Dear Family of the Streetsboro United Methodist Church,
I am writing you with good news! We are preparing to reopen the church in the very near
future! I would like to share with you the efforts that have been made and are being made to
prepare for that opening. I also would like to inform you of the safety measures that are being
put into place. Lastly, I would like to make you aware of what our meeting times will look like
for the time being, and the expectations we have in order to be a loving community that looks
out for each other’s safety.
The church leadership team has spent many hours in discussions, research, and seminars to
determine how we may best begin to congregate again in a safe manner. All of the carpets
have been professionally cleaned, the fellowship hall floors were stripped and re-waxed, and
the kitchen was thoroughly disinfected. The food pantry has also been cleaning and sanitizing
the downstairs tables and surfaces as they have continued servicing the food needs of our
community during this Covid-19 pandemic.
In an effort to align ourselves with the best practices established by the CDC and the Cleveland
Clinic, we will be conducting a church clean-up day on June 27th. If you are able, your assistance
would be greatly appreciated. Teddy will be sending out a “phonevite” with the details. The
purpose of this cleaning day is to do a complete deep and disinfecting clean of the sanctuary,
office, memorial lounge, bathrooms, classrooms, and fellowship hall. This clean will enable us
to open our doors to small groups who have used our facilities in the past, as well as properly
position us to eventually gather inside again for worship. The decision to do this deep clean
ourselves is a stewardship one, as the cost to have it professionally done would be close to
$1500. We ask that anyone who wishes to come to the church to help clean to please come
with a mask and be prepared to practice appropriate social distancing.
As we move forward towards gathering together, we must remember that safety measures are
just that; measures taken to increase safety. They are not foolproof. The only surefire method
to ensure safety is by quarantine. That being said, every person has his/her own risk tolerance
and must decide for his/her own level of involvement outside of their home. Out of respect for
each other, if you are experiencing a fever, are experiencing any other symptom of Covid-19, or
have been exposed to someone with Covid-19, we ask that you please stay home.
We also echo the words in Gov. Mike Dewine’s letter to Ministerial Members, “I would
continue to discourage your most vulnerable from coming to church. Those over 65 and those
with chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, serious heart conditions, immune
compromised conditions, severe obesity (body mass index of 40 or higher), chronic kidney
disease undergoing dialysis, or liver disease should take precautions and be particularly
careful.”
For those choosing to participate in our services and/or small groups, we will be doing the
following to attempt to provide for your safety:
-Jan-Pro, our cleaning service, will be cleaning our facility twice every week.
-All common surfaces will be cleaned and disinfected after every meeting.
-Tables, chairs, and pews will be cleaned and disinfected after every meeting.
-Small groups are being asked to meet outside, if possible.
-We ask that no one enter the office besides Beth, Jean, and Pastor Josh. Any
communication can be done from the doorway, and any documentation may be left in
the hanging file on the door.
-We ask that masks be worn at all times.
We will hold our first service together on June 28th. Small groups may resume meeting
on June 29th. In an effort to provide the safest environment possible, our services will be at
10:00 AM outdoors in the pavilion (weather permitting) through the end of August. We will
continue to provide those services via Zoom as well for those who are out of town/state,
unable to attend, or are uncomfortable attending. In the event of bad weather, the outdoor
service will be cancelled, but the service will still be offered via Zoom. For those attending our
outdoor service, we ask that you please, for the benefit of those around you, follow our
gathering guidelines:
-Please bring your own chair/s.
-Please maintain a minimum distance of 6 ft. (This means no handshaking or hugging.)
-Please wear a mask. (We do this for others, not ourselves.)
-Please, no singing. We invite you to hum along with the music.
-Please bring your own communion elements on the appropriate Sundays. Should you
forget, prepackaged, single use, single serving elements will be provided.
-We will not be passing an offering plate. A basket will be provided to drop your
offering into should you choose, but we highly encourage utilizing our online giving
options for all those who are able.
We thank you for your patience and understanding through these uncertain and unique times.
We understand that some of the guidelines and precautions are inconvenient. We also
understand the desire to reunite as a congregation. These are the beginning steps necessary to
get us back to that point. I, as your Pastor, encourage each and every one of us to consider the
health and well-being of our neighbors as much or more so than we would our own.
“Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some
have entertained angels unawares.”
Hebrews 13:1-2
“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” Romans 13:10
“Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
Romans 12:10
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you
also are to love one another.”
John 13:34
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:35
One of the greatest ways we can show love in times like these is to take one another’s safety as
our main concern. Thank you again for your patience and your faithfulness. I look forward to
the day when we can gather together again. In the meantime, I consider myself blessed to
gather in whichever ways we can. I look forward to seeing each of you (from afar or online).
God bless,
Pastor Josh
ON LINE WORSHIP
This coming Sunday will be a little different than usual. Since our Annual Conference was not able to be held at Lakeside this summer, due to Covid-19, Annual Conference will be held virtually. All churches across the East Ohio Conference have been invited to join together virtually this Sunday and participate in the Worship service provided by our Bishop. Therefore, we will not be holding a regular service this Sunday via Zoom or in the Pavilion, but rather will be joining the Livestream of the Annual Conference Worship Service provided to us at 10:00 am. Communion will be offered during this worship service as well. If you wish to participate in this conference-wide time of communion, please have your communion elements ready during this time.
Here is the link to utilize to reach the Livestream at 10:00 am this Sunday. Once you click on the link you will see a "Livestream" button in the top right corner. If you click on that, you will be taken to the Livestream page where you may participate in the worship service.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81858719412?pwd=dUFGU0NjU3ZvUE1aMUVEVURHeCtRQT09
Meeting ID: 818 5871 9412 Password: 099424
Lectionary Readings for the week:
1 Samuel 3:1-10, Psalms 139:1-6, 13-18, 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, John 1:43-51
ATTENTION
Due to Covid 19 we are not having services until further notice. None the less our bills remain the same. Here is an opportunity to be faithful financially. Our address is PO Box 2005, Streetsboro, OH 44241 and we have set up an online giving platform for donations at Vanco Payments. Here is the link:
https://www.eservicepayments.com/cgi-bin/Vanco_ver3.vps?appver3=Fi1giPL8kwX_Oe1AO50jRiZUaWd73I09nDs9p1iwgnU2owkFI3HFliNXqs9YYoEzk0PpduXvnt8gXUeZjQYbn-Vh20mmSQHAdy_5aPzdbjo=
Due to Covid 19 we are not having services until further notice. None the less our bills remain the same. Here is an opportunity to be faithful financially. Our address is PO Box 2005, Streetsboro, OH 44241 and we have set up an online giving platform for donations at Vanco Payments. Here is the link:
https://www.eservicepayments.com/cgi-bin/Vanco_ver3.vps?appver3=Fi1giPL8kwX_Oe1AO50jRiZUaWd73I09nDs9p1iwgnU2owkFI3HFliNXqs9YYoEzk0PpduXvnt8gXUeZjQYbn-Vh20mmSQHAdy_5aPzdbjo=
Streetsboro United Methodist church
You are invited to join us for worship!
8940 St. Rt. 43
P.O. Box 2005
Streetsboro, OH 44241
Phone: 330-626-4393
Fax: 330-626-1633
streetsboroumc@gmail.com
Sunday Worship Services 9:15 A.M. and 10:30 A.M. with the exception of the 1st Sunday of every month-combined Service at 10:00 A.M. with Communion
You can choose between our contemporary Service at 9:15 am or our traditional Service at 10:30 am! Come see which service suits you best as you join us in fellowship!
Sunday School-All Ages 9:15 A.M.
Please visit our Monthly Newsletter tab for all of our current events taking place throughout the month.
8940 St. Rt. 43
P.O. Box 2005
Streetsboro, OH 44241
Phone: 330-626-4393
Fax: 330-626-1633
streetsboroumc@gmail.com
Sunday Worship Services 9:15 A.M. and 10:30 A.M. with the exception of the 1st Sunday of every month-combined Service at 10:00 A.M. with Communion
You can choose between our contemporary Service at 9:15 am or our traditional Service at 10:30 am! Come see which service suits you best as you join us in fellowship!
Sunday School-All Ages 9:15 A.M.
Please visit our Monthly Newsletter tab for all of our current events taking place throughout the month.
