8/13/20 UPDATE
In accordance with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and recommendations, American Lutheran Church (ALC) continues to assess our options in creating a safe and free worship experience for God’s people. We are therefore excited to announce that, effective 08/16/2020, we will be adapting our sanctuary seating to every-other-pew.
For those that attend worship in-person, we will continue to encourage adherence to masking guidelines, allowing for the removal of masks during singing. If, however, you choose to enter the building without a mask, we will assume it is because you meet an exception outlined by the CDC, including certain disabilities or health conditions.
ALC will continue to provide hand sanitizer, disposable masks, and other sanitary aids.
Finally, we recognize that we cannot expect our ushers to know who you choose to define as being part of your household. We will continue to ask that you seat yourselves by household in the pews, with our ushers assisting you in finding open spots.
May the LORD bless us and keep us! Amen.
Pastor Ethan
7/23/20 UPDATE
COVID-19 Update: Minnesota Governor Walz has issued a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces, including churches. We ask, therefore, that anyone attending worship wear a face covering, but please note the exceptions to Executive Order 20-81:
– Children under age 2 must not wear masks, and children between the ages of 2 and 5 are not required to masks.
– Masks may be temporarily removed when singing or speaking in an indoor public space. This includes the singing of hymns and the reading of God’s Word.
– A mask is not required for persons who have medical or other health conditions, disabilities or mental health, developmental, or behavioral needs that make it difficult to tolerate wearing a mask.
We pray that this added measure will speed the recovery efforts. Regardless, we joyfully continue to gather as the LORD’s family at American Lutheran Church!
Please visit the link below for more information:
https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/facecover.html
7/15/20 Update
Hello friends at American Lutheran Church!
After carefully assessing the reopening of our services that began on June 21st, the Board of Deacons and COVID-19 Task Force have determined it is no longer necessary to divide our worship services based on last name. Since reopening, we have remained below our capacity while maintaining 6 feet social distancing. Therefore, beginning Sunday, July 19th, Sunday worship services will be open to everyone who wishes to attend. Please note, seating is on a first come first served basis. If the sanctuary fills up, you will be offered a seat in the Fellowship Hall for the service. If the Fellowship Hall fills up, you will be asked to listen to the service elsewhere via radio or livestream. We will continue to assess the situation on an ongoing basis and make any necessary adjustments. We appreciate your patience during this time.
For those at high-risk, that have underlying health issues, or would like to worship at a distance for a little while longer, we encourage you to continue to watch us via livestream or the radio broadcast instead of in person. Worship will continue to look a little different as we will be taking precautions and practicing physical distancing.
What will worship look like?
Before you leave home, take a moment to evaluate your health. If you are running a fever, if you don’t feel well, or if you think you may have been around someone who has been exposed to Covid19, please stay home and join us through livestream or radio.
You are encouraged to wear a facemask, but it is not required. We ask that if you do want to wear a mask that you please bring one if at all possible. Your ushers will be wearing masks and hand sanitizer will be available for you. We will be singing, which is a higher risk activity.
When you arrive, please wait to be seated. Space yourselves upon entering the building. You will be greeted by an usher, asked to sign in, and be given hand sanitizer. If it is a communion Sunday you will be given an all in one communion cup to be used during communion. You and your family will then be escorted to a pew in the Sanctuary. Households will be spaced six feet apart. If the Sanctuary fills up all available pews, you may be asked to sit in the Fellowship Hall for the service. In the Fellowship Hall there will be a screen for you to watch the service. We ask that families remain together. Children should remain seated in the pew with their parents during the children’s sermon.
When the service comes to an end there will be a controlled dismissal. Please wait for an usher to dismiss your row. At the rear of the church will be a bin for your bulletin, should you choose to recycle it. There will also be a spot for you to place your offering. On communion Sundays you can dispose of your empty cups on the way out as well. We ask that you not congregate in the narthex, but please exit to the parking lot.
We also invite you to another worship option if Sunday worship does not work for you. We offer a Thursday night service at 5:45pm that is similar to the Sunday service for that week. Currently this service takes place in the Fellowship Hall.
