How We Miss All of You!

Greetings in the name of Jesus, How I miss seeing you all! I have been working from home since the office is not open to the public. Staying home due to the virus has made me feel isolated and certainly out of touch with all of you. Thinking that you may be feeling the same, I contacted some of our leadership and together we have been making phone calls to as many of you as possible based on having phone numbers. We’re checking in to see how you are, to update you on the latest schedule, see if you have any prayer needs and to pray with you. Each of us so enjoyed hearing your voices and praying with you. If you haven’t received a call, it could be that we do not have a phone number for you or it is incorrect. Feel free to let our Church Secretary, Joy Quici, know your phone number and email address at secretary.eumc@gmail.com. Now is also a good time to reach out and connect with other people by phone, email, Facebook or a card or letter. For those who receive a paper copy of the Newsletter, if you haven’t tried email, this is the time as an email address is free. Email is of particular use because we at the church communicate best by email when we need to pass on information to as many people as possible as quickly as possible. You do need to be connected to the internet to use though most cell phones have these capacities as part of your plan. Check with your provider. Of course, staying in touch with God through prayer doesn’t require any technology, simply an open heart shared with him. Reading the Bible can help us feel closer to God. Spending time with God in a daily basis can help calm our concerns and help us remember not only who we are but also whose we are, beloved children of God. Spend some time in the Psalms this month. One of my favorites is Psalm 91 that begins: “Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.“ Or spend time with some of your favorite verses about God’s faithfulness. By the time you receive this message, you should already know we are extending the suspension of Sunday worship and meetings through April 12, which is Easter. The church office will also continue to be closed to the public. We will continue to post sermons each Sunday by 9:30 a.m. on both the website and our Facebook page. Thank you to new attender Terrie Zieber for her invaluable help making this happen. Here’s a tip I’ve learned over the years when things are stressful or changing rapidly. Stay active. Walk throughout the day, even if it’s only in your home. We lose our strength easily when we are not as active as usual. Unless you are actually quarantined with the virus, the current recommendations say you can take a walk outside, being sure to stay at least 6 feet away from other walkers. Keep checking the recommendations though as they have changed over time. Continuing to be active helps our mood, too, which is especially important now when we aren’t seeing very many people. A special Thank you to those who have sent in your tithes, offerings and gifts by mail or by dropping them in the slot in the door of the Church Office. These are especially important now. When we do not have worship, we also do not receive those unplanned offerings visitors give or the unpledged offerings many others give. We have a lean budget already so there is very little opportunity for us to reduce expenses. Knowing we all are trying to keep our finances in order, we appreciate your commitment to continue giving to the work of God in the world through Emmanuel. Stay safe and well! God bless you, Pastor Kim