(7/28/20, 4:00pm)
Faith Family & Friends,
After three weeks of offering six in-person worship services each weekend, our Re-Opening Workgroup has enough data & experience to revise our worship schedule. Starting this weekend, we will only offer three in-person worship services:
Sundays
8:30am - Traditional worship in the sanctuary (Livestreamed)
10:45am - Contemporary worship in the sanctuary (Livestreamed)
6:30pm - Outside worship service switching between Contemporary & Traditional worship styles each Sunday (starting with Contemporary this Sunday, Aug. 2)
We ask that people continue to sign-up for these in-person worship services by either signing up online here or calling the Church Office (585-381-3970). Current social distance & safety protocols remain unchanged. *Remember to wear a mask that covers both your nose & mouth while in our church building. We will continue to monitor the needs of our community and adjust our worship schedule accordingly.
We are so thankful for all of our volunteers and staff members who help make in-person and online worship services possible for our Faith family & guests!
Please contact the Church Office if you have any questions about this revised worship schedule.
Serving with you,
-Vicar Peter Johnson
(6/30/20, Noon)
The Faith Re-opening Workgroup has completed our preliminary plans to allow for a safe return to modified onsite worship. We received very helpful feedback from the two surveys completed by our members and subsequently tailored our plans to support the interest and needs of our members regarding worship opportunities. A newly developed Re-opening Webpage on our Faith Penfield website will provide our resource documents regarding our cleaning and disinfecting protocols, sign up process to attend worship services, and our additional opportunities for worship.
I also want to acknowledge the tremendous efforts of the Faith Re-opening Workgroup members who worked alongside me in our preparations: Pastor Ben Braun, Lyle Heggemeier, Vicar Peter Johnson, Dianne Christensen, Carol Keeler, Donna Kaser, Kurt Finkbeiner, Ed Freeman, and Elizabeth Balentine. If you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to me at csaresky76@gmail.com or any of our workgroup members.
-Cathy Saresky
(3/16/20, 2:19pm)
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
All events and activities at Faith are postponed until further notice. Worship services, adult and youth Bible classes, and future devotions will be livestreamed here. Educational resources will continue to be emailed to families with children.
Thank you for your flexibility and understanding during our first attempt for a completely livestreamed Sunday morning. We had a couple of mid-service adjustments that we had to make during our 8:30 worship service.
Here are some changes we have made and/or are looking to make:
1. The positioning of the camera. We moved a camera to a different position in order help enable a higher quality video experience.
2. We adjusted speaker placement in order to help create a higher quality of sound.
3. Location of the worship leader. I moved closer to the camera in order to help offer a more personal experience.
4. Making sure that all those assisting in leading our music offerings are on a microphone.
5. Having a designated sound person to help trouble shoot any issues.
6. We are looking into displaying words to songs and prayers through the livestream feed.
7. Uploaded worship bulletins will be available to download on our website.
How you can help with our live stream experience:
1. Continue to be gracious and patient, as we cannot plan for every curve ball that we may encounter. We are adapting and preparing to the best of our ability to create the highest quality experience possible. We also recognize that thousands of churches are also live-streaming their services on Sundays, too.
2. If you have a prayer request, please call in and give it to Carol or go to this website, https://faithpenfield.org/prayer-request.
3. Continue to commit to attending.
4. Prayerfully consider how you can continue to support the mission and ministry in our community of Faith.
5. Join us for devotional times on Wednesdays at 12:30pm and 5:30pm.
Trouble-shooting:
1. In the event that you are experiencing inconsistency in the livestream, try refreshing your browser or completely re-opening it.
2. Please check how many devices you have connected to the internet; limiting this may help.
Again thank you all for your prayers, flexibility, participation, and understanding as we continue to walk together with Christ.
In Christ,
><>Pastor Ben
(3/14/20, 3:52pm)
Faith Family & Friends,
“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control,” 2 Tim. 1:7. As God’s children we are not fearful of world events, because we know the One who is in control. We are a community of faith within a larger community and we are called to show care to our community. Sometimes showing care means changing our plans to help others in need.
In light of recent developments of the COVID-19 outbreak and communications from Monroe County Public Health authorities and other government leaders, Faith will be suspending our in-person worship services & Bible classes beginning tomorrow (Mar. 15).
