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    St Luke Lutheran Church, Cordova TN
    stluke@stlukememphis.org
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    Pastor Cliff's Notes

    messages from Pastor Cliff

    COVID-19 Update, March 19, 2020

    3/20/2020

    0 Comments

     
    Dear St. Luke Saints,
     
    Our work continues as we prepare for the possibility of an extended period of limited public gatherings due to COVID-19. Spirit-filled work continues to be done by your St. Luke staff in the face of adversity. We greatly appreciate the messages of support we receive from so many of you!
     
    Your St. Luke Church Council has voted, in the interest of public health and for you, our Saints, that we will suspend in-person worship services until further notice. Each Sunday, the St. Luke worship service will be posted on our website, www.stlukememphis.org. We will also send you a link for the worship service in an email. We are committed to providing ongoing support for your spiritual needs. We can stay connected through on-line worship.
     
    In the coming days and weeks, we will be calling by phone to check in with you, and to pray with you during these challenging times. If you do become sick or have a need, please contact me at cliff@stlukememphis.org or my cell # 901-268-7078.
     
    The St. Luke food pantry will be open this Tuesday morning, March 24, from 10AM-12PM for the general public. The pantry is always open for St. Luke members who may need food assistance.
     
    Just a couple of updates and reminders:
     
    UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
    If you want to change or add email addresses or mobile phone numbers to ensure you receive messages in your preferred location, please email priscilla@stlukememphis.org. An updated directory can be found on our website.
     
    FINANCIAL GIFTS AND OFFERING
    Your generous support is needed now more than ever. We know there is much uncertainty right now, and in times of uncertainty and adversity, people need their church all the more. Your assistance in sharing your offering enables us to put our focus on ministry and support where it is most needed. Gifts can be made online at stlukememphis.org or click the link Giving, or mailed to the church office address below. Every step to be fiscally prudent is activated right now. Your gifts ensure we are able to bring the excellent ministry you've come to expect while supporting our church staff as they work in mission and ministry during this time.
     
    These are challenging times.  This is the first time in the history of our congregation that we have been asked to change from in-person worship services to on-line worship services. During this pandemic, it is our Christian duty to keep one another safe and maintain social distancing. This is how we serve God and our neighbor. For the coming weeks, let your house, be a house of prayer, a place of worship and an outpost of St. Luke church. We are connected by our faith.

     
    Thank you for your faithfulness,
    And remember, God's Love Endures Forever.
     
    Pastor Cliff


    St. Luke Lutheran Church
    2000 Germantown Pkwy. N
    Cordova, TN 38016

    From Bishop Strickland and the SE Synod.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    19 March 2020
     
    Dear ELCA Leaders,

    We are in the midst of a generation defining event. The ELCA should not underestimate its ability to lead and change the course of coming events. What we do now may very well save lives and will shape the ELCA and the whole Church for decades to come. I write this to urge you to take swift action and to prepare churches in your care more fully for the new reality that is emerging in the United States due to COVID-19. I am a pediatrician, epidemiologist with training in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. I have also worked for 20 years in variety of capacities in low resourced settings, which is what we may soon be facing in the U.S. I am also a Christian and a member of an ELCA church. I do not make these recommendations lightly.


    I want to give you the data that has made me come to this conclusion: 

    * According to the CDC data, within 2 days the U.S. has doubled the number of cases of COVID-19 to >7,000. If this continues we will have >30,000 by Sunday March 22, 2020. 

    * 10-30% of people who are infected require hospitalizations in Italy and China. 

    * If rates of cases double in the U.S. every 4 days, based on CDC numbers from Friday March 13, the US may very well be out of ICU beds by the end of April and out of hospital beds by the end of May. 

    * Italian hospitals started crumbling due to this surge when they hit 20,000 cases. 

    * We are starting to see the impact. CDC has provided guidance that due to protective equipment shortage nurses should use bandanas and scarves if they do not have access to face masks. 

    * CDC data now indicate that 12% infected in the U.S. are hospitalized and 55% of those are 20-65 year-olds. 

    * There is report of a family in NJ who has had 3 family members die within the span of 1 week. 

    * There are states/places that are not taking strong measures and bars/restaurants remain open. Mardi Gras parties continue in the New Orleans area.

    I urge you to watch this video of the situation as of March 16, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZVLiEdWLm4&feature=youtu.be

    I will be making an updated video by this weekend but I fear that may be too late to make enough impact. These are unprecedented times and call for unprecedented measures. We are in the beginning days of an event that will be remembered in history books for centuries to come. What happens next determines how that story is told. I urge the ELCA to make the following stances and preparations:

    1) Cancel all worship services through the end of April. 

    2) Plan for remote funerals, weddings, baptisms to occur for the next 3-6 months. 

    3) Plan for how churches will function and support one another when pastors become ill, or worse die due to the higher mortality rates in older populations.

    The strong stance of the church can save lives. How lucky are we that we have the technology to continue remote eworshipping. I am available to discuss my thoughts and ideas at any time.

    Sincerely,

    Erica C. Bjornstad, MD, PhD, MPH 
    Birmingham, AL 
    443-717-0065 
    ericaecuador@yahoo.com



    WORSHIP AT 
    www.stlukememphis.org

    Our Sunday, March 22nd worship service will be uploaded and available Sunday morning.




    Sunday, March 22nd


      
     
    St. Luke's Vision...

    Seek God.  Serve Others.  Share Life.

     
    Announcements


    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

    Cathy Dafoe
    3/23
    Lillie Mixon
    3/25
    Leif Karnuth
    3/26
    Kelvin Miskowiec
    3/27
    Ann Ludder
    3/28
    Bev McGhee3/30


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Keep checking your email for St. Luke news! If you know someone who is not on our emailing list and you know they would like to be added, please feel free to email Priscilla Hughes or Jennifer Wright. We will make sure to add them!

    Priscilla Hughes
    Church Administrator
    priscilla@stlukememphis.org

    Jennifer Wright
    Coordinator of Youth and Family Ministries
    jennifer@stlukememphis.org

    Jacob Allen
    Music Director
    jacobgallen@gmail.com

    Pastor Cliff Bahlinger
    Pastor
    cliff@stlukememphis.org



    SEEK. SERVE. SHARE.


    St. Luke's Website:

    http://www.stlukememphis.org/



    St. Luke's Calendar :


    http://www.stlukememphis.org/calendar--events.html



    St. Luke's SLY Website:

    http://www.stlukememphis.org/st-luke-youth.html

    Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/stlukelutheranchurch 
    and Twitter:  @stlukememphis
    Instagram:  instagram.com/stlukememphis

    or by clicking on the icons below:


     Follow us
    @stlukememphis

    St. Luke Lutheran Church | 756-8850 | stlukememphis.org


    St. Luke Lutheran Church, 2000 Germantown Parkway N., Cordova, TN 38016
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    This Week Pastoral letter re: COVID-19

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    x





    St. Luke Lutheran Church via auth.ccsend.com Mar 19, 2020, 5:39 PM (14 hours ago)


    to me










    Seek God. 
    Serve Others. 
    Share Life.


    This Week at St. Luke


    Hello, St. Luke Saints!
    Here is your weekly update.

    This Sunday, March 22nd
    Service of the Word on-line at stlukememphis.org
    A Word from Pastor Cliff

    Dear St. Luke Saints,
     
    Our work continues as we prepare for the possibility of an extended period of limited public gatherings due to COVID-19. Spirit-filled work continues to be done by your St. Luke staff in the face of adversity. We greatly appreciate the messages of support we receive from so many of you!
     
    Your St. Luke Church Council has voted, in the interest of public health and for you, our Saints, that we will suspend in-person worship services until further notice. Each Sunday, the St. Luke worship service will be posted on our website, www.stlukememphis.org. We will also send you a link for the worship service in an email. We are committed to providing ongoing support for your spiritual needs. We can stay connected through on-line worship.
     
    In the coming days and weeks, we will be calling by phone to check in with you, and to pray with you during these challenging times. If you do become sick or have a need, please contact me at cliff@stlukememphis.org or my cell # 901-268-7078.
     
    The St. Luke food pantry will be open this Tuesday morning, March 24, from 10AM-12PM for the general public. The pantry is always open for St. Luke members who may need food assistance.
     
    Just a couple of updates and reminders:
     
    UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION
    If you want to change or add email addresses or mobile phone numbers to ensure you receive messages in your preferred location, please email priscilla@stlukememphis.org. An updated directory can be found on our website.
     
    FINANCIAL GIFTS AND OFFERING
    Your generous support is needed now more than ever. We know there is much uncertainty right now, and in times of uncertainty and adversity, people need their church all the more. Your assistance in sharing your offering enables us to put our focus on ministry and support where it is most needed. Gifts can be made online at stlukememphis.org or click the link Giving, or mailed to the church office address below. Every step to be fiscally prudent is activated right now. Your gifts ensure we are able to bring the excellent ministry you've come to expect while supporting our church staff as they work in mission and ministry during this time.
     
    These are challenging times.  This is the first time in the history of our congregation that we have been asked to change from in-person worship services to on-line worship services. During this pandemic, it is our Christian duty to keep one another safe and maintain social distancing. This is how we serve God and our neighbor. For the coming weeks, let your house, be a house of prayer, a place of worship and an outpost of St. Luke church. We are connected by our faith.

     
    Thank you for your faithfulness,
    And remember, God's Love Endures Forever.
     
    Pastor Cliff


    St. Luke Lutheran Church
    2000 Germantown Pkwy. N
    Cordova, TN 38016

    From Bishop Strickland and the SE Synod.

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    19 March 2020
     
    Dear ELCA Leaders,

    We are in the midst of a generation defining event. The ELCA should not underestimate its ability to lead and change the course of coming events. What we do now may very well save lives and will shape the ELCA and the whole Church for decades to come. I write this to urge you to take swift action and to prepare churches in your care more fully for the new reality that is emerging in the United States due to COVID-19. I am a pediatrician, epidemiologist with training in disaster relief and humanitarian assistance. I have also worked for 20 years in variety of capacities in low resourced settings, which is what we may soon be facing in the U.S. I am also a Christian and a member of an ELCA church. I do not make these recommendations lightly.


    I want to give you the data that has made me come to this conclusion: 

    * According to the CDC data, within 2 days the U.S. has doubled the number of cases of COVID-19 to >7,000. If this continues we will have >30,000 by Sunday March 22, 2020. 

    * 10-30% of people who are infected require hospitalizations in Italy and China. 

    * If rates of cases double in the U.S. every 4 days, based on CDC numbers from Friday March 13, the US may very well be out of ICU beds by the end of April and out of hospital beds by the end of May. 

    * Italian hospitals started crumbling due to this surge when they hit 20,000 cases. 

    * We are starting to see the impact. CDC has provided guidance that due to protective equipment shortage nurses should use bandanas and scarves if they do not have access to face masks. 

    * CDC data now indicate that 12% infected in the U.S. are hospitalized and 55% of those are 20-65 year-olds. 

    * There is report of a family in NJ who has had 3 family members die within the span of 1 week. 

    * There are states/places that are not taking strong measures and bars/restaurants remain open. Mardi Gras parties continue in the New Orleans area.

    I urge you to watch this video of the situation as of March 16, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZVLiEdWLm4&feature=youtu.be

    I will be making an updated video by this weekend but I fear that may be too late to make enough impact. These are unprecedented times and call for unprecedented measures. We are in the beginning days of an event that will be remembered in history books for centuries to come. What happens next determines how that story is told. I urge the ELCA to make the following stances and preparations:

    1) Cancel all worship services through the end of April. 

    2) Plan for remote funerals, weddings, baptisms to occur for the next 3-6 months. 

    3) Plan for how churches will function and support one another when pastors become ill, or worse die due to the higher mortality rates in older populations.

