Guidelines for Churches: A coronavirus (COVID-19) resource (https://www.eocumc.com/coronavirus/) on the East Ohio Conference website offers guidelines for our churches and faith communities and provides links to information from government agencies.

Guidelines for the Community partners using our facility:  AA Coronavirus Guidelines_March 15 2020

Letter to our Members and Friends from Pastor Dan & Pastor Laura:

Coronavirus Update:  March 12, 2020

As your pastoral leaders, we want to share what Lakewood UMC is doing as we face the reality of the coronavirus pandemic that was declared recently.   Bishop Tracy S. Malone urges taking early precautions, saying, “I ask all pastors and every congregation to do everything necessary to protect and care for the health and the wellbeing of our faith communities and our communities at large.”

The following is both guidelines and information regarding Lakewood UMC and how we are responding to the rapidly changing COVID-19 pandemic.

  • Stay at home if you are in a vulnerable condition.  If you don’t feel well, stay home and seek medical care.  If you are unable to attend worship, Lakewood UMC livestreams the service and you can access the worship service from our website ( https://lkwdumc.org/live-stream/).
  • Avoid handshakes, hugs, fist/elbow bumps, and other physical contact. During worship, maintain social distance while greeting friends and visitors at church. One way to maintain social distance while greeting friends and visitors at church is by placing your hand over your heart and offering a simple head bow.
  • Avoid leaving your seat during the service and offer the Peace of Christ verbally to those nearest you and maintaining social distance by not making physical contact.
  • Wash your hands frequently using soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • When communion is offered we will follow sanitizing protocols and only serve individual bread and cups.
  • Maintain social distance by keeping three feet between yourself and anyone who is sneezing and coughing.
  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth because viruses can live on surfaces, where your hands may touch. 
  • Practice respiratory hygiene by covering your mouth and nose with a tissue, or with your bent elbow, when coughing or sneezing and then dispose of used tissue immediately.
  • LUMC Enhanced Cleaning Efforts:  Following Governor DeWine’s recommendations, Lakewood United Methodist Church has begun implementing enhanced environmental cleaning throughout our properties, which include:
    • Additional cleaning of all frequently touched countertops, handrails, doorknobs, drinking fountains, and elevator buttons, throughout the day.
    • Use of cleaning agents which have appropriate disinfecting quantities will be used at every touch point.
    • Limiting the amount of toys out for kids for easier sanitization.
    • Adding additional hand sanitizer stations throughout the church (which we ordered but are presently on backorder).
  • Lakewood Chancel and Bell Choirs cancelled.  Julie Stuneck, Music Director, shared that “there is a lot we do not know about how the coronavirus is spreading in northeast Ohio and I want to be proactive in protecting the health of our choir members. We learn more every day and I will evaluate the situation on a weekly basis.’
  • A coronavirus (COVID-19) resource (https://www.eocumc.com/coronavirus/) has been added under East Ohio Conference website.  It offers guidelines for our churches and faith communities and provides links to information from government agencies and our United Methodist Church.
  • As individual members and friends of LUMC, be intentional and make plans to minister to all:
    • Pray for our community, those responding to – and all affected by – this pandemic.
    • Stay in touch with your friends and those in your various small groups and encourage and pray for one another.
    • Consider ways that we as a faith community can be active in the fight against this virus and how we can minister to our community during this challenging and chaotic time.
    • If you have any ideas on how we can be a resource and witness to those in our community please reach out to us. We are open to ideas of how we can be in ministry together through this time.
    • If you are unable to attend worship and want to still contribute to the ongoing ministry, we have on our website, an e-giving link that you can use.  Just click the “GIVE” icon on the website https://lkwdumc.org/.

As people of faith, we know that God’s love and compassion continue to move and guide us as we walk in the path of Light.  We will continue to monitor the situation as your pastoral leaders and listen to the advice of the experts guiding us through the uncertainty of the pandemic.

Please do not hesitate to contact the church office or either one of us with any questions or concerns you may have.  Friends, God is with us and in all things God will guide us.

Pastor Dan 216-469-6322 dbryant485@gmail.com     Pastor Laura 216-469-3813 pastorlkj@gmail.com

Be encouraged always,

Pastor Dan and Pastor Laura

“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.”  3 John 1:2

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