Redeemer’s staff has been working hard to create worship opportunities at home that will bless your faith life. A big part of life and ministry at Redeemer is our Sunday school opportunities. Our Sunday school teachers are working on new ways to connect while we cannot be together.

It is such a joy when we connect as a Family of Believers! Our Sunday school teachers have risen to the occasion to help bring students and families together and keep the connection to the church. Students in these classes will be hearing directly from their teachers through either mailings, phone calls, or emails with links to video calls. For students engaging in video calls, look for the links in the emails from teachers. If you would like to extend an invitation to others for this opportunity, please connect with Josh Heirigs so he can get that connection made to the teacher!

• 3-year-olds: Will be receiving mailings of encouragement, devotions, and at home crafts.
• 4-year-olds: Will be connecting at 9 am on Sundays. Look for an email from Jane Quaintance.
• Kindergarten: Will be receiving mailings of curriculum/ activities, and Easter Cards. Will also be connecting starting on Sunday, April 19. Meeting time at 9:3 0am. Look for an email from Becca Tveten.
• 1st / 2nd Grade: Will be connecting at 10:30 am on Sundays. Look for an email from Paul Collopy.
• 3rd / 4th Grade: Will be connecting at 10 am on Sundays. Look for an email from Lynne Gaunt or Theresa Zafft.
• 5th / 6th Grade: Will be connecting at 11 am on Sundays (also receiving mailings of curriculum as well.) Look for an email from Eric Applen.
• 7th-12th Grade: Will be connecting at 9:20 am on Sundays. Look for an email from Josh Heirigs.

Our teachers will be giving these opportunities to gather for the remainder of our activity year which concludes on May 19, with the exception of Easter Sunday (4/12).

Remember parents, grandparents, and Redeemer’s wealth of mentors and encouragers, it takes a village to help raise up the next generation of disciples of Christ. Please consider how you can encourage during this unique time in history.

And, a reminder to us all that God has a plan and purpose in all of this.

• Palm Sunday:

  Worship Opportunity: We will live stream this service at 8am.

  Activity: Find something in your house that is a symbol of victory for you. Maybe it is a flower, trophy, certificate, picture, or even fist pump! Have it ready with you to wave during the opening liturgy and throughout the service. Bless Neighborhood: Please go to our web-page and click on the tab Holy Week Activities. This will show you some examples of ways to take the Palm Sunday Processional to your neighborhood with side walk chalk or painted rock ideas!

  Sidewalk Chalk Processional: Please go to our web-page and click on the tab Holy Week Update. This will show you some examples of ways to take the PalmSunday Processional to your neighborhood with sidewalk chalk or painted rock ideas! Click here to view some example pictures.

• Maundy Thursday:

  Worship Opportunity: We will live stream this service at 4:15pm

  Activity:

  • Step 1 = leave one dish (one per family or one per person – your call) that you ate with on the counter all week or for a few days with this prayer by it, “Jesus, wash me and I will be clean.”
  • Step 2 = Take a picture of your plate and sign and tag our facebook page or email it to office@redeemer-rochester.com
  • Step 3 = Before service starts fill the sink with soapy water (if you can safely watch service near kitchen) or get towels and a basin set up in your living room.
  • Step 4 = At the start of the service when we pray “Jesus, wash me and I will be clean” drop your dish in the soapy water.
  • Step 5 = During the sermon you will get further instructions.
  • Step 6 = Place clean dish/es on the counter with a note “Cleanse me with hyssop and I will be clean, wash me and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).
  • Step 7 = Take a picture of your plate and sign and tag our facebook page or email it to office@redeemer-rochester.com

• Good Friday:

  Worship Opportunity: We will live stream this service at 4:15pm

  Activity: Close all curtains/blinds right before you start the service but keep ALL LIGHTS ON. Everyone you can find! Designate someone in your house as the official lighting crew. Set up an altar with a flashlight/candle shining on any cross you have in your home or have made. Turn off first batch of lights when told in service. Turn off all remaining lights when told in service (but not the flashlight/candle). When the candle is removed from sanctuary turn off your flashlight/candle. When the candle returns, turn back yours. Leave just that light on at the end of the service as you take a moment to pray in your home before going about your night. Send us a picture of your altar and cross and tag our facebook page or email it to office@redeemer-rochester.com

  Children's Message: Here is a Simple Cross Template, also posted to facebook. Print it off or create your own simple cross. You can have one your whole family shares or have one for each person in the house. For Good Friday, IN PENCIL, write, "For us, He endured the cross - Hebrews 2:2" on the cross and then write words, draw pictures or make "X's" that represent the sins Jesus died on the cross for. You can do this parts during worship. It will be part of the children's message. Take pictures and share with office@redeemer-rochester.com. We would like to use these in worship during the Easter season. If you would like to send a picture but unsure how, contact the church office and we will have someone reach out and help.

• Easter Sunday:

  Worship Opportunity: We will live stream this service at 8am.

  Activity: Start your Easter sunrise service with all the lights off in the house and only the flashlight/candle on the cross. When we shout our “Alleluias” turn on all the lights in your home as we SING TOGETHER our Processional Hymn Jesus Christ is Risen Today. Bless Neighborhood: Check out our website under the tab Holy Week Activities. There you will find some pictures on how you can do stained glass window and door art. This is something the children do at our church before Easter Sunday and now YOU ALL can do it for your neighborhood! Decorate your doors and windows with Easter Colors, a Cross, and signs of joy in the victory we have in Jesus!

  Children's Message: Using your cross/es from Good Friday, IN MARKER, write, "He is risen, just as He said! - Matthew 28:6" on the cross. Then, BOLDLY, decorate with markers and other art supplies right over those sins and show with beautiful color the victory won over sin and death. You can do this during Easter worship. It will be part of the children's message. Take pictures and share with office@redeemer-rochester.com. We would like to use these in worship during the Easter season. If you would like to send a picture but unsure how, contact the church office and we will have someone reach out and help.

  Alleluia Shakers: "Alleluia shakers" - as we have shaken "Alleluia Eggs" in the past, make your own at home! If you don’t have Easter eggs, use plastic cups and tape together, or use tupperware - add a little hard uncooked rice and you have a shaker! Shake them joyously as we sing and shout our "Alleluias!"

  Window Art: We miss our children's decorated windows at church for Easter so this you we encourage you to share this joy with your neighborhood. Decorate your front door or windows with easter color. Decorate an East facing window so the sunrise reflects it on your walls and reminds you that Hope cannot be taken away. Here are a few ways to do it.

  • Mix washable paint (many used Crayola brand), a drop of dish soap, and a little splash of water: Do this for each color you’d like to use. Tape off window with painters’ tape. Set the kids/adults free to paint as they’d like! The paint is easy to wipe up with just a rag and water. Remove tape when the paint is dry.
  • Paper, Scissors, Scotch Tape: Simply cut out different sizes and colors of hearts and crosses. Hearts are easier for kids if you fold paper in half, draw the one side, and let them cut.

March 27, 2020 Update

Hello Family of Believers,

Government can make us social distance for a time, but in Jesus, death cannot make us social distance forever. Spoiler alert – community wins!

Revelation 7:9-10: 9 "After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. 10 And they cried out in a loud voice: 'Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.'"

Our staff encourages you to remember that as we now plan for the next two weeks under the new Executive Order – “Stay at Home.” At this point this is in effect until April 10 (Good Friday) but this may change. A few changes that this has brought on:

• Church Office is considered closed and building is locked:

  At this time, to maintain our exemption for our essential staff to be able to use the building to still provide care, take care of daily operations, and prepare for livestream, we must lock the doors to all other traffic. Please know that we are still an email and phone call away. If you need us, let us know. In an emergency, a pastor will still come!

• Church Staff:

  In many ways church staff is working harder than ever to adapt with these rapidly changing times and continue to provide care and worship opportunities in a new way.

• Phones:

  Please call if you need something or have a question. The office is still operating, and staff will still be in completing our essential tasks. If no one answers, please leave a voicemail. This will be checked multiple times a day even if we are not in.

• Communion in Parking Lot:

  We will need to suspend this practice until the “Stay at Home” Executive order ends. Watch for more information.

• Offerings:

  This means we can no longer, for the next two weeks, allow people into the building to drop off their offerings. You can put your offering in the mail slot if you are out and about for essential tasks, mail it to the church, use Joyful Response, or soon – use our new online giving options. Pay attention to the church website www.redeemer-rochester.com and the tap “Tithes and Offering Update” for information for online giving. (Or ... scroll to the top of this page.)

• Online Worship:

  We are continuing to improve tech on our end. On Sunday morning more are live streaming worship than ever before. If you have problems with lags, drop outs, or loading….come back later! Hard line in with an Ethernet cord if that works for you. If your internet has a problem keeping up with service and comments, you can hide the comments so it is only loading the service.

• Give a High Five:

  We are encouraging everyone to give a high five EACH WEEK. Some can do it each day. A High Five is simple. Call five people each week to check in, connect, care, encourage, and pray! Who will you High Five this week?

• Holy Week:

  I saved this one for last so I can share some scripture encouragement right after. Holy week will look different this year than at any other time in my lifetime and in yours! We will not be able to gather for Holy Week services. My heart hurts because of this but we will still provide a Christ-Centered, Gospel-focused, quality service for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter it will just be online. The first day we gather back together we will have one HUGE and awesome Easter Celebration!

With that said, remember where we started. We are Easter people! In all times and in all places we know and celebrate that “Jesus is Risen and we shall arise – Give God the Glory Alleluia!” A day is wonderful to celebrate this but every day is a celebration of this. The day doesn’t make this true – Jesus’ death and resurrection make this true! Social distancing doesn’t stop us being Easter people with Easter Hope. Good Friday is God coming so close to us that He took on our greatest disease of sin and death so He could defeat it and that doesn’t change!

Passages from 1 Corinthians 15

"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures 20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."

51 "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— 52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

We are praying for you and we are thankful for all your prayers as well!
Pastor Koglin, Pastor Loos, April Beckman, Michael Harvey, Josh Heirigs, and Chris Tjosaas

March 24, 2020

Hello Family of Believers!

This is to update you on the many ways that we are planning to care for you spiritually during this time. Our spiritual care will look different, but our caregiver is Jesus and His Means of Grace never change!

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." – Acts 2:42

Remember, the spiritual care of a church is much more than the staff! It takes a family! These are the ways we are specifically setting up to care for this family but this family will be cared for much more if we do it together! Together, we can do much more!

"So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ." – Ephesians 4:11-13

In addition, make sure to prioritize your personal devotional life! If you need resources or ideas, contact anyone on staff – we would love to help. Portals of Prayer, youversion.com/the-bible-app/, and cph.org are full of resources to help.

"Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.' " – John 6:68-69

Worship Services – Live Stream

• The staff is committed to planning, preparing, and creating a Christ Centered, Gospel focused service for the midweek and weekends!
• 4:15pm Wednesdays during Lent – Watch Live or Watch Later our Midweek Services
• 8am on Sundays – Watch Live or Watch Later our Weekend Service
• Directions for Livestreaming are at the end of this letter
• Please know we are adapting rapidly and your comments on the experience of the service are helpful. Direct all comments to office@redeemer-rochester.com
• If you are having troubles, some have found that using their ethernet cord and not wireless or watching on laptop and not up on TV has helped increase their speed.

Worship Services – CD delivery

• If watching on the internet is not an option for you OR SOMEONE YOU KNOW. Let the church office know (507-289-5147 or office@redeemer-rochester.com)!
• We can send CD’s out to everyone that will need one as long as we are able to come into the office.

Worship Services – Telephone

• If you CANNOT watch online or use a CD OR KNOW SOMEONE WHO CANNOT
• Rich and Molly have formed a team at our Pastors request to call WEEKLY with a devotional thought from our service.
• Please let the church office know (507-289-5147 or office@redeemer-rochester.com) if this is a need for you.

Communion

• Pastor Loos and Pastor Koglin will offer communion in the parking lot on Sundays after church. 9:30am – 11:30am.
• IF YOU ARE SICK OR COUGHING, PLEASE STAY HOME. IF YOU HAVE HAD A FEVER IN LAST 48 HOURS, PLEASE STAY HOME.
• If a shelter in place rule goes into effect, we will need to suspend this opportunity.
• Sign up for a slot at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F054CADA729A7F49-family or call the church office if you cannot sign up online.

Daily Devotions

• Each day at 9am staff will be posting a devotion. You can view these on our facebook page or our new YouTube channel RLC – Family of Believers.
• To view old devotions, check out our YouTube Channel
  • Go to www.youtube.com
  • Search RCL – Family of Believers in YouTube
  • Click on Daily Devotion Playlist

Daily Prayer Time

• Each day at 7pm we encourage everyone to stop and pray! This way, even apart we are praying together.

Adult Education Hour

• Each Week we will post a Bible Study on our Facebook page and website
• These will be posted by 9:20am on Sunday Morning but you can do them anytime.

Pastoral Visit

• If an emergency comes up and you would like a visit from the pastor, please call the church office or pastor directly.
• For non-emergencies, our church office is trying to limit foot traffic to the building for the safety of everyone and to keep our staff healthy. Our staff would still love to talk with you on the phone, set up a meeting over Skype or another platform. Simply call the church office (507-289-5147) to set up a time to talk with a pastor.

Hospital Visitation

• At this point we will continue our daily hospital visitation but it will be by phone.
• If an emergency arises a Pastor will come if allowed by hospital staff. Just call!

Homebound Visitation

• Facilities are not allowing us in with communion right now
• Right now our Pastoral Visitation team will continue to call through our Homebound each month and share a devotion.

YouTube Channel

• Check out our YouTube Channel
  • Go to www.youtube.com
  • Search RLC – Family of Believers in YouTube
• We will be uploading LOTS of content on there as we get caught up with all the changes
• April is currently creating a library of favorite hymns and songs! Check it out and sing along!

Portals of Prayer

• If you typically pick up your portals of prayer from the office. Please let us know so we can get them delivered to you
• If you would like to view electronically
  • Go to cph.org
  • Type in “Portals of Prayer” in the search box
  • Hit search
  • Click the Green Box that says “Learn More”

Other Resources

• Mainstreatliving.com (LCMS resource with recorded sermons and choirs singing all the favorites)
• Bed Time Bible Stories with Skit Guys on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter at 7:30pm CST
• www.lhm.org/studies (many video based bible studies on a large variety of topics)
• www.bibleproject.com (many videos bringing Bible books, themes, words to life with great and engaging videos)
• Lutheran Hour Sermon – KOLM 1520 Sundays at 10am

Livestream Help: You can watch live or watch later!
  If you DO NOT have Facebook:

1. Go to the Redeemer website (redeemer-rochester.com).
2. On the main page you will see a blue rectangle that says, “facebook LIVE” click on the blue rectangle.
3. When prompted select, “not now”
4. Scroll down the screen a little until you see rows of picture rectangles. These are links to videos.
5. If there is a “LIVE” video taking place you will see a RED Rectangle in the top left, of the top left picture box. In the red rectangle there will be the word “LIVE”.
6. Click that picture. The video that comes up will be what is happening right now!
     If the livestream for some reason doesn't work, come back later and watch the video once the livestream is over. It will be the top, left most video.

  If you HAVE Facebook:

1. Go to- (Redeemer Lutheran Church – Rochester, MN)
2. Scroll down and find the video that has a Red Rectangle that says, “LIVE”
3. Click on that video!

We are dedicated to helping you in your spiritual walk! Our staff is working HARD to still offer spiritual care. We will leave you with these great prayers to read and pray for you, your family, our family of believers, and our community!

We am praying for you,

Pastor Koglin, Pastor Loos, Michael Harvey, April Beckman, Josh Heirigs

Ephesians 1:15-23 "15 For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, 16 I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. 17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit[a] of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way."

Ephesians 3:14-21 "14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."

