Slideshow image

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ;

In March of 2020 the Council of Joy Lutheran Church (JLC) made the very difficult decision to suspend onsite worship services and to close Joyful Mission Preschool and the JLC building. This decision was not made lightly; it was made after much deliberation and prayer. We arrived at this decision motivated by the desire to be good stewards of God’s flock and keep everyone safe.

While the physical church has been closed, the spiritual doors of the church have never closed. The church staff, council, committee members, and many volunteers have been active in carrying out the ministry of Christ, especially taking care of the JLC family during this pandemic.

We have learned much since March of 2020. There have been many changes since Council made the decision to close the physical doors of JLC and JMP. What has not changed is that we still want to be good stewards of God’s flock and take care of the needs of God’s people. Providing opportunities for worship and fellowship is one way that we take care of the needs of our congregation. Shortly after on-site worship was suspended JLC began offering online worship and Sunday School for children. In June of 2020 we began offering limited onsite worship services and JMP was able to reopen for the 2020/2021 school year following Tri County Health Department’s guideline for school openings.

After prayerful consideration it is now time to move to the next step for JLC: to reopen the church building to employees, committees, and outside groups. Additionally, easing worship restrictions is among the steps we are prepared to take at this time.

In taking these steps we recognize two things:
1. Some in our congregation are ready to return to full worship and fellowship while some prefer to continue with online worship. We respect the opinions of all and

2. Keeping the members and visitors of JLC safe is paramount. This desire to provide a safe worship is why we have followed the direction of Tri County Health Department, and why we will continue to follow their direction as restrictions are lessened or increased as necessary. We will also continue with enhanced cleaning procedures that have been implemented during the pandemic.

On April 21 the staff of JOY developed a plan for re-opening the church and presented it to council. On April 22 the council met and approved the following changes for worship and building use:

Online Worship-One of the positive takeaways from the pandemic has been the growth and response of the online services. Putting the services online enabled JLC to reach more people in our community, even outside of our
community. Many weekends more people have watched our online services than the number of people who would visit JLC worship services before the pandemic. We will continue to make online services available for those who are not ready to return to in-person worship or would prefer to worship online.

In-Person Worship

  • Congregational singing with masks will continue through May 16th. This is dependent on possible extension of mask mandate
  • On May 3rd worship coordinators will begin contacting worship assistants for services from June 5th/6th and beyond.
  • Beginning May 10, it will no longer be necessary to pre-register for services.
  • Communion will continue in its current form (receiving a kit when entering the sanctuary and remaining seated during communion). This will continue until at least the end of summer.
  • Communion kits will be provided by JLC for those who wish to worship online. Future editions of the eNews will provide instructions on when and how you may pick up your kits.
  • Offering plates will remain in the back of the sanctuary until at least the end of summer.
  • Baptisms will take place in the context of worship.

Music

  • In mid-May sanctuary rehearsals will resume for the Praise Band instruments and hand bell choir.
  • On June 5th/6th vocal musicians may be part of the worship service in the sanctuary while maintaining proper distance.

Building Use

  • On May 10th JLC staff will resume working in the building. While we expect most of the staff to return to JLC on the 10th, any staff with mitigating circumstances will not be required to return.

  • May 17th JLC building will reopen to the public, utilizing the safety precautions that were implemented before and during the pandemic.

  • June 5th and 6th the fellowship hall will reopen.

    Groups and Committees

  • In June all JLC committees will be allowed to resume meeting onsite at JLC. Please note that groups and committees are not required to meet onsite but can continue to meet online or use a hybrid combination of virtual and onsite meetings. JOY’s staff will be happy to help with any of these options.

  • JLC groups and committees will have until June 1st to reserve meeting times on the church
    calendar. After June 1    st outside groups and committees will be given the opportunity to reserve time on the church calendar.

    Please keep in mind that these changes are contingent on Tri County Health Department issuing their “Level Clear” order on May 15th.

    The current mask mandate by the Governor is in place until May 3rd. The Governor may or may not renew his mask order. It is recognized that some are ready to do away with their mask at the first opportunity while others will want to continue to wear their mask after the mandate is lifted. Whether you continue to wear a mask or not, you are welcome to worship at Joy Lutheran Church and you will be supported as brothers and sisters in Christ.

    The Council and pastoral staff want our church services to be a warm, fulfilling fellowship experience for all. We want all our church members to feel comfortable with their situation. JLC will welcome everyone participating in our in-person services and we will respect every person needing time to adjust to changes as they are made.

    If you have additional questions/comments please feel free to contact Council President Gene Gordon, 303.525.7057 or genegordon31@gmail.com

    -The Council of Joy Lutheran Church

    Gene Gordon, President; Dan Turner, Vice-President; Spencer Harms, Secretary; Greg Allshouse; Terry Bixler; Jim Bettendorf; Abby Blom; Jeff Carlson; Ken Grant; Ann Peltier; John Rasmussen; Jeff Rucks

Downloads