However, we ask everyone to worship and grow with us on our livestream webpage here: https://livestream.com/flcpenfield. Our 8:30 & 10:45am worship services will be livestreamed. Lyle’s Adult Bible Class, the Jr. FLY Confirmation Class, and the First Communion Class will all be livestreamed at 9:45am. Sunday school classes for age 3 through 5th grade and Sr. FLY are cancelled.
Information regarding upcoming activities and ministry events at Faith will be forthcoming.
Decisions regarding Faith Child Care & Nursery School and our care to the community through our FCCNS ministry will continue to be subject to advice and direction from our local school districts and government agencies.
As of now, our normal church office hours will remain the same. All normal communications with church staff are still in place. We are here for you.
Please know that church can never be cancelled or closed, because WE are the church! Commit to regular worship online. Check-in with us and let us know you’re worshiping online and growing in the Word. Connect with each-other, use the gift of technology and reach out to your brothers and sisters in Christ. Connections help keep us unified in the body of Christ.
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble,” Psalm 46:1. These words have been prayed by Christians for centuries and it is our prayer today. May God be the refuge and source of strength for every family in our community, and every community in the world.
Serving with you,
><>Pastor Ben
(3/13/20, 12:19pm)
Email to Faith Lutheran Youth:
Our #1 job is to keep you safe. In light of recent developments of schools postponing concerts, musicals, and sports - we have decided to make the following changes:
-Tonight’s Jr. FLY Activity Night is cancelled.
-Tomorrow’s Young Adult Bowling Event is cancelled.
-Sunday’s Confirmation Class will be livestreamed here for those who want to stay home on Sunday.
-FLY’s Flower City Work Camp Info Meeting has been moved to Livestream. We won’t meet in the FLY Room this Sunday. In fact right now, you can watch the 30 min. meeting online here and download the info packet here.
We are doing these things to help lower your anxiety and help keep our community safe and healthy. We trust and believe that, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble,” (Psalm 46:1). Continue to be strengthened by God in this anxious world. He is our hope. Don’t forget you have the option to join us online for worship at 8:30 & 10:45am this Sunday!
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. I’ll keep you informed if more ministry events are changed. Keep washing your hands and trusting in Jesus!
God’s Peace,
-Vicar Peter Johnson
(3/12/20, 3:53pm)
Faith Family & Friends,
As mentioned in yesterday’s email to our congregation, our church leadership is staying alert to the latest information and recommendations from the CDC and local and federal authorities. We are evaluating daily and if any decision is made regarding changes with our Faith activities, we will notify everyone as soon as we can. If being at Faith will raise your anxiety, then please stay home. If you are at a higher risk of getting sick, we encourage you to use your best judgment to be safe.
-Keep washing your hands.
-Please take advantage of the hand sanitizers throughout our building.
-Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
-Instead of shaking hands with others - simply give a wave & greet with a “hello.”
-If you’re sick, please stay home.
Our Sunday worship services (8:30 & 10:45am) and Bible classes (9:45am) will be happening this Sunday as usual. If you’re unable to attend, you’re welcome to join us online here: https://livestream.com/flcpenfield. Lyle’s adult education class and my confirmation class will be livestreamed. You may also choose to give online here: https://faithpenfield.org/giving.
-Vicar Peter Johnson
(3/11/20, 1:45pm)
Faith Family & Friends,
At Faith, we want to care for our congregation in all respects, including the physical well-being of our community. We as a staff already have plans in place to help keep our Faith family & friends safe and healthy. We’re doing these things to help decrease your anxiety and stress.
-Keep washing your hands.
-Please take advantage of the hand sanitizers throughout our building.
-Instead of shaking hands with others - simply give a wave & greet with a “hello.”
-If you’re sick, please stay home.
-If you’re unable to attend a worship service or Bible class, join us online here: https://livestream.com/flcpenfield.
We are staying alert to the latest information and recommendations from the CDC and local & state government officials, and in the event that there is a coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in our community, we have action plans that will be put into effect. Any changes with our church activities will be communicated through emails, social media, and our website (faithpenfield.org).
We pray for all those who are sick, as well as their caregivers, in our country and around the world. A core calling for Christians is to care for the sick and dying (Matt. 10:8). We remain certain of God’s steadfast presence and careful attention to all that is happening in our world. He is with us today and every day.
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body… look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” - Matt. 6:25-27
-Pastor Ben & Faith Lutheran Church Staff