Thursday, May 28th    Safe and Sound zoom session with Doris and Pastor Church Council meets on Zoom   Hephatha is not closed.  Serving without being able to use our building as a beautiful tool to worship and to serve has been a huge challenge, but we are not closed.  Sunday and Wednesday worship continue without a single service missed: we worship God.  Tonight is our third council meeting by zoom: we have not missed one session.  Sunday School for adults and teens meets every week.  Summer work ministry will meet virtually this summer and the young people will grow with us in faith and service.  Robert will plant beauty on the church grounds.  Charles is faithfully tending the yard, the van, the building.   Doris is writing notes to the prisoners.  Sobriety meetings have been added to our weekly ministry schedule.  Tuesday Praise videos are made with leadership from a child by phone each week with Pastor.   Erica continues her incredible, faithful music ministry and helps us sing our song to God in a new way.  We join with our fantastic Nurse Chris and Nurse Louise in caring for families with babies and seeing to it that the ill and those with extreme hardship have support and care.  Ms. Esther works diligently for our healing from mental illness.  Members make masks.  And share food.  Offering checks are mailed in and offering plates are used at home for offerings during this period.  El Salvador and Tanzania have received our regular Lent and Easter giving for clear water.  The physical distance is a hardship.  Yet, we know that by keeping ourselves at a physical distance, we actually serve God in a deeper way:  we protect life.  Today we pray in confidence for all that is on our hearts in this time.  We pray to God, who crosses ALL distance of sin and death through the gift of Jesus and who is at work among us in this time.   “For the special needs and concerns of our congregation, we pray today.”   God, give us confidence in prayer today.

.