COVID-19 Action Plan …

Facts about Ascension’s Plan For the COVID-19 Pandemic, as of 3/21/2020:

 Beginning on March 22nd we will be holding our regular 9:45 service in the parking lot. Members of the congregation will be shown where to park and then given an FM frequency where the service will be broadcast so that we can worship together from the comfort and security of your car without the spread of germs. 

 As you leave the parking lot there will be a table of hymnals. Please reach out of your car and take one, being careful to only touch one. Please take this hymnal home with you to use for daily devotions. Please also bring this hymnal to car church with you. We will use it for liturgy and hymn lyrics. The hymnals will be returned and sanitized when regular sanctuary worship can resume. At noon and/or 7PM on Wednesdays, please use your hymnal for a personal devotion. While apart we can worship the Lord together!

 As you leave there will be an opportunity for you to give an offering. Envelopes with mailing labels will also be sent to you so that you can mail your contribution if you wish.

For the time being, the Lord’s Supper will be offered to Ascension’s members by appointment. Call Pastor at 330-419-2720 to set up an appointment.

 A separate mailbox will be available at the office entrance of the church. In this box you will be able to find sermons, devotions, portals of prayer, and other at-home resources for devotion and study during the pandemic. Feel free to stop and grab one or more resources during the week. The phone tree will notify you once the mailbox is ready.

 A phone tree has been established to distribute information from the church and to gather information on any health or physical needs of our congregation. If you have not gotten a call we may not have your correct number. If you would like to be added to the phone tree, or if you have any immediate physical needs that we can help with, please call Pastor at 330-419-2720.

 Please keep an open mind. Be ready for hiccups. There are always hiccups as you try new things. We are committed to having the Gospel at Ascension every Sunday. If technical difficulties or other issues make worship difficult one week, the next week will be spent resolving any problems or finding another way. The bottom line is this: If the roads are open you will be able to find Jesus here. We will also follow government laws and regulations. Please continue to join us. We need Jesus all the more during these times. 

 If you have a Facebook account you can find devotions streamed live on Wednesdays and Sundays. Our page is “Ascension Lutheran Church and Early Childhood Center”.

Questions about Ascension’s Response:

 “The Lord is my light and my salvation;  whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;    of whom shall I be afraid?”- Psalm 27:1

 How long is this going to last?

The short answer is that we do not know. Current CDC recommendations are to not gather in groups of ten or more for the immediate future and to not gather in groups of 50 or more for the next eight weeks. We want to look out for those in our congregation that are at risk and be sure to love our neighbor. We also realize the necessity of hearing God’s Word to the Christian life and we do not want to give up gathering together. We will work hard to balance these concerns no matter how long this lasts.

 What about Easter?

You may have noticed that the eight week time table listed above includes the entire Easter season. It is our hope and goal to have service in the sanctuary on Easter Sunday. If we have to modify our Easter service we will celebrate twice- the modified services on Easter day and a festival celebration of Jesus’ resurrection once normal worship resumes.

 Will car church be the “new normal” for services at Ascension?

It is our hope that car church will serve as a way for us to worship throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we are flexible. We are open to the possibility of technical difficulties or other circumstances changing what “normal” is. The COVID-19 situation is extremely fluid and requires open mindedness, flexibility, and patience from us.

 What if government regulations prevent us from having church at all?

Pastor and PMC are currently developing contingency plans for this possibility. One option is church over teleconference. If such a circumstance develops, more information will be passed through the phone tree.

 How are our shut-ins being cared for?

Pastor is doing regular monthly visits with our shut-ins over phones, as it is best that they not be exposed to outside germs. Pastor is willing and eager to make sick and emergency visits, but his ability to do so will be based on government and hospital policy. If you are hospitalized and Pastor is not allowed in, he will make every attempt to reach you by phone or other means.

 Who should I contact if I have questions?

If you have physical needs, questions about worship, would desire the Lord’s Supper, or have any questions about the spiritual care of the congregation, please contact Pastor Ulm at 330-419-2720. If you have questions about finances, use of the building, or other concerns, please contact a member of PMC.