Here you will find the latest information on how St. John’s is responding to the COVID-19 situation.

    Worship and educational opportunities are offered in a variety of ways at this time. Follow the buttons below for detailed information. 

    Worship Information
    Learning Opportunities

    COVID Plans

    Download St. John’s re-engagement plan here. (Rev. May 2021)

    Children, Youth, & Family Preparedness Plan (Rev. February 2022)

    CKP COVID 19 Preparedness Plan (Rev. March 18, 2022)

    Risk Levels

    St. John’s current risk level is Green.

    Red – Virtual Worship only

    Yellow – In-person worship in Fellowship Hall

    Green – In-person worship in Sanctuary

    St. John’s COVID Task Force Assesses the following indicators:

    • Daily new cases per 100Ka
    • New cases per 100K w/in last 14 daysb
    • Ability to implement key mitigation strategies
    • Infection Ratec
    • Positivity Rated
    • 14-day case ratee
    • % change in new cases of previous 7 days vs current 7 days based on Dodge county population 21K
    • % ICU beds in Olmsted occupiedf
    • % of inpatient beds in Olmsted occupied by Covid Patients
    • Existence of SJK community Covid outbreak (Propose: Number of SJK Community Members with positive test within 5 days of attendance)
    • Number of SJK community members quarantined as a result of Community Outbreak

    Sources used by the task force are:

    • a covidactnow.org (sourced NYT & US Census Bureau via state & local health officials)
    • b No. new cases in county last 14 days / 21,000 x 100,000 (14-day case count from John’s Hopkins)
    • c covidactnow.org (sourced NYT via state & local health officials)
    • d MDH weekly update (includes probable & antigen positive cases)
    • e MDH data for k-12 schools
    • f covidactnow.org (sourced NYT via state & local health officials, HHS, & state & county dashboards)

    Latest Updates – March 9, 2022

    St. John’s Council has voted to endorse the recommendations brought forth from the COVID-19 Task Force.  After careful consideration of the newest trending data and evaluation of our dashboard for risk assessment you will notice these changes effective immediately:

    • John’s will allow food and beverage in the building for all activities. This includes the return of Wednesday meals and Sunday morning coffee at fellowship time.
    • Masking is optional in our building for all who enter. Anyone who chooses to mask is welcomed and supported.
    • Social distancing is no longer required. Please keep in mind social distancing is a useful pandemic mitigation strategy and some members will continue to choose to maintain social distancing from other households. Please keep this in mind when you choose where to sit in the fellowship hall or sanctuary.
    • CKP will align their practices with the Department of Human Services (DHS) and move to optional masking.
    • You will notice new signage on the doors. 

    The COVID-19 Task Force will continue to monitor the data and will meet again on April 10, 2022 at 8:00 pm.

    Task Force Purpose

    A task force has been convened to provide direction, advice and information to council to aid in their decision-making process. To be clear from the outset: it is the purpose of this task force to advise our congregational council, but it is not the decision-making body in our congregation. Our elected council leadership is solely responsible for this aspect of our life together in ministry.

    Task Force Personnel

    This task force is composed of professionals from many areas and expertise, including medical professionals, public health professionals, educators and administrators, public service and police, engineers, finance, management, and others. Please review the list below for further information about this incredible group of leaders who have come together to provide direction for our congregational leadership to aid in the decision making process for our worship and ministry life at St. John’s.

    St. John’s Lutheran Staff Representatives:

    • Pastor Cheryl Indehar, Senior Interim Pastor
    • Pastor Mary Kaye Ashley, Associate Interim Pastor
    • Deacon Amanda Sabelko, Deacon of Faith Formation
    • Lindsay Colwell, Director of Youth and Family Ministry

    St. John’s Lutheran Council Representatives and their Professional Vocation:

    • Sam Marsland, President. Nurse Anesthetist at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester
    • Rayelle Haase, Vice President. Certified Veterinary Technician

    Congregational Representatives and their Professional Vocation:

    • Dave Aakre, Retired IBM Engineer
    • Michelle Coy, ICU Nurse and Educator at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester
    • Terry Czeck, Culinary; Certified Food Production Manager with the State of Minnesota.
    • Amy Evans, Public Health Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Olmsted County
    • Jim Evenson, Police Lieutenant, Rochester Police Department
    • Heather Hilgart, Technical Specialist and Assistant Supervisor, Infectious Disease Serology, Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester
    • Joshua Larsen, Kasson-Mantorville Middle School Principal
    • Ariana Wright, Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School Principal
    • Tracy Lee, Financial Analyst/Project Manager at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester
    • Jackie Longendyke, Commissioning Professional for Mechanical and Electrical Building Systems

    Recommendations by Focus Area

    More information about current recommendations from the individual focus areas of the Task Force is available here.

    Questions, Comments, or Concerns

    Please feel free to reach out to members of your St. John’s Lutheran leadership team:

    Heidi Durland, Council President
    Michelle Coy, Council Vice President
    Heather Hilgart, Council Secretary
    Judy Reitmyer-Hunt, Council Treasurer
    St. John’s Lutheran Church Office Email

    Additional Resources

    For more information on best practices during this time, please refer to the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization websites.