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Prints of Peace – Looking to Sunday, November 8, 2020
IMPORTANT UPDATES – WEEKLY CHANGES Contents (scroll down for each): THIS SUNDAY - Sunday Online Service SPECIAL NOTICE - Reimagining Worship Survey Reminder Pastor Daniel’s Office Hours Getting to Know You A NOTE FROM PASTOR DANIEL Time and Talents Survey Gift Card Orders Sign Ministry Care & Concern Fellowship Faith Formation Now How to give your offering Youth Social Outreach THIS SUNDAY Worship Luther once observed that the most basic expression of the church is the Christian household. He saw every father of a household as a bishop and every mother as a bishopess (Small Catechism, Introduction to the Study Edition). On account of our baptism, we are all priests who mediate Christ’s presence to the world. It is good and right to worship in our homes for we are the church. Join us virtually for a Service of Holy Communion Sunday, November 8. The presence of Christ in, with, and under the elements depends solely upon God's promise to be found there. During the offering, you may set your table with bread and fruit juice. You may distribute the bread to the members of your household saying, “The body of Christ given for you.” After all have eaten, you may distribute the cup to the members of your household saying, "The blood of Christ shed for you.” Watch your email on Sunday morning for the link to the YouTube video and script to join in worship, or find it online at www.peacelutheranlz.com. Adult Forum Sunday, Nov. 8, 10:00 a.m. Do you have questions, thoughts, or concerns about the changes to worship on November 15? Join us Sunday at 10:00 a.m. for a time of fellowship and discussion! SPECIAL NOTICE - Reimagining Worship Sunday Morning Schedule Beginning Nov. 15 Join us over Zoom at 9:15 a.m. for virtual Sunday School, Adult Forum, and Coffee Hour! Stay for worship over Zoom at 10:30 a.m. The Survey Thank you to all who responded to the survey about worship times! The survey results were as follows on Thursday, November 5: 8:00 a.m. - 11 in favor 10:30 a.m. - 19 in favor Other - 10 in favor There appears to be widespread interest in resuming our normal Sunday morning routine. There was some interest in having a service around 9:00 a.m. However, this would conflict with Sunday School which has been meeting virtually from 9:15 - 10:00 a.m. since Rally Day. We will begin with one service at 10:30 a.m. and look into the possibility of adding an additional 8:00 or 8:30 a.m. service once we are comfortable in the new format. FAQS Q: What liturgy will you use? A: We will use a simple liturgy based on the ancient pattern for personal prayer (a psalm, a reading, and our prayerful response). This shortened liturgy will last 30-45 minutes and emphasize God’s living Word as he encounters us through scripture and preaching. Q: Will we celebrate Holy Communion? A: No. The Lord’s Supper will not be celebrated in a physical gathering at this time. Worship leaders are exploring the possibility of a monthly all-Zoom communion service. Q: What can I expect from an in-person worship service? A: On November 15, we will limit the in-person gathering to 20 members. Attendance for future gatherings will be adjusted in conjunction with State, Local, and Synodical guidelines. These limits include the pastor, assisting minister if present in person, reader if present in person, tech volunteer, and ushers. Ushers will guide participants to assigned seats before worship and escort participants out after worship. Zoom participants will be projected on the walls in the sanctuary. Those gathered in-person are asked to refrain from speaking in unison and singing. All participants 2 years of age and older are required to wear masks while they are in the building. Q: How can I reserve a seat? A: Call the church office by noon the Thursday before the service. The church administrator will ask a few screening questions and take names down for seat assignments and contact tracing. If at capacity, the caller will be placed on a waiting list and invited to consider joining the service over Zoom for that Sunday. Please arrive no earlier than 10 minutes before the service Sunday morning. If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 on the day of the service or recently came in contact with anyone who tested positive for COVID-19, please join us over Zoom and consider getting tested for COVID. Q: What happens if someone who participates in-person tests positive for COVID-19 afterwards? A: In a timely manner, the church office will notify all in-person participants that they were exposed to COVID. Anyone exposed will be encouraged to self-quarantine and seek COVID testing as soon as possible. In-person gatherings will be suspended for two weeks following a positive diagnosis, and the space will be sanitized. Q: How will you make sure worship over Zoom is a safe, family friendly experience? A: Some of you may have experienced the Zoom bombing phenomenon which began last spring. Zoom bombing happens when a stranger joins a meeting with the purpose of disrupting it. Groups that get Zoom bombed tend to make themselves vulnerable in the following ways:
Peace Lutheran Church will take the following precautions to provide a safe, family friendly experience:
Q: Why are we moving worship from YouTube to Zoom? A: Zoom allows for two way communication instead of a one way broadcast. The goals of this service include but are not limited to:
Q: What can I expect from a service conducted over Zoom? A: A service over Zoom is an authentic expression of Christian community, not a professional broadcast. Participants will have more autonomy and more opportunities to interact during this service. Worship will be a live event, and all music will be pre-recorded. Worship leaders and in-person participants will be masked. However, this will not have a significant impact on the quality of the sound due to the use of bluetooth lapel mics. Q: What are your expectations of families with children? A: Gathering over Zoom feels different for everyone than gathering in person does. Children’s attention spans or interest in worship in any digital format will not be the same as it might be in person. That said, Zoom will provide children with an opportunity to interact during the Children’s Word. All participants will be muted during the liturgy unless reading, assisting, or passing the peace. Q: Who can access the service over Zoom? A: The service will be accessible to every member at Peace. The community gathered through Zoom will be projected on the walls of the sanctuary when there is an in-person gathering. Participants can join worship over Zoom using computer, smart phone, tablet, and landline. Anyone who can make a phone call can easily join a worship service over Zoom. Q: Do I have to come in person if I want to assist or read? A: No. Zoom allows readers and assisting ministers the flexibility to lead from anywhere. Q: Will I still be able to watch the service later if I can’t log-in on Sunday morning? A: Yes. Every service will be recorded and posted to YouTube. PASTOR DANIEL’S OFFICE HOURS Pastor Daniel will be in the office Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. He will work remotely on Thursdays and Saturdays. He is available for appointments at the following times each week: Wednesday 10:00 - 11:00 a.m, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m Thursday 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. (remote) Friday 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. He is also available at other times if needed. Please call in advance to schedule an appointment. GETTING TO KNOW YOU Pastor Daniel, Amanda, Ethan, and Adam would like to kick-start the weekend with you in a family friendly virtual happy hour! Sign up for a 5:00 p.m. Friday time slot online by clicking here. Prepare your own appetizers and drinks at home. Then enjoy them with 30 minutes of good conversation over Zoom, FaceTime, or landline! A NOTE FROM PASTOR DANIEL Friends in Christ, Thank you for blessing my family with four weeks of parenting leave. Thank you for your prayers during this preganancy’s complications, and thank you for reaching out to help lighten our load with your gifts. I am deeply grateful for the grace we encountered through you, and I am excited to be back as we begin this new chapter in our life together. God bless us and keep us in Christian faith and friendship! In Christ, Pastor Daniel TIME AND TALENT SURVEYS The Members Team is currently emailing surveys regarding your participation in the life of our church. So far, there have been only 29 responses. These surveys are being sent out in spite of Covid-19 in the hope that by this time next year, Covid will be a part of the past and Peace will have returned to full functioning. Team leads will adapt their projects to meet Covid precautions. Please complete your survey as soon as possible. Thanks! GIFT CARD ORDERS Gift card orders will be placed on Sunday, November 8 and Dec 6. Outreach will likely need some gift cards around these dates, so look for information on that. If you would like to order for either the food pantry donations or LSSI Christmas donations, this would be a great way to help out both the Outreach group as well as our Youth Group! Gift cards for LSSI need to be ordered this Nov 8, as they are due on December 6. If you have any questions about ordering, please reach out to Lori Schwartz. Here are some easy steps for you to follow when placing your order: When you are ready to place your order, send Lori Schwartz an email. Please indicate how many of each card you would like. Please make sure to indicate what denomination of gift card you would like. Some merchants, like Walmart or Target, give you many denominations to choose from - you can order a $100 gift card or 4 $25 gift cards - both costing you the same $100. But, if you are planning on getting them as 4 different gifts, the one card at $100 is not what you want. When you know how much your order is in total, you can mail your check directly to Peace Lutheran with a note in the MEMO indicating Gift Cards. ALL CHECKS SHOULD BE PAYABLE TO PEACE LUTHERAN CHURCH. Once the gift cards have arrived, Lori will send you an email letting you know that the