Worship

Good Shepherd friends and family,

I regret to inform you that we will not be meeting at the 66 Drive-In Theatre tomorrow. The weather forecast for Easter Sunday is still a chance of thunderstorms. The forecasts that I have looked at show a large group of thunderstorms moving across Arkansas with our region getting a bit of the top part of the system. If the forecast was sparse rain I may have decided to tough it out but standing outside leading a service in a thunderstorm does not seem like a prudent choice. Furthermore, this would have been the first time we would have held a service there. Getting situated and learning how and where to set up equipment is a significant task in fair weather. If I knew exactly how, where and what I needed to do I might have been more bold. As it is, I do not think that it would be quite worth it to have you all come out to a service that you may not be able to see or potentially even hear.
As planned, I will record the Sunday service tonight and get it up on Facebook by Sunday morning. Perhaps we will have to revisit the 66 Drive-In Theatre option another time. God’s blessings to you all and have a happy Easter.

In Christ,

Pastor Mehl

An update for the events of Holy Week

On Thursday we will record the Maundy Thursday service at 9:30am and post it as soon as possible after that.

“Drive-up” communion is scheduled from 1-3 in the afternoon and 6-7:30 in the evening. We are scheduling those in 15min. slots so as to keep the amount of people at church to a minimum. Each time of distribution will involve driving up to the overhang by the front doors of the church (unless we give you other instructions). Pastor will have the elements set up and will follow a short order of service that he will have printed out for himself. We will make a copy available to you in an email if you wish to print off and use your own. If you wish to stand outside your vehicle you may. Once the elements are consecrated you will get them yourself from the table. The service will conclude shortly after that and things will be reset for the next group. This service is designed to allow you to receive the sacrament while maintaining social distancing. It would be counter-productive for individuals to go into the church for anything. In order to keep communion in the 15 min. timeframe we will need to keep things brief. It will feel unusual as none of us have ever done this in this way before. Times are what they are and the sacrament still is what it is, Christ’s body and blood given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. Let us focus on and take comfort in what God offers us even if it comes in an unusual way.

The Good Friday Service will be recorded on Thursday and posted on Friday at 11am.

For Easter Sunday we have planned to make use of the 66 Drive-In Theatre’s venue. I have checked with them about meeting in light of the recent Missouri statewide order. I have been assured that we will be fine as long as we are sure to stay in our vehicles for the duration of the service. To that point, none of the facilities at the theater will be open or available. We are scheduled to have the theatre from 1 to 2pm on that Sunday. I understand that there is a group scheduled after us, so we will not be able to go over on time. The 66 Drive-in Theatre is not charging the church for the use of their facilities but they are asking for a free-will donation. There will be a place to put donations on your way out after the service.
All that being said, the forecast at the time of this writing is rain for Sunday. Saturday at noon I will make the call (via our weekly email list and Facebook) about whether or not we will be meeting at the drive-in. If we are not meeting I will record the service on Sunday morning at church and will post it as soon as possible afterword.

I hope that this covers most of the things that will be happening. If there is something that you have questions about do not hesitate to contact the church and ask. Thank you.

In Christ,
Pastor Mehl

Sunday, April 5, 2020 we will be prerecording the service and then uploading it to Facebook. We anticipate that the service will be available to watch sometime around 10:00 am.