News

Dear friends in Christ,

God’s grace and peace to you. Recent news about the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has raised concerns
for many of us for the wellbeing of people across the world and potentially in our communities and neighbourhoods.
This may be raising fears and questions.
   In response, we first want to ask you to pray for all who are affected by this disease. God be with those who
grieve, are ill, isolated and afraid, and the many people involved in medical and emergency care. We pray particularly
for the people of China and other nations where the disease is spreading rapidly. And we ask that together we
stand with and publicly express our support of Asian neighbours and communities in this country, that racism
and prejudice be confronted among us and in our nation.
   We also ask that we resist allowing our fear to overwhelm us. We trust in “God with us,” and in the revelation
of God in Christ Jesus who speaks often in the Gospels the words of promise, “Do not be afraid.” We are called to
reassure others in this same promise.
   It is also important to inform ourselves of the risks and precautions, and our national, provincial and local
government health authorities are our best source of information. Please consult the Health Canada website:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection.html or your provincial
or local health authority for up-to-date information.
   We want to ensure best practises in our worship and community life together, especially for the sake of those
most vulnerable to this and other diseases. The following are recommended in our communities, based on best
practises of health authorities, for preventing the transmission of the disease.
   • People experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms, especially a fever, should stay home and avoid contact with
others until symptoms cease. Thoroughly washing hands and avoiding contact between unwashed hands and
mouth, nose and eyes, and sneezing or coughing into your sleeve or a tissue, are the most effective ways of
preventing infection.
   Concerning specific worship practises, the following are recommended in our communities that should ordinarily
govern our public worship:
   • Greeting one another, including sharing the peace, should be expressed in ways that are comfortable for each
person, that may or may not include shaking hands or embracing, but also, a bow, nod, or smile.
   • Hand sanitizer should be readily available in and around our worship and other gathering spaces for
everyone’s use.
   • Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces according to local health guidelines in our public spaces of worship and
gathering, especially washrooms, door handles, handrails, is recommended.
   • Those preparing Holy Communion should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and hot water and all
vessels and containers must be carefully washed before and after worship as well.
   • Presiders and Communion ministers should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and hot water just before
serving Communion.
   • Medical advice tells us that the common cup, when properly administered, continues to be a hygienically sound
means of receiving the wine in Holy Communion. A metal chalice wiped inside and outside and turned between each
person communing is the best practise. Ceramic chalices are not as hygienically sound.
   • Parishes that use individual glasses for Communion should ensure that good hygienic practises are followed by all
persons who handle the glasses both before and after worship.
   • The practise of intinction (dipping the bread in the wine) is not recommended. But if used, worshippers need to take
care that hands are clean and touching the wine is avoided.
   • People who are uncomfortable or anxious about receiving the wine in Holy Communion, regardless of the means,
should be reminded that it is entirely appropriate to commune by receiving the bread only.
   • As we continue to monitor the situation, an extreme risk of transmission in a local community may require the
temporary practise of communing with bread only. Local health authorities should be consulted in making this decision.
   In addition, appropriate food safe practises, including thorough hand washing, washing of dishes, careful preparing and
serving of food and beverages should be followed for all gatherings for hospitality and community together. Consult local
government health authorities for best information and training as appropriate.
   Our hope and prayer is that our appropriate concern for public health and well-being in our communities does not
diminish our full and enthusiastic participation in worship and community life together. We trust in God’s continuing care
for all in response to this health challenge before us.

God bless us all with a Holy Lent and a springtime of hope in Christ Jesus.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Susan Johnson, National Bishop, ELCIC
The Rev. Dr. Greg Mohr, British Columbia Synod
The Rev. Dr. Larry Kochendorfer,  Synod of Alberta and the Territories
The Rev. Dr. Sid Haugen, Saskatchewan Synod
The Rev. Jason Zinko,  Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Synod
The Rev. Michael Pryse,  Eastern Synod

Dear friends in Christ,

Since the letter issued by our Bishops on March 4, 2020, the World Health Organization has categorized the coronavirus (COVID-19) as a global pandemic. Infection rates have risen, along with many people’s level of concern. We have received many questions and requests over the past days and feel that another response is needed.

We want to first ask you to keep praying for all who are affected – those who have been infected, those who are quarantined, those who are grieving the death of loved ones, those who are experiencing racism and prejudice, and for all those who continue to care for the sick and vulnerable. The Lutheran World Federation has prepared intercessory prayers that you may use in worship or individually (https://tinyurl.com/wz2y7v3).

Many leaders in the church have asked for direction regarding communion practices and whether or not worship gatherings should be suspended. At this time, we are refraining from giving directives that would apply across the entire church. We are asking our leaders to be attentive to their particular context and to make decisions that best reflect each congregation’s setting and practice.

We do ask that whatever decisions your congregation/organization/ministry decides that they will reflect a deep concern for those most vulnerable – particularly elderly members and those with compromised immune systems. This is a way of being the Church and of loving each other in a supportive Christian community. A faithful response to this pandemic will include care of our neighbour along with our trust in God’s faithfulness.

Best Practices

Please refer to your local or provincial/territorial health authority for the most accurate and up to date information about COVID-19. They will also provide the most complete and effective advice with respect to containing and preventing the spread of the virus. At a minimum, we strongly encourage the following:

Stay home if you are feeling unwell.
Practice ‘social distancing’ (ideally two arms lengths between others).
Clean hands regularly using warm water and soap. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
Practice good cough hygiene (cough into your elbow).
Regularly clean and disinfect common areas and high-touch areas.
Greet in ways that do not involve physical contact; smile, wave and nod rather than hugs or handshakes. This includes sharing the peace during worship.

Worship Practices

In all settings, we strongly discourage the use of common communion vessels that are not silver or gold (or plated). Juice should not be used in common cups. If using individual glasses, minimize the probability of multiple people contacting the glasses. All ministers, servers, communion assistants should wash their hands or use alcohol-based hand sanitizer before and after presiding/serving.

If your community chooses, you may opt to temporarily suspend communion with wine altogether. Theologically, to receive communion in one kind (bread only) is to receive the full body and blood of Christ.

Offering plates could be a potential contamination risk. We advise congregations to develop an alternative way of collecting offering that would minimize multiple contacts. This may also be an opportunity for members to enrol in pre-authorized remittance to mitigate this risk while also ensuring provision of resources for the congregation.

Suspending Worship

Even in the early church, when gathering was difficult, it was incredibly important for communities to read scripture, pray, and worship together. If your faith community is considering suspending worship, we strongly encourage you to find other ways of gathering or worshipping.
Meet in smaller groups using worship resources available through www.worship.ca (Where Two or Three are Gathered: Worship for Small Assemblies). Consider streaming your worship services, or directing congregants to live streams from other churches or televised services on Sundays. Agree to pray at home at a specified time so that your community can still pray together. Make sermons and study materials available to each member. Meet virtually (tele- or video-conferencing).

Potential Self Isolation of Key Leaders

It is possible that key leaders, both rostered and lay, may experience the need to self-isolate. It is important that contingency plans be put in place, in advance of such need, to ensure the continued provision of leadership in key congregational functions. All rostered and key leaders should designate someone to take on these key responsibilities should illness occur.

Maintaining Community

Even as this pandemic presents a challenge to gathering, we hope and pray that our communities will stay strong and supportive of each other in the name of Christ. This is an excellent opportunity for the whole community to engage in ministering to each other.
During this time, we encourage the entire community to be in more regular contact by phone or personal visits (when appropriate). We encourage healthy members to take an active role in ensuring that our more senior members have adequate support to stay home. Pray for each other.

Our Prayers

Through these challenges, we hope and pray that each of our communities will continue to be faithful and public witnesses to the grace and love of God through Christ. We continue to pray for our leaders and members, asking for God to give us courage, faith, and compassion. Blessings in your ministry during this time.

In addition to our words, we direct you to responses from our partner churches for further guidance and encouragement:

Lutheran World Federation – https://tinyurl.com/vyg2ap9
Anglican Church of Canada – https://tinyurl.com/yx6n7uxr
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – https://elca.org/publichealth

Yours in Christ,

The Rev. Susan Johnson, ELCIC National Bishop
The Rev. Dr. Greg Mohr, ELCIC British Columbia Synod
The Rev. Dr. Larry Kochendorfer, Synod of Alberta and the Territories
The Rev. Dr. Sid Haugen, Saskatchewan Synod
The Rev. Jason Zinko, Manitoba/Northwestern Ontario Synod
The Rev. Michael Pryse, Eastern Synod

Members of the ELCIC Vision Statement Task Force are working to excavate stories of our faith, life and identity with hopes of gaining new clarity into our work and eventual recommendations. We are seeking your input as we discern together who we are as a church and what God is calling us to be for the future. We want to hear from you. Tell us your story by engaging in an exercise of imagination.

We hope you can take a moment to explore the information gathering questions in our online survey https://form.jotform.com/200365842139050 and offer your feedback. These questions can be answered individually or in a group. Our hope is to have stories gathered from across the ELCIC – coast to coast to coast.

Please note the deadline for responses is March 31, 2020.

A Cappella Sunday is when worshiping communities from across the world commit to singing a cappella in their Sunday morning worship service.

To find out more go to https://congregationalsong.org/event/a-cappella-sunday-2020/?fbclid=IwAR2gE-RT7ZYYOlvxq3cUQey2DrC4czn9BumfLpt_ptZ3wqKYMYh24z83HWQC: