![[Announce] Live Streaming + Covid 19 and Grace](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1588910663591-0R97A0K2HU79W590FGXZ/C0043.00_03_15_09.Still001.jpg)
Very Nice Post from Alzheimer's Community care's Facebook Page
Very Nice post from ACC
Ed’s wife, Barbara, has attend the Specialized Adult Day Center in Port St. Lucie since early in 2018. Barbara has thrived there and he has thrived as a caregiver, due in part to the wonderful care and support his wife has received., “ACC has provided a wonderful experience for my wife and I now have time to take care of her and our home.” When his church, Grace Lutheran Church - Port St Lucie, FL, wanted to dive deep into a community outreach project, he recommended building a second Day Center is Port St. Lucie on their property. He knew that the need was growing and that it wouldn’t take long to fill another Center in Port St. Lucie so he advocated for it with his congregation. It was an easy sell and the members quickly embraced the mission of Alzheimer’s Community Care and as they say, “the rest is history”. Ed shared these photos recently of the progress taking place. We are so happy to partner with Grace Lutheran Church - Port St Lucie, FL and their wonderful congregation. Thank you for being the “community” in Alzheimer's Community Care.
![[Announce] Zoom into Scripture](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1587007189932-6AM6EYB6E0BEVGHRTLX7/maxresdefault%5B1%5D.jpg)
St Lucie Voice Easter Article
Check out the Voice article featuring Grace Lutheran PSL
Grace made it into the St Lucie Voice again today.
check it out below.
St. Lucie churches conducting Holy Week services online
BY GEORGE ANDREASSI | Staff Writer george@stlucievoice.com
Pastors across St. Lucie County who would normally be preparing for overflow crowds on Easter Sunday switched to producing videos of Holy Week services to enable congregants to worship online.
St. Lucie County churches have been posting videos of services on their websites, Youtube and Facebook in response to new social distancing norms and bans on groups of more than 10 people. Grace Lutheran Church in St. Lucie West set up a makeshift television studio in the sanctuary to produce videos of services, said Pastor Cris Escher.
St. Bernadette Catholic Church videos the daily Mass on an iPhone set up on a tripod and also shares the services online, said Pastor Victor Ulto.
The goal is to continue practicing comforting religious traditions at a time of great spiritual need, Escher, Ulto and other religious leaders said. “A joke we’ve been saying in the church world is: ‘I didn’t expect to give up quite this much for Lent,’” Escher said. “It’ll be interesting as this idea of having to give up things continues past Easter, but we know God is watching over us.”
“We don’t really see our members anymore, we don’t really see the people anymore,” Escher said. “We have transferred everything online. Our sanctuary is now a TV studio. We have lights up.”
“We want to make sure people stay health and not spread the virus, so that’s why we’re doing all this,” Escher said. “I try to express hopefulness that we are all together, at least in spirit, in this tough time.”
St. Bernadette’s priests are still available to take confessions, offer private Masses and anoint the sick, Ulto said. But public Masses and mingling with congregants is on hold until the pandemic passes.
“All priests are ordained to be with the people,” Ulto said. “When you can’t be with the people, it’s a very unique and painful situation for us and the people themselves. Many of them has responded how much they miss us as well.”
“What’s paramount is us being the church and supporting them,” Ulto said. “The church is the people. We’re being deployed to our homes and to minister to those who are sick and dying.”
St. Lucie County Administrator Howard Tipton said sunrise services on Easter morning at county beaches and parks were not an option this year because of the ban on large gatherings.
“We encourage you to find a place to worship in your house or maybe if you wanted to go outside to a park, just not in a large crowd,” Tipton said during a news briefing Monday (April 6).
“It’s just going to be different this year and you’ve just got to get used to it,” Tipton said. “This is a big holiday, it’s a special event on the Christian calendar, we get that, we just want everybody to be safe.” “You can be safe and
![[Video] Announcement April 8th 2020](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1586373338264-9RE739ISZ4RADSHSW9DA/GcIrPIMCoXAhd.jpg)
[Video] Announcement April 8th 2020
Facemasks, Photos, and The Passion: Oh My
We Have Facemasks.