cards are in a cooler on her front porch. Lori will put your gift cards into an envelope with your name on them so you know which cards are yours. If you have cards that you are ordering for any of the Outreach donations, please put a note on your order so she can pull those and can drop them at church. Lori will get them to the church office in one group - this will save each of you a stop at church. Please let Lori know if you have any additional questions. FYI - You can set up your gift cards to come directly out of your bank account (instead of having to write a check and send that in to church). If you would like to do this, please let Lori Schwartz know. This option allows you to send ecards to others (children away from home) or get them on your phone as well. SIGN MINISTRY Sign Ministry: The Outreach Team is looking for someone to take over coordinating the outdoor sign ministry for 2021. This involves coming up with messages for the sign and scheduling the volunteers to change the sign message every two weeks or so. If you are interested or have questions, please contact Sue Koenig. CARE & CONCERN We pray for one another: We pray for those who need healing, safety and God’s watchful care. This week we pray for Mike Wilms, Sherri Juveland, Lizetta Moore, Kim Wilkinson, Kyle, Jan Allen, Rita, Gina Nilsen, Laurie G., and Deacon Tracy Katschke. We also pray for our nation following the general election, all who are affected by the wildfires out west including Wendy Brown and Tamara Alliston Johnson with her family, and we pray for those affected by the hurricanes in the South. We welcome prayer requests. Let us remember to lift up our needs, concerns, and joys – and those of others – in our prayer! Make your prayer request by emailing the church office office@peacelutheranlz.com . We care for one another: If you have any special needs or know someone who does, reach out to the Caring Tree by contacting Judy Tetour. FELLOWSHIP Brewing Questions is Back!: It's been a while since we have gathered for Brewing Questions, so let's do so....over Zoom! Everyone is welcome to join in for some great conversation, laughs and, of course, bring your beverage of choice. Our next Brewing Questions meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 18th at 6pm! If you are interested, please visit the virtual gathering section on PLC website home page for the Zoom link! FAITH FORMATION NOW For Families with Children: Each Sunday you can access the Children’s Bulletin with activities that enable families to worship together and learn from each week’s Scripture theme. Access these resources at www.peacelutheranlz.com . For adults: Adult Forum Sunday, Nov. 29, 10:00 a.m. If we made an album of Jesus’ greatest hits, which stories might we include? Come find out on Sunday, November 29 as we begin reading Short Stories by Jesus! Author Amy-Jill Levine will walk us through how Jesus’ first century audience would have heard these beloved and familiar parables. Click here to purchase the book on Amazon! The Wednesday Morning Women’s Bible Study: Women’s Bible Study meets on Wednesday morning in the church at 9:00 am. We will be reading and discussing the book “The First Christmas” by Marcus J. Borg and John Dominic Crossan. It looks into the theological and political aspects of the birth of Jesus. Please join us. If you have any questions you can contact Carol Wojnarowski at 847-540-8150. Men of Peace! Looking for a way to connect with other guys in the congregation in our social distanced world? Join us at 8:00 am Saturday mornings at church for men’s Bible Study. And sports. And job stuff. And whatever comes up! Looking forward to seeing new faces we haven’t seen in a while! The Labyrinth is open for your personal time of reflection and prayer. If you missed last Sunday’s worship, go to www.peacelutheranlz.com to access it at any time. HOW TO GIVE YOUR OFFERING Thank you! Thank you as you continue your generous contributions to the virtual offering plate we pass. Congregation members are using these methods: Mailing their check to church / Using their own bank website “send-payment” feature / Going to www.peacelutheranlz.com and clicking on “make a donation” / or, downloading and using the app we recommend: https://www.vancopayments.com/egiving/church-app YOUTH NOVEMBER VIRTUAL SUNDAY SCHOOL: Lessons are scheduled from 9:15-9:45 on November 1 & 15. Please have lesson materials ready before logging in. Future Sunday school lessons will take place on the first and third Sundays of the month with a meeting link sent on the Saturday prior to the lesson. Contact Liz (Lhopman@comcast.net) or Natalie (natalie1234@att.net) with any questions. YOUTH DIRECTOR MEDICAL LEAVE: Tracy will be out of the office for hip replacement surgery starting Thursday, November 5th-Sunday, November 15th. During her absence, Triple D and the High School Youth Group will not be meeting. Confirmation on Wednesday, November 11th will be led by Pastor Daniel. Upon her return, both programs will be held virtually for a time while Tracy recovers. Triple D will meet next on Sunday, November 22nd from 11:30am-12:30pm via Zoom. Senior High Youth Group will also meet on Sunday, November 22nd from 1-2pm also via Zoom. Of course, while Tracy is out and recovering, you can absolutely send cards and well wishes to her home! CONFIRMATION IS BACK IN FULL SWING!: The Peace Lutheran Confirmation Class has started for the fall! Confirmation will be conducted virtually on Wednesdays from 7-7:50pm. Our virtual class time will consist of highs and lows, 1-2 lesson discussions/activities and, of course, a GAME! Tracy will send out the Wednesday Zoom link, as well as the 5-10 minute lesson video, to families on the Tuesday before our Wednesday class. Depending on comfort levels and the pandemic, we will decide as January 2021 gets closer as to whether to continue with only a virtual option. SOCIAL OUTREACH Operation Warm collection will be ending - please donate soon: Operation Warm Donations - We are collecting donations again this year. $20 provides a new coat to a child in need. Donations can be made on-line at: https://give.operationwarm.org/campaign/the-lake-zurich-area-coats-for-kids-2020-21/c285374 Credit your donation to our fundraising team by typing in Peace Church Lake Zurich! Operation Warm Volunteers - This year’s coat distribution will occur on 11/14/20 and will be a drive up event. Anyone interested in volunteering can sign up here: https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/30e0f4dada822a2fb6-operation Gift Cards: The holidays will soon be upon us and with that, we like to think of the many ways we can reach out to support individuals in need. Instead of collecting Christmas gifts for the children served by LSSI (Lutheran Social Services of Illinois), we will be collecting gift cards from Target and Walmart. We will also be collecting gift cards for the St. Francis de Sales Food Pantry for Jewel, Aldi or Walmart. These gift cards can be of any amount. There will be a small box in the church office that you can personally drop off any donation cards you would like to do. Just put the gift card in an envelope and indicate which program (LSSI or Food Pantry) you would like to support. You can make your gift card money go even further by purchasing cards through our church. Lori Schwartz will be ordering cards on Nov. 8 and the youth program will get a percentage back from purchases ordered through her. You can let her know directly if your cards are for the Outreach Program and she will see that those are delivered to church. Thank you in advance for your generosity! Coins for Change: Mark your calendar now for Saturday, Nov. 7 from 10-2pm. As we have done in the past, we are collecting coins (and dollars) to help with PADS (Homeless Services) in Lake County. Here is how we are going to do it: Find all those coins that you have been collecting at home, on top of your dresser, in your car, or purse, etc. and bring them to Peace. We will have confirmation students (getting in some service hours!) and an adult in the parking lot. You can just drive up and we will be wearing our masks and will happily collect whatever you can bring. The money we collect will be converted into gift cards for PADS. If you have any questions, please call Sue Koenig. If you have coins but can't make that day, please call Sue and she will pick up any donations at your home. PADS: During normal times, PADS would be operating its homeless shelters from October - April. We would be bringing food or donations to Messiah Lutheran Church and doing their laundry to help out. Currently, PADS is not operating any of their shelters. They are putting people up in hotels and working with them to find long-term housing solutions. Our Coins for Change program will continue to support this much needed organization. Next Mobile Food Pantry: Mark your calendars for the next mobile food pantry that will be held at the Chapel in Lake Zurich on Nov. 7 from 10-11:30am. If you need food or know someone who does, please plan to attend. Mission Projects Day: For more than a decade we have been holding Mission Projects Day the first Saturday of February. We have braced all kinds of crazy weather in the past but we think this year's pandemic will create the biggest challenges yet.. But we are not going to let that stop us in our efforts to create an opportunity for many people to do good by providing service to others and to demonstrate the caring attitude that we have here at Peace. Many people have already volunteered to put together kits (baby kits, health kits and school kits for Lutheran World Relief just to name a few!). We have had a very active group of bandage rollers for Global Health Ministries that have already completed hundreds of bandage rolls. We have more kits ready if you would like to take part! If you would like to assemble kits please contact Sue Koenig and a drop off/pickup will be arranged. Other service projects that can now be started are preparing fleece and tying it into blankets and making cards for children in the hospital. If you would prefer to donate items, we are especially in need of single subject spiral notebooks and bath-sized bars of Ivory soap. Thank you!
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