It was such a blessing to be able to worship together on Sunday through the power of the Spirit and the gift of modern technology. It was a boost to my own spirit to see your comments and know that we are still united as a family of God. Thank you to all of our tech geniuses who set everything up and kept it running.

Our staff gathered this morning to pray over our church, our country, and our world. In addition, we developed a plan of action for the time being. We will continue to adapt it as new information is shared and new direction is given by our national and local leaders. Unless otherwise communicated assume that we will continue to operate in the following manner. Remember that we are adopting these new routines out of an abundance of love for our neighbors and the vulnerable among us.

Sunday Morning Worship at 10:00 AM Will Continue to be Online Only: Use this link or the link on our website to join in livestream worship each week at 10:00 AM. We will evaluate this practice each week going forward, but this will be our default throughout the national emergency. Current government direction is to limit large gatherings for at least 8 weeks.

All In-Person Gatherings are Suspended: The latest recommendation from our government is to limit all gatherings to 10 people or less. We know that this makes being connected in community difficult, but it is not impossible. We encourage you to use the technology available to you to stay in contact with your groups and friends. One tool that is especially helpful for group digital meetings is Zoom video conferencing. Look forward to hearing more about remaining connected in community from the leaders of our various ministries.

Neighbor Love Encouraged: As I preached last week, this is a time to live out of an abundance of love. Reach out to the vulnerable people in your life to check in and see if they need anything. Brainstorm with your family ideas of how you might care for the people in your sphere of life. This is a chance to let the beauty of Jesus shine forth.

Let us Know Your Needs: If you find yourself or others in need of assistance during this emergency please let us know. We want to make sure that everyone can’t get the food and medicine they need. We can meet needs that we don’t know about. Click here to email a request.

Keep Praying: Don’t underestimate the power of prayer. Keep calling out to God day after day and know that he is listening. We serve a God who can raise the dead and he can guide us through this as well.

God Bless,  Pastor Clay

With COVID-19 being declared a pandemic I wanted to pass onto you some encouragement and information about the strategies we have in place at Hope. We want to minimize the impact of the virus in our community while still carrying out our mission of glorifying God and making disciples. These strategies are based on the wisdom that is currently available and will change as more information comes to light.

Greet People from a Distance: Six weeks ago, we eliminated the greeting time from our services to prevent the spread of germs. We will continue to do so going forward. Beyond that, we would encourage you not to use physical touch as you greet others before or after service.

Feeling Sick, Please Stay Home: If you feel sick at all, please stay home from church. If your child feels sick please stay home. We know it’s a hard thing to do especially if you are volunteering. We would rather have to work to find a replacement than take the chance of spreading sickness to the vulnerable.

In a Vulnerable Population, Please Stay Home: If you are in the identified groups that bear an increased risk of death please play it safe and stay home from large gatherings. [Identified groups include the elderly and those with respiratory conditions.]

Livestreaming is On Its Way: We are working on setting up livestreaming of our services for those who are unable to attend in person. We have acquired all the necessary technology and are in the process of getting it setup and tested. Don’t expect it this Sunday, but know that it is coming soon.

Communion is on Pause: Given that our current practice of celebrating the Lord’s Supper involves a shared plate, we are pausing the celebration for the time being. We are investigating safer ways to celebrate and hope to resume on Good Friday if possible.

We will Listen to our Leaders: If the Twin Cities follows the lead of other cities like Seattle and San Francisco and shuts down public gatherings, we will close our services to the public. Our plan is to continue to worship together via live streaming in the event that this happens.

Please Pray: This is a traumatic time for many in our community and around the world. Pray that lives may be preserved. Pray that sickness is contained. Pray for those who are being put in financial hardship. Pray that anxiety may be calmed. Pray that a vaccine may be developed quickly. Pray that people will turn to God in their distress.

Look to Love: As people are anxious and hurting, look for opportunities to live out the love of Jesus to your friends and neighbors. As life is slowed down, look for God to open doors to invest in relationships.

Remember that Jesus is King: In the midst of all the chaos of the world, remember that Jesus is King! Nothing happens without his knowledge. He hasn’t been caught off guard. As much as we care for our world, he cares more. He loves us and his plan is still coming to pass.

God Bless,  Clay Edens