We want your Photos and Videos
GraceLutheranPSL.com/upload
Listen to the Passion
www.gracelutheranpsl.com/daily
Maundy Thursday 5PM
![Grace Gathering Update [April 4th] [Video]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1586013184762-8RDHAO3BZHQZ4DKUA1RY/covid.jpg)
Grace Gathering Update [April 4th] [Video]
On April 1, Governor DeSantis put the entire state of Florida under a stay at home order. This directive is designed to further encourage residents of Florida to stay at home as we work to flatten the curve of COVID-19.
Greetings Family and Friends at Grace,
On April 1, Governor DeSantis put the entire state of Florida under a stay at home order. This directive is designed to further encourage residents of Florida to stay at home as we work to flatten the curve of COVID-19.
If you read the order or heard others talking about it, you may already know that churches are listed as essential businesses. In Port St. Lucie’s emergency planning meeting at city hall from Thursday afternoon, Mayor Oravec encouraged churches to remain virtual or “drive-in” style at this time. In the attached video, I include his message about this.
For those who have stepped up over the past few weeks to take on extra roles to serve the Grace community through music, phone calls, and office tasks, I am so grateful. We would not have been able to “be the church” remotely without your contributions.
At this time, I have decided to discontinue the Wednesday and Sunday individual communion services so we can work to keep each other safe from this virus. With the way our space is designed and the nature of sharing in the meal, ensuring 6 feet is just not always possible. This decision is not one I took lightly, for I know the power of the Lord’s Supper and the blessings it brings.
LCMS President Harrison wrote to the pastors this week, in light of the upcoming Holy Week, “We pastors struggle with a barrage of changes, of unanswered questions, of rough edges, of theological thoughts and concerns, of practical problems. Many face financial challenges. We struggle with moving targets, changing health regulations and mandates. We want more than anything for our dear people to receive the forgiveness and consoling power of the Word of the Gospel, the Scriptures, and the very body and blood of Jesus. We struggle trying to sort out how it is that the very coming together to receive Christ’s gifts may endanger the flock we seek to love and shepherd.” Then he went on to say, “Dearest brothers, you have Jesus; Jesus only, but that is sufficient. ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’ (2 Cor. 12:9).”
You may be feeling weak right now, with our social events and spiritual community taken away, at least in-person, jobs lost, and family members far away in places with even more sickness than here. Remember, Jesus’ power makes us perfect in our weakness. I, who’s wrestled with “doing church” in a totally new and complicated way, am also feeling weak. The events of Holy Week, that we begin tomorrow with Palm Sunday, remind us of that every year, and this year it may even mean a little bit more. Let’s rest in that and be open to how the Holy Spirit can transform our hearts and minds.
After Holy Week, we will begin engaging in more community building through online virtual meetings for Bible study and fellowship. You can either call in with a traditional phone or use your computer or other device to see one another. Look for more details once we’re past Easter.
In the meantime, as we grieve the absence of the Lord’s Supper and in-person gatherings, please call and text your brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage them, check on them, and see if they have any needs. Let the church know of any needs we could provide, such as errands or financial assistance.
You know how I despise the manipulative nature that asking for money brings, but here are the ways we and the community need your continued support:
Please send your offering through the mail or ask that your bank provide us with weekly checks. The expenses at Grace to make virtual services have increased in the last month, and your contributions to the general operations of the church are still needed and appreciated.
If you have not received or turned in a pledge card for the new building, please prayerfully consider a conservative amount you could offer over the next three years so we can continue to plan for the building project. Anyone can re-submit their pledges at any time over the next three years, especially given the unsteadiness of these times.
When the stimulus checks arrive, some of you may be in a position of plenty. If you are able to contribute that amount, or a portion of it, back into the community, we ask for your donation so we can make sure others in our congregation and community who have lost their jobs have the opportunity to stay afloat. You can send those amounts to the church, marked “stimulus,” separate from your general offering. If you are one in need of financial support, please let us know so we can plan for financial assistance to those in our church and community who have needs.
Many in the community are relying on food banks to help them get by financially. If you are led to contribute, please be advised that there are some scams going on right now that pose as food bank donations. I recommend donating to one you know has been in operation prior to these times, for example Treasure Coast Food Bank, where members of the church visited last year.
Tomorrow we begin Holy Week. We walk behind Jesus as he rides a humble donkey into Jerusalem. We listen as he eats with and serves his disciples one last time. We watch as he’s betrayed and stands before the court. We sit at the foot of the cross, knowing Peter isn’t far off denying him, as Jesus suffers and dies for all of us.
But remember this also: Sunday is coming. As cheesy as it sounds, our church may be empty right now, but we know that our Redeemer lives because the tomb is empty too!
See Past Updates
![[Video] Surgeon General Shows How to Make Your Own Face Covering](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1586012593584-2G3P2JY6QP90QQ5SXBF2/Capture%5B1%5D.png)
[Video] Surgeon General Shows How to Make Your Own Face Covering
Lean how to make your own face covering at home.
Holy Week and Easter 2020
Services release on
Sundays at 9am
Midweek at 5pm
Holy Week 2020
Because of the Covid 19 Social Distancing we will need to have video services for Holy week.
Find all the video right here at www.GraceLutheranPSL.com
Palm Sunday 9am
Maundy Thursday 5pm
Good Friday 5pm
Easter Sunday 9am
Publix senior shopping hours
Publix is designating Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, 7 – 8 a.m., as senior shopping hours for customers age 65 and over. This change in hours will begin Tuesday, March 24, and continue until further notice. Publix Pharmacy will also open at 7 a.m. on Tuesdays and Wednesdays to serve our senior population.
According to the CDC, individuals over the age of 65 are at increased risk of complications from the coronavirus. Publix is offering these expanded hours to better support our elder community.
https://corporate.publix.com/about-publix/newsroom/news-releases/senior-shopping-hours
Let's Get Ready to Watch the Service at Home (Instructions)
Set up your Tv so you can watch from home
On Sunday we are going to premier our worship service on the web page, www.gracelutheranpsl.com at 9AM
The Worship service will also be available on YouTube,
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-75ObCQ87gyBbjzTnLrjnQ
Youtube is great because it is so versatile. Youtube videos will play on most internet-connected devices.
So if you have
a computer with the internet, you're good.
a smartphone. you're good.
a smart TV, you’re good.
a smart TV box, like a Roku or Apple TV, you’re good.
Watching the worship service on a TV will be the best experience.
But if you can’t get it to work. Still watch on your computer or phone
Watch the video below to find out how you can “cast” the YouTube video from your phone or computer to your TV (this is what Pastor does in the Bible studies to put the Bible and videos on the screens).
Remember to download the youtube App on your Phone or be using “Chrome” On your computer.
Also Practice Today and Tomorrow!
But what if you don’t have a smart TV or a Smart TV box?
HDMI Cable and Plug
Do you have a flat-screen tv?
If yes, does it have an HDMI plug?
See Picture >>>>>
You can purchase a Roku box
Here is the one to get, they are at Walmart in St. Lucie West right now: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Roku-Premiere-HD-4K-HDR-Streaming-Media-Player-Simple-Remote-and-Premium-HDMI-Cable/886364048
Just install the Roku Box, set it up with the instructions, and install the YouTube app on the Roku.
I know it sounds like a lot, but you can do it - I have faith in you.!
But what if I have a normal TV without the right plugs?
This is why we are putting together a DVD.
Contact the church, or come to a communion time, and we will have a DVD packet for you.
Just get the DVD going, and watch the worship service with your DVD player.
I found this video also helpful, but it is a little different
The last in person service for a while.
Here we are. Facing Chaos and Loneliness.
But you Lord Faced Chaos and Loneliness on the Cross.
And we are your Cross Shaped People. So lets go through the Cross to serve our neighbor.
This was the last in Person Worship Service at Grace Lutheran PSL in a while.
May we find heart in the wilderness and on the cross.
Gathering Update Grace Lutheran PSL (COVID 19) March 19th 2020
Due to Social Distancing, We will no longer hold worship services or Bible studies in person at Grace Lutheran PSL for the time being.
Grace and peace to all my friends at Grace Lutheran PSL,
Life is full of change and adversity.
God’s people walked in the wilderness after being taken from slavery. God’s people lived in captivity after being taken over by foreign powers. Christians in Peter’s day were driven from their homeland and forced to live and serve a people not their own.
Yes, all those times were difficult, but in all those circumstances, each time those people rediscovered that God was for them and that He would get them through any adversity.
These days have brought a new tough time, but, just like the believers in the past, I pray we will see God working through the adversity.
COVID 19 has caused the world to take action. Commitment to social distancing, as an entire community, is vital if we are going to save millions of lives. Loving our neighbor as ourselves and caring for the least of these, two of Jesus’ teachings, are being presented to us in a whole new way in these times.
The CDC and our president have made a recommendation for any group of 10 or more not to gather. As Luther reminds us in explanation of the fourth commandment, we as Christians ought to honor those in authority. Because of this recommendation, we have had to make a very difficult decision at Grace.
We will no longer hold worship services or Bible studies in person at Grace Lutheran PSL for the time being.
So here is my plan going forward into the coming weeks:
1. Recorded Sunday Services
- I have talked with Cindy, and we are going to record Sunday services on Saturday.
- She is going to assemble a few singers, and the recording should be done well because the service will be designed to be on camera and edited rather than live.
- The edited service will premiere on YouTube and www.gracelutheranpsl.com at 9am every Sunday.
2. The Daily Grace
- Perhaps you have seen it. www.gracelutheranpsl.com/daily
- The vision for Daily Grace is “Grace and Peace for a Chaotic and Lonely Time.”
- I plan on adding things here multiple times a day. There will be a wide variety of content, both fun and serious, Bible based and not.
- Most stuff will also be put on Facebook and in the daily email. Like us on Facebook.
3. During the Week Communion
- I am going to have a few times during the week where individuals/families can come and receive communion and participate in a small service.
- Pretty much all other social interactions are being canceled, so we could use spiritual nourishment and a few moments together to share in conversation and the Lord’s Supper.
-This communion service will happen every Sunday and Wednesday from 10am-1pm.
-Timeslots may become necessary, depending on the popularity.
- If you arrive and see another person/family in the sanctuary, please wait in the fellowship hall. If you see someone waiting in the fellowship hall, distance yourself in the fellowship hall, or wait on the front porch or car.
- This is subject to change, but we are trying to figure out how to be the church right now.
- I practiced some today and was able to provide a nice little service while keeping everything sanitary.
4. Physical Weekly Packets
- Many of the articles and resources, along with the recordings from services, that are uploaded to the website will be made available to those without internet on a weekly basis.
- I want to give those who need it a packet during communion or other times.
- The packet will include a DVD of the service and any other videos done during the previous week for the Daily Grace.
- The packet will also include printouts of the content from The Daily Grace.
- New packets will be available by Sunday at 10 am and can be retrieved then or after.
- Please reach out to us about anyone that would want the packet rather than using the website and YouTube.
5. Video Conferencing
- Interacting face to face will be sorely missed, especially among those who are used to regularly gathering for Bible studies and other groups.
- In the interest of keeping discussion going, we will be hosting meetings online in the coming weeks where Bible study groups can join in.
- The way these will work is that a web link will be sent out in email with a “save the date” notice of what time and day to join the online group. If you are interested, click on that link a few minutes before the group is scheduled to begin.
- If you have a computer without a webcam, you can join with audio only.
- If you don’t have a computer or smartphone, you can join by phone by calling into the discussion group.
6. Reaching Out
-If you need anything, please call the church. If no one is there, leave a message, and we will get back to you.
-Seriously, if you need milk and don’t feel comfortable shopping, please contact us. We will find someone to shop for you.
These are odd times, and we have to think outside the box here. But what we know is that God is still seeing us through. And we must always love God and love our neighbor. Loving our neighbor is, ironically, what social distancing is all about.
I am declaring today that Grace Lutheran PSL is about this one statement,
"Giving Grace and Peace in a Chaotic and Lonely Time"
Peace to you all,
Cris
Pastor Grace Lutheran PSL
See the Latest Gathering Update
![[Video] [Social Distancing] Why fighting the coronavirus depends on you #SocialDistancing](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1584595064881-U4NDEYMFS6YP8TP0ZOQM/Hub_CoronavirusSocialDistancing_Article.jpg)
[Video] [Social Distancing] Why fighting the coronavirus depends on you #SocialDistancing
If we can slow the virus down, it could save hundreds of thousands of lives.
Why fighting the coronavirus depends on you
If we can slow the virus down, it could save hundreds of thousands of lives.
In March 2020, the World Health Organization officially classified Covid-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, as a pandemic. That means the disease no longer constitutes just an outbreak or even an epidemic; the coronavirus has now spread around the world, and will continue to reach into other countries and communities.