We thank you so much for your patience as we adhere to our current regulations for worship. We will keep you informed of any and all changes to our services as restrictions are changed for our state. While our worship services may look quite a bit different than what we are used to, we have missed you! Whether you decide to gather in person, online, or on air with us we look forward to worshiping with you soon.
Approved by your Church Council President, Eugene Holmquist
Covid 19 Preparedness Plan
Please follow this link to view our preparedness plan.
6/16/20 Update
Hello friends at American Lutheran Church!
We will be cautiously reopening our church services on June 21st. Our task force has decided that the most efficient way to do this is to divide worshippers into two groups by last name, and invite you to come on an every other week schedule. Therefore, the schedule will be as follows:
June 21st: Those with the last name in A-L. (This will be a non-communion Sunday.)
June 28th: Those with the last name in M-Z. (This will be a communion Sunday.)
July 5th: Those with the last name in A-L. (This will be a communion Sunday.)
July 12th: Those with the last name in M-Z. (This will be a non-communion Sunday.)
For those of you at high-risk, that have underlying health issues, or would like to worship at a distance for a little while longer, we encourage you to continue to watch us via livestream or the radio broadcast instead of in person. Worship will look a little different as we will be taking precautions and practicing physical distancing.
What will worship look like?
Before you leave home, take a moment to evaluate your health. If you are running a fever, if you don’t feel well, or if you think you may have been around someone who has been exposed to Covid19, please stay home and join us through livestream or radio.
You are encouraged to wear a facemask, but it is not required. We ask that if you do want to wear a mask that you please bring one if at all possible. Your ushers will be wearing masks and hand sanitizer will be available for you. We will be singing, which is a higher risk activity.
When you arrive, please wait to be seated. Space yourselves upon entering the building. You will be greeted by an usher, asked to sign in, and be given hand sanitizer. If it is a communion Sunday you will be given an all in one communion cup to be used during communion. You and your family will then be escorted to a pew in the Sanctuary. Households will be spaced six feet apart. If the Sanctuary fills up all available pews, you may be asked to sit in the fellowship hall for the service. In the fellowship hall you will have speakers to hear the service and by June 28th there will be a screen for you to watch the service from there as well.
When the service comes to an end there will be a controlled dismissal. Please wait for an usher to dismiss your row. At the rear of the church will be a bin for your bulletin, should you choose to recycle it. There will also be a spot for you to place your offering. On communion Sundays you can dispose of your empty cups on the way out as well. We ask that you not congregate in the narthex, but please exit to the parking lot.
We also invite you to another worship option if Sunday worship does not work for you. We offer a Thursday night service at 5:45pm that is similar to the Sunday service for that week. Currently this service takes place in the fellowship hall.
We thank you so much for your patience as we adhere to our current regulations for worship. We will keep you informed of any and all changes to our services as restrictions are changed for our state. While our worship services may look quite a bit different that what we are used to, we have missed you! Whether you decide to gather in person, online, or on air with us we look forward to worshiping with you soon.
Your Church Council President,
Eugene Holmquist
5/27/20 update
At our Church Council meeting last night (May 27th, 2020) it was decided that we would continue doing our Sunday morning worship services the way we have been for the foreseeable future – broadcasting over KEYL radio, live-streaming over Facebook, and video recording the worship service and posting it on our website for viewing.
We will also be developing a game plan for what would work best for us for gathering together for worship in accordance with Governor Walz’ new guidelines for churches.
For now, our gatherings are still restricted to 10 people or less.
5/19/20 UPDATE
All scheduled meetings, events and activities here at American Lutheran Church are limited to ten people or less until further notice.
9:00 am Sunday morning worship services are broadcast over KEYL radio 1400 AM and 103.1 FM, live streamed over Facebook and video recorded for viewing on our website at americanlutheranchurch.org.
We will be celebrating Holy Communion in our homes during the broadcast of our worship services on the first, third and fifth Sundays.
Please continue your faithful worship of our Lord through your support of our church through your regular tithes and offerings. Even though we are not physically worshiping together at this time, we still need your ongoing financial gifts.
