Do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. --Isaiah 41:10
Grace, peace and mercy be multiplied to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

The message of the angels, the prophets and Jesus, himself, throughout scripture is important for us to hear in the midst of everything else we are hearing –  Do not be afraid. God is with you. God is with us! We will get through this together. 

Over the last few weeks, we have all heard of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Your pastors and staff continue to field questions about our preparedness. As we learn more about the spread of this virus, it is prudent that we at Epiphany Lutheran Church are prepared. We are keeping up with news from our health officials as well as the Southern Ohio Synod and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for guidance and direction moving forward.

At Epiphany, “We Love Jesus by Serving Others.” In living that out, we want to address this health crisis. After prayerful consideration, the most faithful response to this rapidly evolving situation and for love of neighbor and love of family, the best possible community outcome is to keep physical distance. As Bishop Eaton would say, while we should practice physical distance, with today's technology we can still connect socially and compassionately. We encourage all Christians to put love of neighbor first.

Worship
  • First and foremost, we will not hold public worship services. However, we will offer online worship through live streaming on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Get to the live stream on Epiphany's YouTube Channel.
  • Continue to support the ministry and mission of Epiphany. We ask that you continue to support Epiphany through your regular giving. Here are some ways to give while you're unable to attend: 
  • Give Online
  • Give+ Text
  • Mail a check

Closures
  • Both Campus locations will be closed starting at 4 p.m. today (March 13) until you hear otherwise.
  • Our Preschool and Morning Care programs are closed, as we follow the Centerville City Schools' actions in closing these programs.
  • Emails have been sent to all Children and Youth Ministry families from our directors stating that we will suspend all in-person programs for children, youth, and families at Epiphany. 
  • All on site activities must be canceled, as the buildings will be closed.

Visits
  • Pastors will continue to make home and hospital visits when permitted by the facilities we visit. 
  • If you are not feeling well with flu-like symptoms, please let us know! Your visit may be via phone and postponed until you are feeling better.

Further Updates
We will be utilizing email and electronic methods of sharing information more frequently in the coming days. We will be working on providing some additional opportunities for devotions and study online, as well as regular updates. Things are very fluid so we will do our best to keep you up to date. Another message will come Wednesday regarding activities for the coming week, and updates will also be posted on our website under Resources at epiphanydayton.org/coronavirus-updates/.

Suggestion
So much of what we have heard the past few days has focused on what we cannot do. Let’s consider the things that we CAN do. We can use the time we now have to check in on our neighbors. We can offer assistance to those in need, providing yard work or a run to the store for someone who cannot get out. We can pray for one another, and remember that we are not alone. 

The Promise
Across the country, anxiety is growing around COVID-19 and how it may affect our communities, our activities, and our day-to-day lives. Yes, there are many unknowns. In the midst of uncertainty, may we hear once again God’s word to us today: Do not be afraid. 

God’s love is always with us. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have the gift and promise of new life. That is the promise of the Gospel. That is what we will continue to proclaim.

If you have any questions, please contact us. 

Peace,


Pastor Charlie
Pastor Jay
Pastor Tracy