Notice of Suspension of Services

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March 18, 2020

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

an announcement from St.

I greet you in the Name of the Risen Christ, in whose name we gather and serve the Living God.

After a great deal of prayer and discernment it has been decided that all worship services, meetings, choir, and fellowship gatherings have been cancelled for the duration of this devastating pandemic. While many have shared that the church provides a place where they can find solace and comfort, the church must first and foremost be a place that is safe. It was decided that having worship would not provide a safe place for our members.

The office will be staffed by Wendy Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9am – 12pm. I will be in the office every day and will be also be available as needed.

We are in the midst of an event that is unprecedented in recent history, the Covid-19 pandemic. This virus is affecting our lives in ways we would have never imagined possible. What started as a local concern in Wuhan, China has grown into a global catastrophe, touching the lives of billions of God’s children. The cases of people being infected is climbing exponentially. The number of people dying from the virus increases at an alarming rate. Economies are being thrown into a tailspin with billions of dollars being lost each day. It seems like hourly we are being told of mandated closings of businesses and prohibitions against public gatherings. K-12 schools have been closed as well as institutions of higher learning. National, state, and local governments are requiring us to make sacrifices to help stem the tide and flatten the curve so that our hospitals and health care professionals do not become overwhelmed. The decisions and choices have not been made lightly. They have been instituted in the best interests of all of us.

We are working to provide some form of weekly services on our church website (stpetersfrankfort.org). If you have pastoral needs or have prayer requests, you can contact me (815-685-5857), email mmmrev@att.net, or call the office (815-469-2220). We ask that you remember your pledges, commitments, and tithes as we keep up with the fiscal needs of the ministries of St. Peter’s UCC.

This is a situation that is quickly evolving. We will strive to keep you updated on any changes that may be necessary. We have created a text prayer/information chain as one way of communicating quickly. If you are not on the list, or if you are not sure, please contact me using any of the methods listed above. If you are not on the list, we will call you if needed.

While we are being cautioned to self-quarantine, I would ask that you be mindful of your neighbors, especially the ones who are most at risk, those over 70 and those with preexisting conditions. Call them regularly to check on them. If you know someone who has lost their income because of business closings, offer whatever help you can. Last, but certainly not least, pray. Pray for the leaders of the world, national and local, those tasked with making hard decisions, that they may have hearts filled with compassion and mercy. Pray for those that have lost loved ones to this dreaded virus and those who are infected. Pray for all our sisters and brothers around the world, that we all might be mindful of others and how our choices and actions effect 

them more than we might know. Pray that we can all put aside our differences and realize that we are truly members of a global family, intertwined and interrelated.

With the strength of our faith in God’s promise and grace we will make it through this time of crisis. Be calm. Be smart. Be aware. Be kind.

Blessings and Peace,

Pastor Mark

​ You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
For God will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; God will cover you with God’s pinions, and under the LORD’s wings you will find refuge;
God’s faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.

Psalm 91:1-6