Session Letter to the Congregation

June 12, 2020

Dear North Liberty Presbyterian Church members:

We pray you are healthy and have remained safe during this pandemic.  Through a careful process of discussion and discernment, with an abundance of caution and concern for those who are most vulnerable, upon consideration of the best scientific knowledge at our disposal, in the spirit of constant prayer, and with full trust in the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, we have come to the place where we will open to on-site worship on Sunday June 28, 2020 at 11:00 AM. On that Sunday we will recognize our 2020 exceptional Seniors and Dr. Robert McCreight will bring the message for the day. Until then we will continue to over online services via Facebook and email.

We have purchased an AM transmitter which will allow you to hear the service from your car if you would prefer to come to church but are not ready to enter into the group worship within the building. We will share the tune in location for those who need it. It is also compatible with blue tooth technology with hearing aids.

As we begin to re-enter our church for worship, we will be following the CDC guidelines and have developed some new protocols for our time together. First some general guidelines: We ask you not to come to worship if you are not feeling well. We are asking unless you have a medical condition, to wear a mask. Remembering that this is how we can demonstrate love to each other.  A paraphrase of scripture “No greater love has a man for his friend than to wear a mask for his friend.” Please use hand sanitizer or wash your hands when you enter the building. And practice social distancing.

You will see some changes in the sanctuary and during worship.  There are no hymnals, Bibles or pew cushions in the pews. You may bring a cushion with you and take it home after services.  We will have staggered seating with seating in half a pew according to the signs in the pews. Therefore, there will be no one directly in front or in back of you or your household.

We will have stationary offering plates in the narthex and in the front of the sanctuary. We will not be passing offering plates. We will not be singing although we will offer music to bless our service. There will be no hand shaking and we can gather outside where we can practice social distancing.  We will have staggered dismissals at the end of the service.

Initially, we will not be gathering for Sunday School prior to worship and there will not be Children’s Church.

There will surely be awkward moments as we adjust to new protocols and practices. We ask you to be flexible and work with us. We want our community of believers to gather safely and to stay healthy. We will be modifying our requirements as we learn more. Let us be faithful, to God and to one another, as we receive the gifts and work through the challenges of this time in the life of our congregation and world. Let us be guided by the Word, responsive to the Spirit, and open to the grace of God. Let us remember that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus.

We have scheduled a candidate Sunday for July 13, 2020. At that time the PNC will introduce you to our candidate for the congregation to consider. There will be a called congregational meeting following the service.

The Deacons began a new ministery providing DVDs of the service to those without the technology to access it otherwise. It our intent to continue to video the services and we will share them after the services and will continue to deliver the DVDs to those shut-in.

We have continued to seek ways to be God’s hands and feet through mission projects, supporting the food pantries and cleaning up around the church. A day work camp at Camp Lambec is scheduled for next week. Contact Abbey Novotny if you are interested in joining that crew.

We thank you for your financial support, for your prayer support and for remaining faithful during these challenging times. If you have any concerns or needs please feel free to contact an Elder.

In His Service,

Susan G. Black, Clerk of Session