- 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 5/16/21. 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). (For now, the livestream worship service will continue at 9:30am on Facebook and YouTube. In some future time, we will combine livestream and in person.)

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

FUNERAL SERVICE FOR MARION HANSEN is scheduled for Saturday, June 12th at 2pm (1pm visitation), but is expected to take place at the UIF building. Our prayers go out to those who grieve her loss. May light perpetual shine upon her.

FALL 2021 WORSHIP SCHEDULE CHANGE: During the pandemic, our worship life has had a very different configuration out of necessity and the safety of the community. Prior to the pandemic, in February 2020, we had begun to discuss moving to one Sunday worship service. The pandemic changed the needs of our congregation, so we moved to one online and one in person service (when locally allowable). After discussions with council (and some predicting on our part), we are ready to work toward a new Sunday morning schedule at United in Faith in fall 2021. No new schedule will be the same as our previous schedule. We plan to continue livestreaming the Sunday morning worship service (probably using our current Mevo camera), though we will now be livestreaming the “in person” service. After a poll of parents of Sunday school aged kids and an informal discussion with a range of UIF members, we have identified two preferable options: 9am SS/coffee hour, 10am worship OR 9:30am SS/coffee hour, 10:30am worship. You will receive a mailing at home with a postcard (and an enclosed postcard stamp) to mail back or you can fill out the google form at https://forms.gle/JCrygrHFymDdvP3J8

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.

COMPASSION CAMP VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL –we are working toward an in person Vacation Bible School program (August 2-6th, daytime). Registration forms available (in print form at church – in google form on website).

WEDNESDAY 7pm COMMUNITY ZOOM’s – have resumed. Hymn sings, community group speakers, justice ministry topics, and more – topic rotates weekly! Here’s the ZOOM link for every Wednesday’s gathering:

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

May 12

Virtual Hymn Sing

Bring an ELW hymnal if you can

May 19

Why Should Christians Care about Abolition? (abolition refers to abolishing the carceral state – including police and prison)

Speaker: Elle Dowd (she/her/hers) is a graduate of the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and a candidate for ordained ministry in the ELCA.

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.]

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). Not a full schedule, but more and more groups begin adding in person meetings every few weeks.

ONLINE GIVING: To give an online donation, please visit https://www.shelbygiving.com/app/giving/uif On your first visit, you will have to create an online giving account.

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.

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: