Kevin Coffee-Congregational President  

July 17, 2020

Dear Brothers and Sisters of St. Paul’s First Lutheran Church and School,

Much has happened at our church and school this year! 

• Be on the lookout in your mailbox for a letter describing the recent news worthy events that occurred at the church. If you have any questions, please call the church office and they will put you in contact with me or one of the council members who will gladly discuss any concerns you may have.

• We are working to bring back our online presence. The church and school websites have been brought up again and are available for important dates and information.

• We are now facing a second closure of the church by the direction of the City of Los Angeles and the County Health Authorities, in an effort to get ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic. To meet this challenge, we will be recording the Sunday Services, beginning with the 7/19 service. We will distribute to the congregation recordings of each service, either by a secure, private YouTube page or via a secure, private Google site. Stay tuned as these details become clearer in the next week. 

• We are considering other possible service types, including outdoor services. Stayed tuned as our plans come together in light of the dynamic nature of the city health ordinances – we want to find ways to continue meeting and growing in the Gospel.

• Regarding communion, Pastor Found is scheduling Tuesday, July 21, as Communion Day, beginning at 10am. Please call Joyce at the church office or email the church (church@stpaulsfirst.org) if you want to be on this schedule. If asked to leave a voice message please do so; Joyce will be listening to the messages and compiling a list for the communion attendance. Social distancing protocols will be in place in the church for this.

• The school leaders and staff are hard at work planning for the new school year. Plans for both in-person classes and distance learning are being prepared. Pray for the school principal, teachers, leaders, staff and volunteers that the school year may start on a positive, strong note, as we strive to show the community who we are and the love of our savior, Jesus Christ. 

• Please remember to send your offerings to the church office during this crucial time. The pandemic has put a huge dent in the budget – at the end of June 2020, we were down more than $150,000, a trend that will most likely continue until we can get the school reopened. The Finance Board, headed by Ken Weary, reports that we have received a PPP government loan of nearly $180,000, but that won’t be enough to cover further losses if the pandemic and the fallout from last week continue. Please note that the GivePlus app suffered heavy abuse in the fallout from the incident at the church; it is currently down, but we are looking at ways to reactivate it soon.

• We have not yet heard from Pastor Matthew Weske regarding his call. Keep him and his family in your prayers.

Brothers and sisters, remember who our savior is, and what he has done for us, and stand in his love and protection as we move through this troubled world. As the writer to the Hebrews reminds us:

19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

In Christ Jesus our savior and strength,

Kevin Coffee, President, St. Paul’s First Lutheran Church