October 23 update

 

Good Morning LMC Church Members!

 

We pray you are all doing well during this time.  We hope that everyone has enjoyed viewing the YOUTUBE LIVE service that was launched last Sunday.  Thank you again to the team of church members who have worked tirelessly on this.  Please continue to be mindful of those congregants who do not have access to technology or find it difficult, and assist them when possible.  A connection is vital for people, and we want to help people as much as possible to stay connected.

 

ONLINE COMMUNION:

 

Communion is such a beautiful act of worship.  It reminds us of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross so that we could live victoriously through Him on earth.  It is a reverential time between you and God.  Please join us this Sunday in online communion as we remember this sacrifice.  Please have your communion elements prepared at home in advance to partake with us.  The communion elements do not have to be complicated – a cracker, a piece of bread, and some juice.

 

*If you are working this Sunday in the sanctuary during worship service, please bring your communion elements with you. 

 

Thank you so much for your attention and participation.  We are looking forward to this time of remembrance together.

 

SHARING TIME:

 

Due to the nature of online services, privacy has become essential for us to remember.  Therefore, we will not have sharing time during our YOUTUBE LIVE worship services.  If you have prayer requests, please email them to lmc.sectretary@gmail.com, call group leaders, or any Pastoral Care member.  Prayer requests are taken seriously and are prayed over during our weekly prayer times and throughout the week!  Please do not hesitate to contact us.

 

ENCOURAGEMENT:

 

We want to encourage all of you that God is not surprised at what is happening in the world right now.  Our Heavenly Father is an all-knowing, ever-present, and all-powerful Father. He is also in the intricate details of our lives.  Please take rest and comfort in knowing that we serve a God who loves and watches over us according to Psalm 121:5-8:

 

“The Lord watches over you – the Lord is your shade at your right hand;

The sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.  The Lord will keep

You from all harm – he will watch over your coming and your going both now and forevermore.”

 

Blessings, PCC


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Update from Church Board


Thank you to all who shared regarding in person gatherings for Sunday morning services.  As a board we reviewed these comments and concerns at the board meeting on Wednesday 10/21/2020 and are working on a plan towards the day that we once again can safely meet together as a group. 


1) We are looking at the original document that was created at the beginning of the pandemic, the goal is to stream line it and create a list of task that need to be done during each gathering and filling those positions.  We are hoping to have this document revised by the first part of November.  We will share this revised document with you and ask you to please consider how you can help with these tasks.


2) We are looking at some kind of "safe" standard as it relates to infection rate in our area and what an acceptable percentage might be... we will work on having some kind of standard or goal that we can aim for.  We expect to have this completed before the next board meeting in November.


I do believe that as we consider meeting at the church house for any event, we must follow the minimum guide lines such as wearing a mask, limiting our contact (keep 6' apart), wash or sanitize hands  frequently.  I was reminded of this during one of the recent events at drive in church service.  I was not wearing my mask and did not maintain 6' distance or properly sanitize my hands.   For my actions I apologize and commit to making every effort moving forward to not let this happen again.


Please pray for us as a board as we navigate this difficult time and work towards a solution that is safe and covers all members or our congregation.


Church Board Chair,

Rod Shank




October 16 update

Good Morning from PCC!

 

WORSHIP SERVICE UPDATE:

 

Hi church family!  We pray this email finds you well. We are excited to welcome the changing weather and new season of a different method of worshiping together.  We are thrilled about the work Martin has been spearheading with the help of many others to bring YOUTUBE LIVE worship services into our homes.  Thank you for this great work that your team is continuing to do for the community and church!  It is genuinely an outreach opportunity, as more people have access to our services than ever before.  

 

Please remain mindful of members who do not have access to technology or understand how to gain access to YOUTUBE, and assist them if possible.  We want every person to listen and see God's word preached from our sanctuary.

 

REMINDERS:

 

Please do not forget to email Vicki Williams (skipandvickiwilliams@gmail.com) with your thoughts and ideas concerning worship services and our sanctuary reopening.  Vicki will give emails to the church board.  Thank you to those who have already emailed their views and opinions on this matter.

 

ENCOURAGEMENT:

 

It is so encouraging to grasp the depths of God's love for us.  Jeremiah 31:3 tells us, "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness."  God draws people to him through his loving-kindness.  We want to encourage all of you today to be kind to yourself, just as your Heavenly Father is kind to you. 

 

 

Blessings,

PCC

 

October 9 update

Good Morning from PCC!

 

WORSHIP SERVICE UPDATE:

 

As the weather has changed to fall, especially in the mornings, we will be conducting our worship services every Sunday via the ZOOM format only at 10 am.  We will keep everyone updated if that format changes in the future.  Even though we will not see everyone in the parking lot, we want to be cognizant of our sound equipment staying protected and dry.

 

There is exciting news that our sound equipment is in the process of being updated, along with other programs.  These updates will hopefully enable LMC to have more options via social media to reach our church body and our surrounding communities.  We are excited and appreciate your patience and prayers during this process, as change requires time and energy.

 

*As per last Sundays Annual Fall Business Meeting, please do not forget to email Vicki Williams (skipandvickiwilliams@gmail.com) with your thoughts and ideas concerning worship services and our sanctuary reopening.  The emails will be given to the church board.  Thank you to those who have already emailed their thoughts and ideas on this matter.  

 

INTERIM PASTOR UPDATE:  

 

We are currently working meticulously and prayerfully for an LMC interim pastor.  We will be conducting a second interview with an interim candidate within the upcoming week.  Please keep us in your prayers as we move forward in this interview process.  

