Church family and friends, 

You are each a blessing. We missed seeing you in person last Sunday. Here is the latest news and updates.

Church services and other group gatherings:

• Online only this Sunday, March 15th

  • Link to our weekly worship service at 10am on Sunday

  • https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUd5C2SzCeq0x-ycPufcDZg 

• No Lenten soup and suppers this year (typically on Thursdays)

• No choir rehearsals for the time being 

• Smaller gatherings and meeting will meet at the discretion of the chair

  • I advise email or phone calls instead of in-person as much as possible

Ways you can be proactive during Lent

• Connect

  • Email and phone call two different people this week from your faith community. 

  • Share your response to the weekly engagement question and reflection questions

• Pray

  • Pray for nurses, doctors, researchers and those who are caring for people in need

  • Pray for people who feel isolated, alone and unstable

  • Pray for people who are working hourly and no longer have stable hours or income

Communication challenges:

Something we are learning in light of COVID-19 spreading is that our ability to communicate isn’t as good as we need it to be. There are many others who do not readily have access to email or our social media accounts. Email communication from the church including my weekly email isn’t being sent out to everyone and we are working hard to fix this. We ask for your patience and encourage you to check our Facebook page for the most up to date information. 

I’ll be sending my weekly email through revdj.com. You can also call our church office during business hours. We will be using our voicemail system to update you in addition to the above listed for after hours communications. We know we can do better communicating and we will continue to work hard.

Novel Coronavirus - COVID-19

With more cases of novel coronavirus also known as COVID-19 being identified, we decided to be abundantly cautious and not gather in person last week and also this week. Our Thursday night Lenten Soup and Supper gatherings and choir rehearsal will also be cancelled until further notice.

We have received guidance from our King County Health Office recommending that gatherings of 50 or more people do not happen in person. Sadly, this would include our Sunday Morning Worship Service.  While the current Coronavirus situation is alarming, we are grateful that we have other ways of engagement.  We want to encourage you to continue to exercise caution for your health and the health of others. Please use this link to listen and engage in our service. Worship will consist of singing, liturgical elements and a sermon. 

Giving online and in-person

For those who would like to give online, you can give online by clicking this link or you can mail your offerings to our church office. 

Daily devotion for this week:

This Sunday we will continue our Lenten series on “Wind in the Wilderness” as we study the prophet Hosea. Copies of last weeks sermon will be available in the office this week. Our office will continue to hold normal hours. In preparation for this Sunday, I would love to know your response to the question “What does your name mean?” If you have any more responses to share, please feel free to email me your responses dj@revdj.com.

Here are reflection questions and daily Scripture readings from last Sunday.

Heart - Reflection questions to use after last Sunday’s worship service.

What does the saying, “Stick and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me” mean to you? 

How do words speak louder than actions? 

Where and how do you hear God calling you to listen, act and respond today? 

Hands - This is your opportunity to take what you’re learning and put faith into action. We encourage you to view this as a spiritual discipline meant to help you practice your faith. 

What words can you say (or have you said) to another person that can be a prophetic word of hope this week? 

Head - Daily Scripture reading 

Next Sunday’s Scripture: Hosea 1:1-9 

Monday: Hosea 1:1-9 

Tuesday: Hosea 1:2-4 

Wednesday: Hosea 1:5-6 

Thursday: Hosea 1:7-9 

Friday: Hosea 11:1-4 

Saturday: Hosea 1:1-9 

Please know that I am holding you in our prayers this week. While we will not gather in person, I pray the Holy Spirit to dwell among you until we see each other in person again. 

Grace and Peace, 

Rev. DJ

he | him | his

I don’t have it all together. I’m a work in progress and am grateful for the chance to learn. Thanks so much for your patience.