That’s in part because of how contagious the virus is. When you’re infected with the flu, it takes about two days before you start to show symptoms. But coronavirus symptoms take an average of five to six days to appear, so it’s easy to spread well before you notice that you’re feeling sick. Many people are spreading it while going about their daily lives as usual.
The risk is that once coronavirus starts to spread in a community, about 20% of cases are severe and may require hospitalization. As those cases multiply, hospitals can fill up quickly. And people with severe cases of COVID-19 who can’t receive proper medical attention are at a much higher risk of dying.
Ideally, we would be able to stop the virus from spreading entirely. We can’t do that right now. What we can do is slow it down, so that the severe cases get spread out over a longer period of time, and hospitals are less likely to be overwhelmed on any given day. And that’s where each one of us comes in. The best way to slow down the spread is for everyone — healthy, sick, young, old — to limit social contact as much as possible, immediately. This is called social distancing, and it only works if enough of us do it. But if we do, it could mean the difference between the life and death of someone you know.
![Covid-19-curvesv3[1].gif](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5852f18a20099e30cd2c01dc/1584595115124-6VNHFK6QDOH8Z9989I91/Covid-19-curvesv3%5B1%5D.gif)
Email Announcement about our gatherings.
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/campaigns/view-campaign/cKCoombA2QYdnvRdlGfcDn9B_Ct9sD_WyDzQhAF9ZG6A_OflEKJ7cO9cWXaRTod071IcM5-CWU3Gyy12GzSu6SDWGQG0knx7
Daily Grace Email W1D2
President Harrison comments on government recommendations.
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/campaigns/view-campaign/T6_kx0701c85GyioSYksD8YIgHuZOZG-aJk_3AtUNW7WsMgDX_S_ouApdcuP8biteE7W-RsSxf9GmHVzEFN55EyGMju-gyNJ
President Harrison comments on government recommendations
Does the LCMS plan to stop Sunday services? If so, for how long?
1. Does the LCMS plan to stop Sunday services? If so, for how long?
The national headquarters of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, located in St. Louis, represents some 6,000 congregations across the country. Many of them have schools. Our polity does not give the national headquarters authority to tell churches to stop services. We are encouraging our pastors and people to follow civil authorities according to the Fourth Commandment (i.e., honoring parents and other authorities), and they are doing so according to St. Paul’s direction in Romans 13.
2. Does the LCMS plan to limit attendance to 50 people?
Face-to-face distribution and reception of Christ’s free forgiveness in preaching (Romans 10:17) and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:28) are essential for us and at the heart of why we exist. Some of our churches are putting a plan in place to have multiple services during the week, with no more than 50 attending.* Others, based upon their circumstances, have made other arrangements. We trust our great clergy and laypeople to act appropriately. We have well-trained clergy, and they are consulting their local lay leadership.
3. Does the LCMS believe that a governmental entity has the right to limit a church service?
We don’t view this as a matter of restriction of the First Amendment’s “free exercise” rights. That would be a different matter. We do not believe that the government is trying to limit religion in such an instance. Instead, we view this limitation of church services more as a duty and opportunity to act for the benefit of our fellow citizens, especially those most vulnerable (“love your neighbor as yourself,” Mark 12:31). We respect government authority as it acts for the physical well-being of our great nation and the world. “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good” (Romans 13:3–4). The good citizen leaders of this nation are trying to limit harm, and we support them.
Government limits might be tested, particularly if more stringent directives come. Our government has generally been limited from restricting the right of assembly and the free exercise of religion, and we are thankful for that, as all Americans are. But we also know that government has a responsibility to protect its citizenry.
Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, President
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
*At the time of this interview, the government recommended limiting gatherings to 50 people.
Daily Grace Email 1
Changes to the Wednesday this week and watching for Sunday.
https://www.gracelutheranpsl.com/campaigns/view-campaign/dU2ziwncpfhl18GxA9Qz0LJtpFggQyedSknxPAUHsveA28dM_fgU8pKUlqDukFe7KLc3d0M0KxrggObs4Pa_2wogCKLJourI
On April 1, Governor DeSantis put the entire state of Florida under a stay at home order. This directive is designed to further encourage residents of Florida to stay at home as we work to flatten the curve of COVID-19.