 

CALL GROUPS:

 

We pray this update finds all of you well and hopeful!  However, we also know that these are challenging times emotionally, physically, and spiritually.  Remember that you are never alone!  Your Call Group Leaders, and PCC, are available to help you through difficult moments and keep you encouraged.  If you need help or want to report a situation that needs prayer – please call us!  Call Group Leaders, and PCC, won't know you need them if they do not hear from you.  Please don't wait for a phone call if you need anything.  Even though we cannot be together physically, prayer knows NO distance! 

 

ENCOURAGEMENT:

 

Jesus was a man that was familiar with sorrow.  It says in Isaiah 53:3, “he was despised and rejected by humanity, a man acquainted with suffering and pain (physical, emotional, and spiritual).  Jesus is not a God that is far off and distant from his people.  He is a God that weeps when we weep (John 11:35).  Take comfort in knowing that God “holds you in his mighty right hand and will strengthen you and help you” through every season of life (Isaiah 41:10).

 

Prayerfully, PCC Team

October 2 update

Hello Church Family!

 

We hope this update finds everyone enjoying the fall weather, and we praise God for the improved air quality and the smoke lifting!

 

Therefore, while the weather is still favorable, we will be hosting a “Drive-In” church service this Sunday, October 4th, at 10 a.m., along with our weekly ZOOM service.  Please feel free to enjoy either option as it fits your schedule.

 

Also, we are honored to have many church members willing to contribute to our Sunday morning services through preaching, worship leaders, singing, ZOOM hosts, parking lot ushers, and sound booth.  At this moment, we are in need of ZOOM hosts and sound booth volunteers to be trained for Sunday services.  Please call Eva at the church office (541-258-5789) or her cell (541-401-5426) if you would like to contribute to one of these two areas on Sunday mornings.  Thank you in advance for prayerfully considering these possibilities.

 

Lastly, a quick reminder that we will be holding the Annual Fall Business Meeting this Sunday at 3 p.m. via ZOOM.  Enjoy a Sunday nap if possible and some lunch, and meet us back on ZOOM if your time allows.

 

Finally, we want to leave you with a sweet reminder of some words Jesus spoke to his followers in Matthew 28:

 

“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt 28:20).

 

May Jesus' words comfort you today, knowing that he loves us and is with us.

 

Blessings & Prayers,

 

Pastoral Care Committee

September 25 update

Fall is in the air and the weather seems to be changing.   The forecast for this week appears to be favorable to meeting outside, so we are planning to have our Sunday service at 10:00 in the parking lot as well as on Zoom. This will most likely be our last week with a parking lot service.


As a pastoral care team, we have been so blessed by your willingness to help with Sunday morning services. Currently we could use one or two more volunteers to help as a Zoom Host. If you are willing to learn how to host or already have these skills, we would love to have you join this team. Please contact someone on pastoral care to volunteer.


We look forward worshiping with you on Sunday,


Marla for PCC

September 18 update

Hello Church Family,


In response to the overwhelming needs within our community due to the wildfires, we wanted to update everyone on how we are suggesting you can help your neighbors. First, we are committed to praying for those around us and helping those in need. Jesus said to "Love your neighbor as yourself" in Matthew 22:39. Therefore, we feel the best way as a church to support the wildfire evacuees is to contribute to local organizations that are better equipped to handle donations at this time. Here are a few suggestions that are current as of this morning.

You can call Linn County Wildfire Donation Center at 541-926-4314 for a list of items CURRENTLY needed (they are not taking clothing donations any longer at this time).


We are also suggesting supporting Pastor Matt at Ignite Hope Methodist Church in Lebanon with their church needs as well. He has informed us that they are only in need of water at this time. Their needs change daily. Therefore it is always good to ask before you buy.

Lastly, Lebanon Mennonite Church is on the list of evacuation centers for the Red Cross. They will be contacting us if our facility is needed. If that happens we will let you know.


Finally, there are many organizations that you can contribute to that are not listed within this email that we encourage you to support as God guides you to do so. Please do not bring items, or money, to Lebanon Mennonite Church for distribution. Instead, please drop donations off directly to the organization, as most of them are local and easily reachable from Lebanon and Albany and can take your monetary contributions.


We will keep you posted if changes arise. Feel free to email the church with any current information you feel vital for church members to be aware of to help the wildfire evacuees during this time.


With all Prayers,

Lebanon Mennonite Church

September 11 update

Greetings from Pastoral Care:

 

As a pastoral care team we value the power of prayer and feel it’s important to be praying for our church and community.  We invite you to join us at church at 5:00

p.m. on Sunday afternoon, or at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Please let Eva know if you are planning on attending either prayer time. We also continue to pray at 2:30 daily from wherever we are. God has a special plan for us, and we invite you to join us as we seek to know His will. Thank you so much to everyone who has been joining us in prayer this week for those who have been affected by the fires.

 

As the smoke is thick in the air, we made the decision to not have church in the parking lot this week. However, we will be meeting on Zoom and are looking forward to hearing Sue Stutzman share with us this Sunday. It brings to mind, what a blessing it is to have multiple ways to get together as a congregation and worship. We have a lot to be grateful for.

 

We would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the willingness of people to pitch in and help out. It has been a blessing. It truly takes the involvement of many to make everything work smoothly. To honor the request from church board to not fill an interim position until after the holiday season, we have been lining up speakers from the congregation with an occasional guest appearance. We are currently interviewing a candidate for the position of interim. Our hope is to have an interim in place sometime in January and invite you to pray with us as we go through this process. We are excited for the future that God has for Lebanon Mennonite and believe that many good things are to come.

 

Blessings to you.

Marla

for Pastoral Care