Service Bulletins are located HERE
*Sunday School and all Bible studies, including men’s and women’s, are postponed until further notice.
*Confirmation classes for the 6th and 7th Graders are postponed until a later date. The 8th Grade class will meet through an online medium, which will be set up in the next few days. Parents, please be advised.
**If you are homebound and you need something, such as groceries, please let us know and we will be glad to help you**
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Saturday, March 21, 2020
Dear Baptized Saints of St. Mark’s: Given the recommendations by the federal and state governments about the Coronavirus, the Board of Elders and I have made the following decisions. Please understand that these decisions were not made lightly or without prayer and due consideration of the facts. We care about every one of you and want us all to stay healthy. At this time, our church services will be on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. with no Communion. Also, our midweek Lenten services will continue at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays. Everyone is still welcome, but we would need to implement social distancing of at least 6 feet. We will monitor the events on a weekly basis and inform you as needed. That being said, Sunday School and all Bible studies, including men’s and women’s, are postponed until further notice. As usual, all our services will be on Facebook Live, beginning about 10 minutes before each service. There is a link to our church Facebook page on our church website (www.minotstmarks.com). If you are “at risk” or do not feel well, please stay at home to love your neighbor. By staying at home and watching the service online, you are preventing your neighbor from getting sick. If you are watching the services online and would like a hymnal to follow along, please contact the church, and we will gladly distribute one to you. This does not mean that church is closed or that our Bible studies are cancelled. We are, however, restricting public access, adhering to Governor Burgum’s recommendations. Nor does this mean that we do not want to teach and/or learn God’s Word, the Word of our God who died for us and for our salvation. Indeed, we do desire this! But we must also keep in mind our Lord’s words, where He calls us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37, 39). It’s not “either/or.” We love God and our neighbor. We honor God by honoring the authorities He has placed over us. Since we are not having Bible classes and Sunday School, I will post a devotion on our Facebook page, at least on a weekly basis. Also, I encourage you to keep reading and studying your Bible at home. Since our Sunday services will only be recorded online, private Communion is offered during the week: Monday through Thursday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., 1:00-4:00 p.m. Please call the church office or my cell phone to set up an appointment to receive Communion. Also, please come as a family unit. If you also would like pastoral counseling, I will gladly meet with you. Please call me to set up an appointment. Confirmation classes for the 6th and 7th Graders are postponed until a later date. The 8th Grade class will meet through an online medium, which will be set up in the next few days. Parents, please be advised. The goal of the church is to spread the Gospel, to preach and teach the message of Jesus Christ’s death on the cross for us and for the forgiveness of our sins. That being the goal, I encourage you to continue supporting our church by your generous giving of your time, talents, and treasures. Offering envelopes may be either mailed to the church (2209 4th Ave. NW, Minot, ND 58703) or dropped off at the church office during normal business hours. If you are homebound and you need something, such as groceries, please let us know and we will be glad to help you. Also, if you know of someone in our church who does not have email and/or social media (Facebook), please contact them with this information. You may ask, how long will this be in place? Can we expect to be “back to normal” in the next two weeks? You may have other questions. Honestly, we cannot set a date. We must keep it on a day-by-day basis and be faithful with the information we have, neither being apathetic nor giving into fear. We do not cling to our emotions or our feelings which give way to fear. It is indeed a fearful time, unprecedented for most--if not all--of us. But as Christians, we cling to that which is certain: the promises of God that He gave us in our Baptism. We are God’s children. We are His own and belong to Him. He will take care of us during this time, as He has in all other times. Our identity— who we really are--is in Christ, who died on the cross for us and rose again from the dead, thereby defeating sin, death, the devil, and hell. God’s peace be with you. In Christ’s love, Pastor Philip Beyersdorf 701-839-4663 (office) 281-799-0550 (cell) |
