followed all the news over the past 2-3 months of the virus’s spread, it’s interesting to see how different places responded to the crisis, and from a spiritual perspective, how people have responded to temptation. Here’s what I mean….. [click on View Post above to keep reading]

In the early 2nd century there was a booklet written as an instruction guide for Christian churches, which were still figuring out how to be church in that early period, when the books of the New Testament were still on the “New Releases” shelf. The booklet was called The Didache: Teachings of the Twelve Apostles. It had helpful suggestions for things like worship, church administration, and daily living. Here are the instructions for how to perform baptisms……. [click View Post to continue reading]

Have you been extra forgetful lately? Felt absent-minded, or had trouble sleeping? That’s normal. Chronic stress can cause problems with concentration, irritability, fatigue, and changes in sleep and appetite. When we feel stressed or under threat, we often unconsciously start to breathe more shallowly in order to flood the blood with oxygen. The change in our breathing doesn’t get our attention, but resulting tightness in the chest and dizziness does. All that stress can take a significant toll on our mental health….. [Click on View Post above to keep reading]

In our area it has been about 5 weeks of social distancing and homeschooling. It’s been hard on every person in different ways. Since no one knows how long it will take for the threat to go away, we don’t know how many more weeks are left. With that stress and uncertainty, it’s very normal for depression to set in. Old habits might come back, or new bad habits might form. So what can we do about it?….. [Click View Post above to keep reading]

Life during the pandemic continues to be tough. And the toughness will last for more weeks. One of the many sad parts of this time is that we cannot gather in person for worship, especially for special holy days like Easter. I will miss seeing Easter Sunday’s bright smiles and bright colors to match the bright sunlight outside. That does make me sad. But there is always this good news….. [Click View Post above to keep reading]

It’s okay to admit it. It’s okay to say it out loud: “I’m really worried. I’m scared.” The craziness of these days is starting to get overwhelming. With so many businesses having to close for now, so many people without work, the difficulty of having kids be home all day, and real concerns about getting sick—it is okay and honest to say, “I’m really worried. I’m scared”…. [Click View Post to continue reading.]

I think we’ve all been through natural disasters in the past that made life strange for a while. Usually, when a hurricane would go through, we’d lose power for a few days, play extra board games, chat with neighbors, and maybe go to someone else’s house who still had power, if only to shower and hang out. When the lights came back on, things went back to normal. But the crisis now is different…. [Click View Post to keep reading]

Attached to this blog post you will find a devotional for the week. It is from Illustrated Ministry, a resource that we have used with both our children and adults in the past. It is from a devotional guide based on Psalms that is meant to be used during Lent. You can do it in place of Sunday School this week since we will not be able to gather, or you can do it anytime you want to carve out time to worship…… [click View Post to continue]

I missed seeing all of your beautiful faces this week, but I am glad that we are doing all we can to make sure everyone stays healthy. As a church staff we are praying for you all and are here for you if you need anything. Please do not hesitate to call the church office or to reach out to another church member individually if you have a special need. We are all in this together….

These are definitely unprecedented days we are living in. We are all trying to figure out what we need to do to take care of basic needs and to stay healthy. The church staff has been meeting regularly to determine how we can all minister to each other and the community during this time….