Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church (ELCA)

  • About Bethel
    • 200th Anniversary Video (1820-2020)
    • “The Family of Bethel” Video
    • Who are Bethel Lutherans?
    • History of the Reformation Courtyard
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  • GIVE NOW
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  • Publications
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    • Monthly Council Report
    • Monthly Financial Report
    • ONLINE FORMS
      • 2023 Estimate of Giving Form
      • 2023 Ministry Response Form
      • Bethel Mandatory Training for Adults Who Work with Youth Form
      • Reimbursement Form
  • BETHEL NEWS
    • This Week At Bethel
    • News from the Parish Nurse
    • Harvest Sunday Article (Lutheran World Relief)

Covid-19

CDC_COVID19_factsheet_CDC_March_2020

Vaccine Clinic at Mall

8/18/21 – Valley Health – FREE COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic

Valley Health has a FREE vaccine walk-in clinic at the Apple Blossom Mall. The vaccine is available to all people, ages 12 and up.

The Clinic is located next to Victoria’s Secret. Closest mall entrance is H&R Block.

WALK-INS ARE WELCOME:  Wednesday 1200 – 7pm/Saturdays 1200 – 7pm

The Facts:

  • Hundreds of thousands of Americans have died from COVID
  • Pre-existing health issues like diabetes, heart and lung disease put you at greater risk of hospitalization and death
  • Asymptomatic people can carry COVID to those more venerable

The Good News:  COVID-19 vaccines are Safe and Effective

  • Once vaccinated, your risk of hospitalization and dying from COVID is dramatically reduced
  • Over 100 million shots have been administered
  • Most vaccine recipients experience minor or no side effects
  • You can’t get COVID from the vaccine

It’s safe, it saves lives and it’s worth it!

Worship Update

Just a reminder that masks are required for worship and any other indoor activity at Bethel for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Masks must be worn for the entire time that we are indoors. Exceptions are for members of the choir (while singing) and Readers/Prayer Readers while they are speaking.

Worship will be held in the Discipleship Hall where we can get better ventilation.

Worship will be more limited but will still include songs and Holy Communion. This will be our standard worship for the foreseeable future, until our county and our nation has a better grasp on the Covid-19 Delta variant.  

Throughout this pandemic, we have done the “next right thing.” At this point, the next right thing is to take a step back so as best to control the environment for worship and any other activities we offer at Bethel. We pray that this will not be an extended period, but as we have been doing all along, we will faithfully follow CDC guidelines for our county, state, and nation.

Please pray for those who are currently suffering with the new variant of Covid-19 and please encourage everyone you know to get vaccinated

WORSHIP UPDATE (7/29/21)