    The strong stance of the church can save lives. How lucky are we that we have the technology to continue remote eworshipping. I am available to discuss my thoughts and ideas at any time.

    Sincerely,

    Erica C. Bjornstad, MD, PhD, MPH 
    Birmingham, AL 
    443-717-0065 
    ericaecuador@yahoo.com



    WORSHIP AT 
    www.stlukememphis.org

    Our Sunday, March 22nd worship service will be uploaded and available Sunday morning.




    Sunday, March 22nd


      
     
    St. Luke's Vision...

    Seek God.  Serve Others.  Share Life.

     
    Announcements


    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

    Cathy Dafoe
    3/23
    Lillie Mixon
    3/25
    Leif Karnuth
    3/26
    Kelvin Miskowiec
    3/27
    Ann Ludder
    3/28
    Bev McGhee3/30


    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

    Keep checking your email for St. Luke news! If you know someone who is not on our emailing list and you know they would like to be added, please feel free to email Priscilla Hughes or Jennifer Wright. We will make sure to add them!

    Priscilla Hughes
    Church Administrator
    priscilla@stlukememphis.org

    Jennifer Wright
    Coordinator of Youth and Family Ministries
    jennifer@stlukememphis.org

    Jacob Allen
    Music Director
    jacobgallen@gmail.com

    Pastor Cliff Bahlinger
    Pastor
    cliff@stlukememphis.org



    SEEK. SERVE. SHARE.


    St. Luke's Website:

    http://www.stlukememphis.org/



    St. Luke's Calendar :


    http://www.stlukememphis.org/calendar--events.html



    St. Luke's SLY Website:

    http://www.stlukememphis.org/st-luke-youth.html

    Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/stlukelutheranchurch 
    and Twitter:  @stlukememphis
    Instagram:  instagram.com/stlukememphis

    or by clicking on the icons below:


     Follow us
    @stlukememphis

    St. Luke Lutheran Church | 756-8850 | stlukememphis.org


    St. Luke Lutheran Church, 2000 Germantown Parkway N., Cordova, TN 38016
    SafeUnsubscribe™ bridgette.decent@gmail.com
    Forward This Email to a Friend | Update Profile | About our service provider
    Sent by priscilla@stlukememphis.org in collaboration with
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    St Luke's Message regarding worship and Corona Virus

    3/12/2020

    0 Comments

     
    God, things are changing.
    The world is changing.
    We feel uncertain and shaky.
    We feel anxious.
    Even in this time of pandemic,
    Your Love endures forever.
     
    Our world, nation, state and county have undergone massive changes in the past 24 hours. We are now all conscious of the spread of the coronavirus. Even in this time, we desire for St. Luke to be a place of healing and security.
     
    Because worship is a group activity, we will need to exercise caution when we come to worship. If you are sick, please stay home and rest and recuperate. We will be making changes to how we clean our building, how we receive the offering, pass the peace, and receive Holy Communion starting this Sunday, March 15.
     
    In the very near future we will be live streaming our worship services, so those who are at home can participate online. We will be updating you on this very soon.
     
    If you do become sick, please inform us so we can support you in our prayers, provide visits, or run errands for you. By working together and supporting one another, we can all grow stronger in these troubled times.
     
    You may make your tithes and offering on our website, simply use the giving tab at http://www.stlukememphis.org/  . We will be introducing on-line giving thru Venmo and Tithe.ly in the near future for those who want more on-line giving options. 
     
    Thank you for your faithfulness,
    And remember, God’s Love Endures Forever,
     
    Pastor Cliff
    0 Comments
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    Here at St Luke ...

    We seek God. We are a church that seeks to express our love for God in all that we do - with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30).
    We serve others. The St. Luke church family has a heart to serve the community, loving each other just as God has loved us (John 13:35). 
    We share our lives together. No one here is perfect - we are all ordinary people who gather together to worship God, grow spiritually, and put our faith into action (James 2:15).

    2000 North Germantown Parkway
    Cordova, TN 38016 
    Phone: 901-756-8850           
    Email: stluke@stlukememphis.org

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