I urge you to continue to pray that God deliver us from this pandemic and that He continue to guide us and lead us during these very unusual and challenging times.
I encourage you to keep your focus on the Lord. We are in His care, and He will see us through this time. We belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken, even though the world around us is being shaken. In that truth and in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we can all find comfort, shelter and peace during these very uncertain times.
God bless you
Pastor Bill
5/1/20 UPDATE
Governor Walz has extended his “Stay at Home” directive for the state of Minnesota. All scheduled meetings, events and activities here at American Lutheran Church are cancelled through Monday, May 18.
9:00 am Sunday morning worship services are broadcast over KEYL radio 1400 AM and 103.1 FM, live streamed over Facebook and video recorded for viewing on our website at americanlutheranchurch.org.
We will be celebrating Holy Communion in our homes during the broadcast of our worship services on the first, third and fifth Sundays of May.
Please continue your faithful worship of our Lord through your support of our church through your regular tithes and offerings. Even though we are not physically worshiping together at this time, we still need your ongoing financial gifts.
I urge you to continue to pray that God deliver us from this pandemic and that He continue to guide us and lead us during these very unusual and challenging times.
I encourage you to keep your focus on the Lord. We are in His care, and He will see us through this time. We belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken, even though the world around us is being shaken. In that truth and in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we can all find comfort, shelter and peace during these very uncertain times.
God bless you
Pastor Bill
4/9/20 Update
Yesterday Governor Walz extended the “Stay at Home” directive for Minnesota through Monday, May 4. That means we will NOT be having “drive through” communion on Easter Sunday as planned, and we are extending the cancellation of all scheduled events and activities through May 4. This includes First Communion classes, First Communion Sunday (April 26), and Confirmation Sunday, May 4. These will be rescheduled for later dates.
We will be live-streaming our Maundy Thursday worship this evening at 7 p.m. and our Good Friday worship service tomorrow at 7 p.m. over Facebook.
Our Easter Sunday worship service will be broadcast over KEYL radio this Sunday at 7 a.m. We will continue to broadcast our Sunday morning worship services at 9 a.m. over the radio on KEYL 1400 AM and 103.1 FM. We will also be video recording the Sunday worship services as well as the Maundy Thursday and Good Friday worship services and uploading them to our website for viewing.
Please continue your faithful worship of our Lord through your support of our church through your regular tithes and offerings. Even though we are still not physically worshiping together, your ongoing financial gifts are still needed.
Our Board of Trustees meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 14 is rescheduled for Tuesday, May 5 at 7 p.m., our Board of Deacons meeting scheduled for Wednesday, April 15 is rescheduled for Wednesday, May 6 at 7 p.m., and our Church Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 16 is rescheduled for Wednesday, May 13 at 7 p.m.
Psalm 46 has been a great comfort to me lately, so I pass it along to you.
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present[ help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved;
God will help her right early.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has wrought desolations in the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
he burns the chariots with fire!
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our refuge.
4/2/20 Update
In light of our Governor’s recent directive to “Stay at Home” through Good Friday, April 10, and President Trump’s directive to continue physical distancing and limit the size of groups gathering to 10 people through the end of April, we are extending the cancellation of all scheduled events and activities through the end of April.
We will continue to broadcast our Sunday morning worship services over the radio on KEYL 1400 AM and 103.1 FM at 9 a.m. In addition, we will be video recording the Sunday worship services and uploading them to our website for viewing as early as later in the morning on Sunday. We will also livestream on Facebook our Maundy Thursday worship service at 7 p.m., and our Good Friday worship service at 7 p.m. We also intend to video record them as well and upload them to our website for viewing. In addition, a Good Friday worship service titled “The Shadow of the Cross” can be listened to on our website anytime on Good Friday. “The Shadow of the Cross” is a Tenebrae Service from 2006 which we were going to do this year.
