April 30, 2023

Dear Members of St. John’s,

After much prayerful consideration, I have decided to accept the call to St. Paul’s
Lutheran Church in Platteville. I thank all of you for your prayers and
encouragements on behalf of me and my family over these past many weeks.
We are so very thankful for the ministry we have shared together.
This is an opportunity for all of us to remember that the Lord is the Lord of the
Church. He is the one who keeps it together. He is the one who makes it grow
and move forward. He is the one who is in control. The words he spoke to his
prophet Jeremiah are just as true today as they were back then: “For I know the
plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm
you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).

In Christ,
Pastor Kruschel

At their May 17 meeting the St. John’s church council designated all services “mask optional” beginning this week Thursday, with current distancing between seating to continue.

We encourage all families to take into account CDC guidance regarding protecting your families.

Thank you for your feedback with over 160 surveys returned. The council members will personally contact the over 20 members who shared circumstances that would find them unable in good conscience to attend services where worshipers would be unmasked.

We ask the congregation to continue to make an effort to register for worship services so those concerned individuals may then choose lesser attended services.  Also, we ask you to consider leaving seating available near the large window for those with health concerns because this is the most ventilated area of the sanctuary.

Thank you again for the response to the survey – and especially for the selfless comments and willingness to serve each other. God bless us as we gather!

Mr. Kurt Callaway has *accepted* the call we extended to serve as our 5/6 grade teacher and athletic director! He and his wife Tina will be purchasing a home in Two Rivers and are eager to join our ministry team. We praise God for the Callaways and for leading the Jaegers to remain with us!!

See you online tonight/Sunday morning/at your leisure? Since a member who worshiped with us this past Sunday has tested positive for COVID, following our protocol, worship services tonight and Sunday will be ONLINE ONLY. The next in person worship service will Wednesday next week at 4 & 6pm for our midweek Lent Services and then regular worship schedules will resume. Please get the word out to those not connected by way of FB, internet or our text alert system. And if you know of someone we can bring a dvd of this weeks worship or a tablet to view it online, please let us know.

Please remember also to sign up for text alerts to be kept up today in the most timely manner of any changes to worship schedules or other important information – the signup is here:

St. John’s annual voter meeting is this Sunday, January 31 at 1pm in the church.  Please download and view a copy of the annual report here – and if possible, familiarize yourself with the reports it contains so we can save time by not reading them out loud in the meeting itself.  You can also download and view a presentation on church finances and the proposed ministry plan (budget) for 2021.  God bless you and the part you play in our faith family and ministry!

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What we believe / teach and where you ‘ll find it in the Bible – Class for the curious, for members to remember, for parents of children in our school, for those wishing to join us in our mission and ministry. Tuesdays at 8pm scheduled for those especially with kids to get in bed. Join us! Permanent link http://bic.sjtworivers.org

Thank you for your cooperation as we do our best to balance our love for the Word and for each other.  Below you will find the links to register for upcoming worship services.  You’ll be registering for a FREE “ticket” or “tickets.”  They are only our way of ensuring that our two worship spaces (church and gym) remain safe and uncrowded and that you are well aware where you should go on Thursday nights or Sunday mornings.  Currently each service time has room for a maximum of 55 in the church and 65 in the gym.  God bless you and others through you as we return to public worship.

Here’s where you will find weekly opportunities to register for worship services – http://register.sjtworivers.org

SJTR Public Worship Restart 

General Information

• Public services will begin on the weekend of June 4-7.
• We will offer our regular service times: Thursday at 6:00 pm and Sunday at 8:00 and 10:30*.
• More services may be added if and as needed.
• We will continue to livestream services via Facebook, and archive them to Youtube and Vimeo.
• We will ensure proper distancing and cleanliness to the best of our ability.

Encouragements

• Those who have any of the symptoms of COVID-19should stay home.
• Those who are at high risk of serious illness are encouraged to stay home.
• Those who are uncomfortable attending services at this time are encouraged to stay home.
• You are encouraged to wear a mask, but they are not required.
• Everyone should practice distancing and good hygiene.

Distancing

• Every other row of seating in the sanctuary has been temporarily removed, and in the remaining rows, the middle section has also been removed, ensuring six feet of distance between members.
• One household will be allowed per pew or section of chairs.
• The removed seating has been placed in the gymnasium, arranged as those in the church proper, with sound system and large projector screen to carry the feed in real time from the sanctuary.
• Following these guidelines, a group of 50 persons will be seated in each location for each service.
• Households are required to register online to ensure that the appropriate number of people are in attendance for each service and in each location.

Cleanliness

• High contact surfaces (like pews and door handles) will be disinfected after every service – with doors propped open when weather permits.
• A deeper cleaning will be done after each weekend.
• The commons will not be used, except for passing through.
• Hymnals and Bibles will be removed from the pews.
• The entire service will be shown on the screens as usual.
• Those who are accustomed to following along in Bibles and hymnals are encouraged to bring their own.
• Baskets will be available in entryway of each worship location for offerings.
• The elements for Holy Communion will be prepared by the pastors. This will reduce the number of people in the building and the number of people touching the elements.

Before the Service

• Hand sanitizer will be available at the doors.
• There will be no hand shaking before or after the service.
• A trustee will be available to direct, offer assistance, and provide masks as necessary.

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Communion

• We will reintroduce public communion the week of June 18-21.
• Those who do not wish to commune publicly or are not comfortable communing at this time will be free not to do so, with absolutely no stigma.
• Following the sermon and prayers will be a blessing, announcements, and a hymn. This will give those who choose not to commune the opportunity to leave the sanctuary if they wish.
• Those who are distributing the Sacrament will clean their hands with soap and water or hand sanitizer immediately before distribution.
• Households will be directed to approach the chancel one at a time to receive the Sacrament, maintaining social distancing with other households.
• Communicants will each take a wafer, set out individually on a table and then proceed to the next table to take an individual cup, spaced out likewise on a separate table.
• Should someone need assistance, each worship space will have a pastor to provide such assistance as required.
• Should a non-shut-in household request private communion, please contact the office for an appointment and we will commune you here.

After the Service

• Pastors will not shake hands with people as they exit the sanctuary.
• Members are encouraged not to stay and socialize in the church or gymnasium worship spaces. This is something that can be done more safely outside, if desired.

Other Items

These and all practices involved with returning to public worship will be regularly visited by the church council, elected to oversee and assure regular and orderly worship.  They will also be altered, improved or changed as new information, circumstances or authoritative guidance present themselves.