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COVID-19 UPDATES

Psalm 56:9 reminds us, “The very moment I call to you for a Father’s help, the tide of the battle turns and my enemies flee. The one thing I know: God is on my side.” This Psalm stood true in biblical times, and it proves true in this day as well. Though there is great fear surrounding the threat of disease, we can rest assured that we have a Father in Heaven who is with us in all things. This truth is true especially today with the spread of the coronavirus.

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As we navigate this unusual season, we want Good Shepherd to continue be a place where we find refuge from the fears and anxieties of this world.  As we place all of our confidence in God, we wanted you to know what steps are being discussed with staff and leaders to help keep everyone safe and healthy as we continue to worship together.  Take a look at our most up-to-date response BELOW:

Update January 4, 2020

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Our council leaders have continued to closely monitor COVID-19 cases.  Please note the following updates:

 

  • Sunday 10:15 a.m. worship services will continue in person as well as online.  Our Saturday 5:45 p.m. worship will continue online only.

 

  • In-Person Worship Services will resume on January 10th at 10:15.

 

  • The After Hours Bible Study is canceled for Tuesday, January 5. We will plan on resuming this Bible Study Tuesday, January 13.

 

  • Wild About Jesus is canceled for Wednesday, January 6. Future plans for this will be announced at a later date.

 

  • We will continue to offer Drive-Up Communion. The next Drive-Up communion opportunities are scheduled for Wednesday, January 6 & 20 at 12:00–12:30 p.m.

 

  • All other in-person Bible studies, activities, and events will continue as scheduled.  

 

  • Limited visitors to Church Office. If you need anything from the church office, we want to encourage you to call the office (402-721-8412) and not come in person. Visitors will be monitored and masks will be required while in the office.

 

Please help us keep our Good Shepherd family informed that do not have access to electronic updates or online information. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we have to make changes and updates due to COVID.

Update December 21, 2020

After seeing COVID-19 cases stabilize in our area over the past couple weeks, we have made the following decisions:

 

  • We will host in-person worship services on Sundays at 10:15 a.m. starting Sunday, December 21.  Our Saturday 5:45 p.m. worship will continue to be offered online only.

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  • All on-campus activities are permissible with proper scheduling with the church office in order to account for cleaning and sanitation.

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  • On Christmas Eve December 24, we will offer one in-person gathering at 5:00 p.m.  We will offer a Traditional-style worship at 9:00 p.m. online only.

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  • NOTE all of the previous cautions and instructions from the May 14 update.  We do emphasize, however, that if you have the symptoms of COVID or have been exposed to someone with COVID recently, please stay home.

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Worship

Update May 14, 2020

While we are excited and grateful that we will be gathering again for worship starting Sunday, June 7, we also care and are concerned about everyone’s safety and well-being. For this reason, we want to communicate some health and safety protocols and procedures we will be implementing, for the foreseeable future any time we gather for a worship service. 

 

Please know that we will still have an online presence and you can continue at home worship services if you are not yet comfortable joining us in person. We encourage you to make wise and safe decisions for your health and well-being.

 

  • If you are not feeling well and especially have a cough, fever, trouble breathing or have been around family members who are sick. Do NOT come to worship, but join us at home via online church.

 

  • In an effort to open slowly and safely, we will only be offering in-person worship for our Sunday 10:15 a.m. service. The Saturday 5:45 p.m. service will continue as a virtual service and will continue to be online. Both services will be streamed at gslcfremont.org.

 

  • There will be NO Sunday Bible study throughout the summer with it possibly starting back up in the fall.

 

  • We will do our best to open doors for you as you enter to minimize exposure on those surfaces, but while you are in our midst, please touch as few of surfaces as possible.

 

  • Only one door will be open for entering. Please enter ONLY through the canopy doors. The North parking lot will be closed off to avoid using that door.

 

  •  As you enter and exit please be sure to maintain social distance and exit in a slow way that minimizes a large group from congregating. 

 

  • In order to minimize the number of spaces that will need sanitizing, certain areas of the building will be blocked off and you will not be able to pass through or go into those spaces. Those areas are the CLC (gym) wing as well as the fellowship hall and kitchen, and chapel.

 

  • Please avoid gathering in groups and do not congregate in indoor spaces, anywhere in the church. Maintain social distancing when possible, even if you are wearing a mask.

 

  • Households need to sit together, but need to stay 6 feet from any other person or household. Please do not mingle groups of non-household members.

 

  • No items should be passed from person to person. This means we will not hand out bulletins or Shepherd’s voice. (You will also notice all the Bibles, Hymnals, and misc other items, have been taken out of the pew backs for sanitary reasons.)

 

  • No offering plates will be passed, however, we will have an offering collection box that is accessible while you enter or exit the church.

 

  • We will NOT have Communion within the worship service, but will continue with our drive up Communion. Drive up Communion is 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20th, June 10th and June 24th.

 

  • Please do not use the drinking fountains and be sure to wash your hands after you return home. There will be hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes throughout the sanctuary, if needed, for your use.

 

  • The health department may add additional recommendations that we too will implement for everyone’s safety.

 

Sincerely,

Your Leadership Council

Update April 30, 2020

To our Good Shepherd Family,
 
Every week, we are receiving new and updated Directed Health Measures (DHM). The most recent DHM was discussed with our church leaders concerning the timeline for reopening in-person worship services. Following recommendations from our Nebraska LCMS District office as well as our local Three Rivers Health Department, Good Shepherd anticipates resuming in-person worship on the weekend of June 6-7. In the meantime, we will offer drive-up communion options on Wednesday May 6 and May 20 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. as another way to find spiritual nourishment and encouragement.
 
Please look for online worship services on our GSLC Facebook page and website www.gslcfremont.org/messages. We will continue to provide DVD recordings of worship as well as Home Worship Companions that can be mailed out. Look for our #PrayLive sessions led by Pastor Ryan on Facebook every Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. This is a great place to share prayer requests as well as pray with and for each other.
 
It is never an easy decision to cancel in-person worship. Nevertheless, our greatest goal is to keep worshipers safe and healthy through these unprecedented times. Health officials and leaders have warned us of the immediate risks involved with gathering groups of people at this time. We ourselves have recognized the particular vulnerability of a good portion of our worshiping demographic. In an effort to show Christ like love and concern for our neighbor, we will continue play our part in social distancing.
 
Sincerely,
Your Leadership Council

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ALSO, A MESSAGE FROM OUR PASTOR:

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Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
Hear these words from Christ himself in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” During times like this, we find confidence and rest for our weary souls in Christ alone. As we worship apart from one another, disconnected from routines and gatherings, there is always a temptation to drift away from the things that feed us spiritually. My encouragement for you is to, instead, lean into those things like never before. The only way we will endure and thrive is to allow our weary and burdened soul to rest on the strength Jesus provides.
 
You and your family really should consider the following things:
-WORSHIP live with us on Saturday 5:45 p.m. or Sunday 10:15 a.m. If worshiping live is not an option, create a routine and set aside a time and day that you and your family worship together (i.e. Sunday night at 8 p.m.). We hope that our mailing of DVD’s and Home Worship companions can also be a way for you and your family to worship together if you should need it. Please let us know, and we can get these to you. The Third Commandment says “Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.” God considers Sabbath rest to be sacred and set apart. It means that we guard it against everything from dinner plans to friends coming over to an episode on TV. As you plan worship, set aside a time, guard it, and keep it as your personal sacred space. For you and your family, this could also mean turning off your phones, dressing up nice to get in the spirit, or even saying a prayer together before you worship.
 
-READ God’s word daily as you make your way through a personal devotion or reading plan. The Bible is full of practical encouragement for what we are going through. We also believe that the Spirit of God burns in our hearts when we let it into our daily walk.
 
-CONNECT with others. Know that you are not alone despite feelings of loneliness. Flourish from the positivity and spiritual joy of others, especially other Christians who can point you to the way, the truth, and the life.
 
-SERVE When we feel like we can make a difference and help others in this crisis, it takes away the focus from our own troubles. Serving inspires optimism in ourselves as well as in others as we see God’s handiwork changing the world around us.
 
As your pastor, I look forward to seeing all of you very soon. I miss your hugs, our many great conversations, the sound of voices singing, and the joy and encouragement you give. I imagine we will have a wonderful homecoming in June when we can finally all be together again. I wish you God’s blessings today with whatever you have planned. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. We love you and we will get through this together!
 
Blessings,
Pastor Ryan

Update March 17, 2020

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

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For the sake of love for our community, motivated by the love of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, empowered by the Holy Spirit of wisdom and understanding, grateful for the gifts of God our Father, we will not gather in person until further notice.  This will be replaced by online worship, taking advantage of the technical means which God has provided us.  This includes all in-person worship services, Bible studies, meetings, and other small group gatherings. We will re-evaluate this on a regular basis and let you know when we can resume our in-person gatherings.

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  • ONLINE WORSHIP: Join us at 5:45 p.m. on Saturdays and 10:15 a.m. on Sundays, and 7:00 p.m. Wednesday nights during the season of Lent.  Services will resemble the style and format that you are used to. Online services can be accessed via our website www.gslcfremont.org under the “Watch Live” button in the middle of the screen.  You can access this link directly by typing in the following URL in your browser: www.gslcfremont.org/messages.

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  • OTHER OPTIONS: For those who do not have access to a computer or online media, we are working on a prerecorded DVD option and Paper Handout option that will allow you to still worship.  Please let the church office know if you are interested.

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  • GIVING: Please keep in mind your personal tithe, as these events will likely impact Good Shepherd financially.  We will continue to remind you of ways you can access this online, especially during worship. Our online giving page is www.gslcfremont.org/give and can be accessed on our website under the “Give” tab.  Even if you have never used this before, we are asking that you give this option serious consideration.

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  • WE NEED YOUR HELP: Call and reach out to fellow members, helping them connect to online worship, other options, and any resources we send out.  Pray for and reach out to those who might be isolated. We are all in this together.

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This past weekend in worship, we reflected on Romans 8 which reminded us, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Even when we face unusual days like this, we can be certain that God is the same yesterday as He is today and nothing will separate us from His love and provision.

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As a church we are not motivated by fear as the world is, but we are motivated by love. As we look at the Fifth Commandment, Luther reminds us: “We are to fear and love God, so that we neither endanger nor harm the lives of our neighbors, but instead help and support them in all of life’s needs.” For centuries, the Church has answered this calling by serving, even in the worst of times, including times of disease.

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We will continue to listen to our local, state, and federal officials who have recommended and even mandated smaller environments for meeting for the time being.  Let us join together in prayer for the health of our nation and world, that the Lord would minimize the effects of this new virus, and bring about effective ways of treating and healing this disease.

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Again, please join us in our online gatherings as much as you are able. We look forward to seeing you in person once again after making it through this season.

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Sincerely,

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Your Leadership Council

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