On Easter Sunday, we will offer Holy Communion in the following way. We will set up a table with the bread and the wine under the canopy by our drive up entrance. People will then drive up to the canopy in their car, get out, come to the table to receive the communion elements, and then return to their car. I guess you could call it a “Drive through Communion”. The plan is to do it at the conclusion of our Easter Sunday worship service at approximately 8 a.m. We will, of course be broadcasting the 7 a.m. Easter worship service over KEYL radio as well as video recording it and uploading it to our website for viewing later in the morning.
I am hopeful that we will be able to physically gather for worship in May, but at this point it is likely that we will need to continue physical distancing and be restricted to gatherings of ten people or less for some time yet. We will let you know if and when that changes.
Please continue your faithful worship of our Lord through your support of our church through your regular tithes and offerings. Even though we are not physically worshiping together at this time, we still need your ongoing financial gifts.
As we continue to live through these very unsettling times, remember the words of Jesus and take them to heart. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27
Looking forward to seeing you on Easter Sunday!
3/27/20 UPDATE
Greetings,
In light of our Governor’s recent directive to “Stay at Home” for the next two weeks, beginning tonight at midnight and continuing through Good Friday, we are extending the cancellation of all scheduled events and activities.
Since the State of Minnesota has classified religious organizations as part of the critical business sector, we will continue to broadcast our Sunday morning worship services over the radio on KEYL 1400 AM and 103.1 FM at 9 a.m.
In addition, we will be video recording the Sunday worship services and uploading them to our website for viewing as early as later in the morning on Sunday. We will also livestream on Facebook our midweek Lenten worship service on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m., our Maundy Thursday worship service at 7 p.m., and our Good Friday worship service at 7 p.m.
I am hopeful that we will be able to physically gather for worship on Easter Sunday, but at this point it is likely that after the two week “Stay at Home” period we will revert back to physical distancing and restricted to gatherings of ten people or less for some time yet. Having said that, it is possible that we will need to continue to do this until the end of April.
In the meantime, I commend the words of Colossians 3:2 to you, which say, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
I encourage you to keep your focus on the Lord. We are in His care, and He will see us through this time. We belong to a kingdom that cannot be shaken, even though the world around us is being shaken. In that truth and in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we can all find comfort, shelter and peace during these very uncertain times.
God bless you
Pastor Bill
OFFERING OPTIONS
Please remember to continue to worship the Lord through your regular tithes and offerings during these uncertain times.
There are several ways you can get your offering to us:
– Drop it off at church from Tuesday – Thursday, 8 a.m. to Noon
– Mail it to: American Lutheran Church, P.O. Box 119, Long Prairie, MN 56347
– Fill out the electronic fund transfer form and return it to American Lutheran Church.
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM PASTOR BILL
Live Streaming of service: https://www.facebook.com/alc.lp.mn/
From Wednesday, March 18 through the end of March, all scheduled events and activities are cancelled. Wednesday evening worship services will be live streamed over Facebook, and Sunday morning worship services will be broadcast over KEYL radio with the intention of live streaming them over Facebook as well. All members are encouraged to continue their financial support of the church’s ministries through their regular tithes and offerings.
We will do our best to keep you updated with any changes that may take place, especially with regard to what may happen after March 31st.
I urge you to continue to pray that God deliver us from this pandemic and that He continue to guide us and lead us during these very unusual and challenging times.
We all need to remember that we are in God’s hands and continue to trust Him in all things.
God bless you,
Pastor Bill
03/20/20 UPDATE
Click here for Worship Video Page
We will be broadcasting over the radio on KEYL 1400 AM and 103.1 FM for Sunday morning worship. In addition we will be making a DVD recording which will be posted on our website sometime after worship so that the worship service can be viewed later in the day.
Our Wednesday evening Lenten worship services at 7 p.m. will be live streamed over Facebook. We have discovered that we cannot live stream and radio broadcast at the same time unless we increase our internet capabilities, and we are working on that. Equipment failure has made it impossible for us to broadcast via phone hook up to the radio station like we used to do.
Please remember to continue to worship the Lord through your regular tithes and offerings during these uncertain times. They can be dropped off at the church during regular office hours or mailed if that works better for you.
Remember….the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning. Great is Your faithfulness, O Lord.
Continue to pray for our country and for God to deliver us.
Sincerely,
Pastor Bill