Friday, December 11, 2020
Yesterday, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued new public health standards. The hope is that beginning tomorrow and continuing through at least Sunday, January 3rd, indoor in-person gatherings will be limited to no more than 10 people. Mount Calvary has decided to comply with this order. As Lutherans, we believe Church and state are to be mutually supportive. The state is there to keep us as safe from sin and danger as is presently possible and the Church is there to announce that thanks to what God has begun in Jesus Christ the sins and dangers of our present will one day give way to the Kingdom of God forever. With its latest mandate, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is well within what Lutherans believe is its God-given charter to keep us safe and Mount Calvary has every intention of supporting this appropriate use of authority.
Effective immediately, indoor, in-person gatherings will cease at Mount Calvary until the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s new strictures on such gatherings are lifted. In the meantime, Mount Calvary will continue to broadcast a service on Sunday mornings at 8:45 AM every week. This service can be accessed at 88.3 FM or through an internet link provided by our webpage found at www.mt-calvarylutheran.org. A non-musical version of the service will also be made available on our Facebook page each week. The name of our Facebook page is: Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church of Johnstown, PA. For those without internet access, a typed version of much of the service will continue to be sent out each week with our newsletter. We will also continue to provide a link to the Facebook version of the service through the email version of our weekly newsletter.
On Christmas Eve, Mount Calvary will host two drive-in services open to the community at the former Skateland located at 423 Walters Avenue. Those interested in these services to be held at 2:30 and 4:30 should visit our webpage and Facebook page for additional details in the days to come. At 7:15 on Christmas Eve, Mount Calvary will also broadcast an internet service at 7:15, with this service also available through the link found on Mount Calvary’s website. More details about our ministry will be made available in the days to come. Those with children in confirmation will be receiving an update from Pastor Jonathan about how the shutdown will impact the program’s requirements.