Friends,

In a special called Council meeting tonight, we have made the decision to be proactive and make the following changes to our current worship:
Beginning, Sunday, August 1 we will require masks for worship and any other indoor activity at Bethel for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. We will also be moving worship back to our Discipleship Hall where we can get better ventilation. Worship will be more limited but will still include songs and Holy Communion.  This will be our standard worship for the foreseeable future, until our county and our nation has a better grasp on the Covid-19 Delta variant.
The reason for these changes is that just this week Frederick County has been named one of six counties in Virginia that is currently experiencing a high rate of infection for the Covid-19 Delta variant.  The CDC has recommended that counties with such a high rate of new infection ask everyone to mask while indoors and we will follow these guidelines.
Throughout this pandemic, we have done the “next right thing.”  At this point, the next right thing is to take a step back so as best to control the environment for worship and any other activities we offer at Bethel.  We pray that this will not be an extended period, but as we have been doing all along, we will faithfully follow CDC guidelines for our county, state, and nation.
Please pray for those who are currently suffering with the new variant of Covid-19 and please encourage everyone you know to get vaccinated!
Prayer and Peace,
Pastor Dave
WORSHIP UPDATE (6/2/21)
As we continue to move forward doing the “next right thing” I wanted to share with you how we are handling masks at Bethel for worship on Sunday mornings.
1) If you are FULLY VACCINATED you do not have to wear a mask.
2) If you are NOT fully vaccinated, you are expected to wear a mask. This applies to youth who are not yet vaccinated.
  * If you have chosen NOT to receive the vaccine, we expect that you will show respect for those who are unable to be vaccinated yet (i.e. children, those with underlying issues) and wear a mask out of Christian love and generosity toward others, especially the most vulnerable.
3) Children over the age of 2 are expected to wear masks at all times, even in the nursery.
We recognize that this is a “fluid” situation. We also recognize that not everyone will have the same comfort level as others. Therefore, we are offering a weekly OUTDOOR Worship Service on Wednesday at 6:00pm for those who may not yet be comfortable worshiping indoors. This service will not require masks since we are outside, but each person will be encouraged to do what makes them feel most comfortable.
We trust that everyone will be generous with each other, recognizing that while some are ready to “get back to normal”, others will not be so inclined, at least not yet. We want everyone to be as comfortable as possible as we make decisions to “open up” at Bethel and this is our way to best allow various options for worship that will hopefully, in total, meet everyone’s needs and concerns.
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions.
Blessings,
Pastor Dave
Update (6/1/21)
Staying Safe Moving Forward
Update (5/14/21)
COVID-19 Update for Virginia 5.14.21
Update (3/15/21)
Valley Health will begin filling vaccine clinic appointments using the pre-registration list from the Virginia Department of Health. This will allow them to more fairly work from the wait list and will largely eliminate the need to post links.
If you have not yet pre-registered for the COVID-19 vaccine through the VDH, please do so by visiting vaccinate.virginia.gov.
Those without internet should call 1-877-Vax-In-VA (877-829-4682) to pre-register.
Update (3/8/2021)
CDC: Vaccinated People Can Gather Indoors Without Masks
CDC Guidelines for those fully vaccinated against COVID 19
Update (2/18/2021)
If you’re interested in volunteering at Covid 19 vaccine clinics, Valley Health has non-medical volunteer opportunities available here:
https://www.valleyhealthlink.com/patients-visitors/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/covid-19-vaccinations/volunteer-at-vaccine-clinics/
To get on the vaccine waiting list (they’ll call you when they have a shot ready for you):
https://vaccinate.virginia.gov/
For more Covid 19 vaccination information:
https://www.valleyhealthlink.com/patients-visitors/coronavirus-covid-19-updates/covid-19-vaccinations/
Update (2/7/2021)
Covid 19 Relief Information from the United Way
To get assistance from United Way
Update (1/26/2021)
Parish Notes – February 2021 – COVID Vaccination Information
Update (11/16/2020)
Friends,
At our November council meeting held this past Thursday, November 12, our council made the decision to allow in person worship beginning with the first Sunday in Advent (November 29).
HOWEVER, the following day, Governor Northam announced that our state has moved back into restriction of no more than 25 people indoor or outdoor for the foreseeable future.
This impacts our decision in the following ways:
1) We will honor this restriction and WILL NOT RETURN to in-person worship indoors until this restriction is lifted. While religious organizations are technically “exempt” from this restriction, honoring the restriction is both judicious in terms of being safe and an act of solidarity with those legally required to obey these restrictions, i.e. “love your neighbors as yourself.”
2) In lieu of in-person gatherings for Advent, we will be offering pre-recorded worship on Sundays as we have been.  Additionally, we will offer a pre-recorded Holden Evening Prayer worship each week followed by a Zoom gathering and reflection on the message of the evening.
Finally, look for information regarding our Advent Traditions plan for making Advent wreathes as we will share that information ASAP.
3) There are plans underway for a pre-recorded Christmas in a Barn (from Cloverdale Barn) that will be released on Christmas Eve at 3pm.
Unless the restrictions are lifted, we will offer a pre-recorded worship on Christmas Eve at 7PM, followed by a Zoom gathering to say Merry Christmas to each other.  However, if the restrictions are lifted, we may look to offer something in person on Christmas Eve.
Friends, I am acutely aware that this is NOT ideal!
Like you, I long to be with my Bethel friends in worship and fellowship.
However, as we seek to be faithful to our responsibility to remain safe as a community of faith, we are making tough decisions that we do not want to make, but feel are necessary.
I ask for your prayers even as you should know that you remain daily in my own.
I ask you to reach out to one another so that we can continue to foster the bonds of friendship that have been such a life-giving part of our Bethel experience.
It will take ALL OF US being mindful of one another.
So, pick up a phone and call someone you know from Bethel who has been on your mind.
Text someone or send a quick email.
Let us organically support each other as the CHURCH!
I love you and miss you all so much. God’s got this and in confidence I am convinced that we will all make it through this crazy and unique time TOGETHER!
Blessings and Peace,
Pastor Dave
Update (11/6/2020)
Update from Virginia Department of Health
Update (9/23/2020)
Contact Tracing
Update (5/16/2020)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Bethel Council met this past Wednesday and made decisions regarding our plan to consider when and how to “reopen” Bethel. While we know that not all congregations will respond in the same way, we feel confident that our approach is the best for us.
Decision #1
We plan to continue with our previous decision to remain without “in-person” gatherings through June 10. All worship services will be virtual via Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and our website through Sunday, June 7.
We plan to offer worship on June 14, 21, and 28 at Bethel with the services held outside (weather permitting) near the picnic shelter. This will involve all attendees keeping to social distancing, sitting in your own lawn chairs/blankets, with the encouragement that you wear masks. Some may even decide to sit in their cars. Please note that if there is inclement weather, we will NOT hold worship outside and instead continue with a virtual service.
We do not plan to have indoor worship until, at the earliest, July 5. HOWEVER, we may continue with outdoor worship as weather allows because it is the safest way for us to gather at this time. This will be a fluid situation but please know that as we consider moving indoors for worship, we want to make sure that we can effectively offer you the safest possible experience. YOUR HEALTH is our priority.
Decision #2
We have made the decision to keep our Bethel building CLOSED to outside groups through Labor Day, September 7. This DOES NOT apply to worship gatherings or other “approved” Bethel gatherings at the church.
Payroll Protection Program Loan
A final piece of information that you should be aware of is that very early on Bethel applied for and received, in late April, funds from the Payroll Protection Program via our local bank, Bank of Clarke County. We were proactive in planning for this possibility and I am so thankful to Kim Williams for her wonderful work in helping us get in on the ground floor of this opportunity.
This infusion of funds has allowed us to keep ALL STAFF on payroll with their FULL SALARIES and BENEFITS through June. These funds, while technically a “loan”, will be fully forgiven as they have been used as intended.
At the same time, your wonderful support of Bethel has allowed Bethel to be in as positive a financial position as we have been in for some time. THANK YOU! We ask that you continue doing what you are doing and this will allow us to continue to thrive moving forward in these uncharted waters.
Again, I cannot begin to thank the Staff, Council, and all of you for your amazing faithfulness. We ALL want to get back together as soon as possible. We ALL want to get back to some semblance of normal. Yet we know that loving each other best may mean that we continue to stay apart for the time being. Still, know that we are continually working to provide ways for you to feel connected to your Bethel family.
Don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions and please know that God who is always near has got this!
In Christ,
Pastor Dave

Bethel Lutheran Church

2077 N. Frederick Pike
Winchester, VA 22603
540-662-3245

  • Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
  • Virginia Synod (ELCA)
  • Lutheran World Relief
  • Lutheran Family Services of Virginia

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