4/6/2020 Prayer: How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
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Businesses shuttered. Churches dark. Every trip outside the house involves a calculus of risk. With familiar activities proscribed Americans are scrambling to find new ways to educate, worship, connect, and calm their anxiety.
Nobody can say with any certainty how the crisis will affect the country over the long term. But some historians believe it will be a defining moment in our history.
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From the ELCA Public Health page, Families First Coronavirus Response Act from the UCC is available (download PDF), updated March 23, 2020.
Shared with permission from the United Church of Christ, this update helps explain The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), signed into law on March 18, 2020. It expands the provisions of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), including which employers are covered under the Act, which may bring smaller religious organizations under the new provisions.
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Christians are joining in specific acts of worship as ecumenical organizations unite during pandemic. View the actions in this post or read at nationalcouncilofchurches.us/holyweek.
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From the ELCA Public Health page, Summary of CARES Act provisions is available (download PDF) , updated March 30, 2020.
This document briefly summarizes provisions in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“the CARES Act”) that could possibly be of interest to church plans, ministries and plan members.
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The National Council of Churches (NCC) joins with Christians Uniting in Christ (CUIC) and Christian Churches Together (CCT) sends a letter to congregations across the United States. View the letter in this post or read at nationalcouncilofchurches.us/holyweek.
The letter states, “Holy Week is April 6-12 for Western Christians and April 13-19 for Orthodox Christians.” Christians are then asked to join in specific acts of worship as they celebrate this unprecedented Holy Week and Easter.
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As three ecumenical organizations unite in an unprecedented way, Bishop Eaton invites us to visit nationalcouncilofchurches.us/holyweek, and join in specific acts of worship with other Christians as we celebrate this Holy Week and Easter in time of pandemic.
View Bishop Eaton’s video, visit the Holy Week page, and read the letter and share.
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Lea doce preguntas frecuentes sobre el programa de protección de cheques de pago.
1. ¿Son elegibles las iglesias? Si. Existe cierta información errónea, y algunos prestamistas están confundidos, pero las iglesias son elegibles.
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ELCA.org/worship has resources for use in the home during this time of world-wide crisis:
Worship in the Home is available for each Sunday at blogs.ELCA.org/Worship.
Sign up for a Daily Bible Reading to be delivered to your email inbox.
Find a full list of readings for Sundays, festivals, and daily use is available from ELCA.org/Lectionary.
Vicar Beth Gallen of Grace Lutheran, Phoenix, shares these resource guides for individuals who are cloistered, as well as households already sheltering in place. Audio and video have been added.
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On the ELCA Worship blog, find Holy Week resources for:
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As new as the COVID-19 pandemic is to us living today, it is far from the first pandemic the church has had to address.
In 1527, the plague hit Wittenberg in late summer, the University of Wittenberg closed. The students were sent home, and many residents self-quarantined to avoid the deadly sickness. Luther responded with his letter “Whether One May Flee from a Deadly Plague.”
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ELCA Advocacy breaks down elements of the (CARES Act), the third economic aid package passed March 27, 2020, and encourages us to these links to learn more about programs for eligible individuals seeking assistance.
“SNAP state directory of resources” – from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service
“Unemployment benefits finder” – from careeronestop.org
“Applying for child support” – from the Office of Child Support Enforcement
“National energy assistance referral” – from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Let’s share #eastertogether photos. On Sunday, April 12, 2020, we will be an Easter people physically distanced from each other. Yet on that day, like every other day, we will welcome the rising sun and be grateful for God’s victory over death through Jesus Christ.
As you are able, take of a photo of Easter morning from your perspective. Share the photo on social media with the hashtag #eastertogether, and throw in #gcsynod while you’re at it.
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INJOY Stewardship Solutions provides a webinar, checklist, and loan aid calculator on their How the CARES Act impacts churches and ministries page.
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Southern Arizona Lutheran Camping Association regretfully announces the cancellation of the May 25-29, 2020 elementary and middle school camp.
Visit the website, www.mysalca.com for any future updates, including potential 2021 camp information. More questions? Contact Pastor Mark Perry, (formerly) the 2020 Camp Dean, pastor@selcaz.org, or 520-459-0444.
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ELCA World Hunger is announcing the immediate launch of Daily Bread Matching Grants. Through these grants, ELCA congregations can raise funds for their feeding ministries using an online fundraising platform and will receive a grant of $500 from ELCA World Hunger.
Up to 100 Daily Bread Matching Grants are available for ELCA congregations on a first-come, first-served basis, with the possibility of more grants becoming available in the future. Apply or donate here.
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For Pastor Jacqui Pagel, the story of the loaves and fishes reminds us that the seeds of today’s miracles are in the smallest of acts.
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There’s too much “othering” today of people we don’t know or haven’t met. And, in a related way, awful hate speech abounds.
This commentary was prepared prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Unfortunately, the situation has spawned additional hate speech or racist remarks and actions directed against, for example, Asian Americans and China.)
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From the ELCA Public Health page, Update and Resources on COVID-19-related Benefits for ELCA Congregations, Synods, Other Ministries and their Employees is available (download PDF) , updated March 30, 2020.
Congress has passed three acts recently in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This summary focuses on the provisions of these acts that most directly affect churches and their employees and provides relevant resources.
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