Good Afternoon Hope!

Hoping everyone enjoyed a restful and restorative holiday weekend. As you may have seen in last Friday’s eNews - as COVID case numbers continue to trend down and vaccine rates continue to trend up in Michigan, Hope’s Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) has been reevaluating our COVID-related policies and procedures.

Here are newest updates, effective for Sunday, July 11, 2021:

• Face masks are optional for all attendees at Sunday morning worship services. We encourage all who have a compromised immune system, who are unvaccinated, or who have other underlying health conditions to exercise caution. Mask wearing is certainly welcome – please make whichever choice is most comfortable for you and your family.
• Pre-registration, by phone and online, will no longer be used for Sunday morning worship.

As the COVID situation is fluid and ever evolving, SPC, working in conjunction with Hope staff will continue to monitor trends closely and will work with the guidance from MDHHS, the CDC and Oakland County Health Department to ensure that our policies and procedures are up-to-date with current guidelines.

Many of you have reached out to Hope’s leadership team over the course of the pandemic to share your perspectives and expertise and we are truly grateful for the guidance, feedback and continued engagement.

Grace & Peace,

Amy Finley, Director of Leadership

Sarah Tucker, President

Fellow Hope members -

As our local community, state and nation continue to work towards a full re-opening, so has Hope leadership. We have been diligently working to increasingly provide opportunities for our members to enjoy worship, engage in ministry, and grow in community and faith in person. Today, we would like to provide an update to our community about how we will continue to move forward.

First, the Strategic Planning Council would like to thank the dedicated staff at Hope for their ongoing commitment throughout the entirety of the pandemic. Because of their efforts, we’ve been able to safely and effectively deliver in person worship services since December; and, continue to deliver outstanding virtual services for those not ready or unable to return in person. In March, SPC voted to open our doors to all ministries, so that groups (men’s, women’s, children & families, etc.) could safely come back in person. Many groups have done just that. 

We have made great progress and achieved great things! But now it is time for us to take additional steps forward. After much discernment, the following are effective immediately, as approved by the SPC:

• Removal of capacity limits for worship services.

• Social distancing will not be required during worship services, but available to those who prefer it.

Despite the changes, we will continue to use an online registration process for Sunday worship. This allows us to communicate our changing practices clearly with anyone who wishes to attend. 

Additionally, we once again encourage and support all Hope ministries, groups, or others who wish to convene in person to feel welcome to do so. 

Hope leadership continues to closely monitor federal, state and local health guidelines on a weekly basis and will use that guidance to inform decisions.

God’s Peace,

Strategic Planning Council

Hello Hope!

I hope you are doing well! As I indicated in yesterday’s email, I would provide some insight into my answer to the question of “why are we opening in-person services now?”. 

As you know by now, Governor Whitmer extended our ‘pause’ until December 20th in a continued effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Clearly the numbers are concerning and, given those same numbers, begs the legitimate question in regards to starting in-person services, “why now”?

It is a fair question to be sure.

Admittedly the timing isn’t great. However, my decision isn’t based on a whim where I think “we’ve simply been closed too long” or “Christmas is coming, we need to hurry and do this now”. We have been trying to do this a while now and more importantly, it is an issue of pastoral care.

Where many in our community are not only comfortable with church online, but actually quite enjoy it, others are in need of another expression of ‘church’. They are longing for community and connectedness that, for them, a computer or TV screen simply cannot provide.

This is a spiritual need for some; not a spiritual need that supersedes safety, but a need that would be welcomed if safety can be reasonably provided.

I believe that, with the plans we have in place, we can be and will be more than reasonably safe for all who attend and participate as well as for the community at large. With masks on at all times, always socially distant, room capacity kept to guidelines, and cleaning/sanitizing in place, we can provide a more than reasonably safe environment that will allow for the spiritual needs of some to be met.

I want to remind everyone that this is a choice. Part of what we do at Hope is reasonably meet people where they are at. We always have done this. We offer different music choices, different worship times, and more than one minister to relate with. In this time, we will offer the choice of either a meaningful streamed service at 10am (this is not going away) as well as reasonably safe in-person options.

Each member has a choice. The staff has a choice as well.

The staff has also been given the option to ‘opt out’ and some have. No one is being asked to do anything they are not comfortable with or being put in a situation where they do not feel safe. 

Everyone has a choice.

As I already stated, for me pastorally, this is an issue of pastoral care, and sometimes offering good pastoral care is about providing choices to reasonably meet people where they are at and I believe we can safely do just that. 

Thank you for hearing me out. Thank you for your support of this ministry team with your time, talents, financial resources, and prayer. Thank you for always being there for the other. Thank you for being a community united in the love of Jesus even when we may disagree on nearly everything else. 

Thank you and God Bless,

Pastor Rob

Hello Hope!

I pray you are all holding during these strange and unpredictable times. Please reach out to the church if there is anything we can do for you.

As you all likely know by now, Governor Whitmer addressed the state yesterday evening with renewed recommendations for the health and safety of the population. After many conversations and opinions being discussed and shared, it has been decided that Hope will ‘pause’ our in-person services for the next three weeks. 

Here is what you need to know:

1. In-Person services will ‘pause’ for three weeks, resuming on December 13th
2. Online streamed service will continue at its new time of 10am every Sunday morning
3. Congregational meeting will proceed as planned at 12noon on November 22nd
   • We will meet outside, socially distanced and masked
   • We will only discuss the Mission Plan (Budget)
   • It is expected to be 50 degrees. I promise it will be quick.
4. A Special Congregation Meeting will be scheduled in January in order to amend the bylaws to allow for virtual congregational meeting participation in the future.

I know things are hard right now, for all of us. Though it is not ideal in any way, we are still connected through technology in ways unimaginable not all that long ago. 

I thank you for your patience and understanding as well as for your continued participation through this community of faith.

Peace to you all,

Pastor Rob Zahn

Dear Hope Members,

The Strategic Planning Council, in concert with Hope staff, has been continuously evaluating safety and health conditions to ensure Hope can continue with robust spiritual ministries while ensuring the health and wellness of its members. To that end, we pivoted all our services, small groups, and other ministries to a virtual format - allowing us to continue to be in community, even at a distance.  

We have been overwhelmed by the support, continued engagement, and dedication of our members during this challenging and unprecedented time. Thank you!

As the State of Michigan continues to see improvement in efforts to contain the virus, the leadership team at Hope has started to imagine the return of some activities to an in person format. In order to safely do so, we envision a phased approach as outlined below.

Phase 1 - Starting June 2020 (this month)

• Small groups are permitted to meet in person with the understanding that they will observe proper social distancing guidelines. This can occur outdoors on church grounds, or in other outdoor spaces like parks and backyards. Please note, access to the church building including bathrooms will not be available.  
• We encourage small groups and their leaders to choose to meet in whichever format best works for that group whether it be virtual, in person or a combination. All proper masks and social distancing protocols must be followed at all times. 

Phase 2 - Starting July 2020

In-person, outdoor worship will begin July 12th at 11am with the understanding that all in attendance will follow social distancing guidelines and wear a mask. 

• BYOC: Bring Your Own Communion AND Bring Your Own Chair.
• PEACE: In order to both curb continued spread of the virus as well as respect the comfort level of everyone, we will simply flash a peace sign as opposed to any mode of hand shaking, fist or elbow bumping.
• SINGING: There will be some...but you still have to wear a mask.
• BATHROOMS: Sorry…bathrooms will not be available yet. 
• More details will follow as we get closer to that date.

The online video stream service will still take place on Sunday mornings at 9:30am in addition to the in-person worship service. Anyone who prefers the video stream service or who is at an increased health risk is encouraged to continue to watch the video stream. Worship in the way that makes the most sense for you!

The building is still closed until further notice. Why? Simply, we are not yet prepared to meet the ongoing recommended and necessary sanitation protocols for a facility of this size. 

Phase 3 - TBD

Hope’s leadership will continue to evaluate conditions and will make plans with the goal of moving toward more in person operation if and when appropriate. 

We continue to appreciate your ongoing support of ministries at Hope, and look forward to worshipping with you in person in the near future!

Peace,

Strategic Planning Council of Hope Lutheran Church

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