Philippians 1:4-7 "4 In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me."

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 "11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ."[a]

Do you need help shopping? Are you able to help shop for someone? Fill out this form with any need/ability so that we can bear one another’s burdens during this difficult time. Whatever our problems are, Jesus is bigger! We as a family of believers know that we are part of the body of Christ. We bring Christ’s care to others and we receive Christ’s care from others. We would love to hear from you, help you, and stay connected in Christ if you can help.

Family of Christ,

“My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen”—Philippians 4:19-20

This is new territory for all of us, but it is not new territory for God’s people, and it is definitely not new territory for God. Throughout history, as people have faced plagues and pandemics, Christians have responded with hope, love, and care amidst unimaginable suffering. Why? Because of the confidence that Paul shows us we can have in Jesus Christ. We are in His hands, not just day to day, in times of ease and times of suffering, but eternally. Throughout history, even in the deadliest of times, God has shown his mighty resurrecting power throughout the world and through His people. “’Take heart,’ Jesus said, ‘I have overcome the world.’” John 16:33.

In times like these we can be God’s riches in glory in Christ Jesus for others in old and new ways. This verse helps us to be the church for each other, for our community, and for our world. How?

God will supply our need as we follow the hygiene and social advice of the experts and the leaders God has given us for such a time as this.

God will supply our need as we find new ways to move towards others with words of faith, hope, and love whether by phone, Facebook, letter, or video chat.

God will supply our need as we care for our families and each other in new circumstances, whether we are now a stay-at-home parent and teacher or we visit an aging relative through a window or writing a card for a homebound member of our family of believers.

God will supply our need as we reach out to others for help, or reach out to others with help.

Brothers and sisters in Christ- as Jesus’ body we are filled with his riches, and filled to be His riches for others. I am so confident, just like Paul, that God will supply every need of ours and then some.

We have put together a list of resources available to you if this time has been troublesome for you financially or in other ways as well. Please take some time to go to our home page to check out our google form that you can fill out. The website is: http://www.redeemer-rochester.com. You will find the form if you click on the “Christ’s Community in Action” tab. We want to hear from you with how we can help you. On our google form, you can request help with grocery shopping, medication pickup, financial assistance/utility help, call from a pastor, a prayer request or caring phone call, technology help. The other thing you will find on that tab is a PDF full of other information and resources for you to use if you should have need of any of them.

Or, can you help? We also want to hear from you how you might be able to help another person. You can offer to help with any of the above things or even to write a card or a letter to send to our homebound. This could be a wonderful family activity with kids.

Once you fill that form out someone will contact you in order to facilitate caring action in Christ.

If you have any other ideas or questions, please do not hesitate to call the church and speak with Pastor Ben or Pastor Adam.

God has loved us, prepared us, supplied us, and filled us for such a time as this.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Ben and Pastor Adam

March 21, 2020

In these uncertain times, many are asking, "is the church still running?" The answer is yes! Our neighbors in need, need us more than ever. Our members in need, need us more than ever. Our family of believers is still being a family. Caring for our church is part of being a family and our offerings reflect an act of our faith and worship. We are learning new ways to participate in worship including new ways to gather our offerings in thanksgiving and service to our Lord.

Please consider one of the following options:

1. Mail into the church office (no cash)
2. Drop off inside front office door in the house marked offering from 9am-2pm when staff is there. (encouraging to simply wave but not enter church office)
3. Drop off in Pastor's Door mail slot after hours. Northeast end of the building. (Has three steps to climb)
4. Bring with when you come and take communion and place in house marked offering
5. Fill out the Joyful Response Form ( click here ) and mail into church office
6. Be on the lookout for online giving options that are being developed

We are in a storm, but remember Jesus is in the boat with us and with our eyes on Him as our firm foundation, we will have peace.

REMINDER, you can now watch us live streaming on Facebood AND YouTube. You can also watch recordings of many previous worship services. Just go to our Facebook video page: https://bit.ly/38Lsbu8,    OR our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/2RcN0IG. Those who have tried it say the watching experience is great. Go ahead. Give it a try.