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                                                                                                                                                                                                  But he was pierced for our
                                                                                                                                                                                                  transgressions; he was crushed
                                                                                                                                                                                                  for our iniquities; upon him was
                                                                                                                                                                                                  the chastisement that brought
                                                                                                                                                                                                  us peace, and with his wounds
                                                                                                                                                                                                  we are healed."
​                                                                                                                                                                                                  Isaiah 53:5

                                                                                                                                                                    Please go to our Coronavirus Prevention Page for                                                                                                                                                                           updates and congregation communications
                                                                                                                                               

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Dearly Beloved in the Lord,
 
Psalm 46 says "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea...The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress." While many respond to the coronavirus with fear and foreboding, we do not. This is simply the issue we're called to deal with at this time. We do so with prayer and trust, knowing that God is with us to help and rescue. God did not withhold His own Son. He will not withhold anything good from us. We are free from fear and also free to love. It's in that spirit that we have decided to suspend meeting together for worship till further notice. Below you will find our rationale and what we are doing to meet the spiritual needs of our church. 
 
RATIONALE
What follows is a public email from Timothy Leech, principal of Heartland Lutheran High School who met with Grand Island officials: "The Health Department and St. Francis believe, based upon trends and information from across the globe, that the infected rate could reach 40% of the population with up to 1/2 needing hospitalization. They say 2-5% of the hospitalizations could result in death. The issue is that there are not enough doctors or equipment to deal with the peak, therefore flattening the curve is very important."
 
For this reason and for the sake of those who are most at risk among our congregation, we have chosen to take the step of suspending corporate worship. There is nothing more important than gathering to hear God's Word, receive Holy Communion, and to pray. Therefore, the elders and I will be assessing the situation and looking for a way to offer God's gifts as safely as possible. In the meantime...
 
HERE'S WHAT WE WILL DO
We will live stream and record a worship service that will include readings, prayers, a sermon, and even hymns. (Have your Lutheran Service Book if you are able.) You can access the service in the following ways:

• Live stream Sunday Morning at 9 am on our website on the sermon page
• Public Access Channel 181 Tuesdays at 2:30 pm or Sunday Mornings at 8am.  

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS CONTACT
Pastor Gaunt: 308 627 7238
Wes Christensen: 402 984 4650
Dustin Russell: 402 718 0048
 
Please check your email and/or website daily for further communication. 
 
Finally, remember that we are more than conquerors through Christ, therefore God has given us "a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control" (2 Timothy 1: 7).
 
Love,
PG
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