- Sunday at 9:30 virtual worship. Found on Facebook (www.facebook.com/uiflc) OR on YouTube at our UIFLC channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC48ZorvqlmodW7DKTSofJ3A). Worship plans attached for 4/18/21. After Sunday’s virtual worship (approximately 10:30am), we’ll have virtual coffee hour – join us!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/314512003?pwd=YklNQnlJN1Z6ckFYb2RVYkhmdEZFdz09

- IN PERSON WORSHIP Sundays at 11am. No RSVP needed. Everyone will be masked, physically distanced, temperature screened on the way in, and names recorded (in case contact tracing is necessary). We will sing a couple songs (a capella or with recorded music) and use most of the same worship plan as the 9:30 livestream service. (The livestream worship service will continue on Facebook and YouTube.)

- UIF virtual Sunday school by email/Facebook comes out on Saturdays.

- Drive up Communion will still be offered on the 2nd Sunday of each month from noon-2pm.

DEVOTIONAL – during the SEASON OF EASTER (from April 4-May 23). FIFTY DAYS OF SPIRITUAL PRACTICE – attached - is a great devotional that goes from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday. These devotions are intended to help you connect with God each day. They are short and often invite you to do something faith-related or reflective in your normal day. If you miss a few days, you can probably make them up all on one day together. [There are printed copies on bright green paper at church if you wish to pick one up.]

WEDNESDAY 7pm COMMUNITY ZOOM’s – will resume this week. Please watch your email (and Facebook events) for a schedule of Wednesday evening UIF Community ZOOM’s. Hymn sings, community group speakers, justice ministry topics, and more!

Here’s the ZOOM link for every Wednesday’s gathering:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86836758051?pwd=REFFdnN4blYrelpJQXRtTS9GZE91QT09

April 14, 2021

Hymn Sing – bring an ELW hymnal to your screen if you have it

April 21

Community Spotlight: Raising Awareness about the Cost of Policing in Chicago

NWS4REJ, Dan Cotter and Pastor Tom Terrell

April 28

Justice Spotlight: Dismantling Anti-Asian Racism

Discussion topic

EVEN IF YOU ARE FULLY VACCINATED (two weeks after your last COVID vaccine): For now, even fully vaccinated people still need to mask and social distance when indoors at church. The more people who are fully vaccinated, the lower the risk is for all of us, but at this time, the CDC is still recommending that we continue these careful COVID practices in mixed group gatherings. We hope the time will come when these restrictions may be lessened, but now is not the time.

PANDEMIC: HOPE STATIONS OF THE CROSS – some of you asked for another opportunity to look over Mary Button’s moving artwork that was featured in this year’s Stations of the Cross on Good Friday. The images also have short reflections that go with them (from Emily Dickinson’s poem “Hope is the thing with Feathers”). Feel free to pause and reflect or look more closely at the artwork. The images are both touching and terrifying. You can read more about the artist and see more of her work at marybutton.com. Here’s the video: https://youtu.be/6_22p1wFMOg

MIC STUDENT RACHEL: You can see some videos about Rachel and Nathi’s journey (our MIC student and her fiancé). This week, Nathi bravely shares his experience of trying to come here on a legal visa in November 2020, being detained, then sent back home to Swaziland. Most recently they have shared beautiful testimonies about their favorite hymn and Bible verse. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRaNnXvrypyyrTbMzyDPX9A

The church office is open on Wednesdays from 10am-3pm in case you want to drop off or pick up anything from church (fair trade orders, borrowed hymnal, food pantry donations, offerings). For your information, we are beginning to have some groups meeting in the building (masking, social distancing, limited time together, single use bathrooms).

You can reach out to me by email (revctp@unitedinfaith.org) if needed. I continue to keep you in my thoughts and prayers these days as we live as the gathered church in many scattered locations.

SCHEDULE CHANGING FOR FALL 2021: I will be working with council to start talking about a Sunday morning schedule change for fall, where our in person service would be livestreamed (so only one worship service time with musicians at in person service). We are also starting to look at the possibility of in person VBS (August 2021) and in person Sunday School, starting in September 2021. Nothing settled yet, but you should know that this is in conversation.

Blessings to you all,

Pastor Carla

Looking back:

- Annual Meeting Packet as of 2/28/2021.

Added President's Report

LINKS

WHO - https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/uiflc

Martin Luther and His Incredible Response to the Black Plague - https://www.patheos.com/blogs/chorusinthechaos/martin-luther-and-the-black-plague/

Guidelines to Keep in Mind from our State, City, and Denomination

Some Current events: