700 Krider's Cemetery Road, Westminster, Maryland 21158 (410) 848-3311
Our Mission Statement
St. Benjamin’s Evangelical Lutheran church, is confessing Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, is called together through baptism, nourished by the Lord’s supper; anointed and sustained by the Holy Spirit; and guided by the power of the Holy Scriptures. We will strengthen and encourage growth in faith and Christ-like love to our church congregation, our community, and the world, through teaching, friendship, care, and compassion.
This Week in Our Parish
We're back! We're staying safe!
We're practicing social distancing!
Come join us for DRIVE-IN CHURCH
Sunday - September 27 - 9:15 am
We're headed back inside on Sunday, October 4!
(See below for details)
Here's what you need to know for drive-in church!
1) We will be broadcasting the service through an FM radio frequency to your car radio.
2) We will have a 9:15 am service. We are requiring call-in reservations (either call the church voicemail 410-848-3311, Pastor David 443-789-1271 or text PD at that number or email PD at stbenspastor@stbenslutheran.org) in order that we can have logistics figured out for parking and for bulletins and for communion elements packaged for your car. We need your name, a contact number, and the number of people with you plus the number of wine communers and the number of grape juice communers.
3) Once you arrive at the parking lot, you will be directed to an appropriate space for the size of your vehicle, compact cars nearer the building, larger SUVs and trucks in the parking area nearest the state highway fencing. You can then tune into the radio and participate. If you like, you can sit in your car or sit on lawn chairs by your car, observing social distancing at all times. Imagine having your own little “bubble." Masks must be worn if you are out of your car.
4) The church will be open for restrooms only (limited number of three people in the building at one time) – one occupant per bathroom – we now have three!!!!! Church mailboxes will not be accessed at this time – sorry!
5) The alms box for your offering envelopes/contribution will be available at the entrance to the parking lot both before and after the service for your dropping in. Church tellers will take care of preparing the offerings for bank deposit after worship.
6) Bulletins complete with music will be printed for you to receive as you enter the parking lot. Please take these with you – we don’t want them back. A special kids section will be part of the bulletin.
7) If it is inclement weather, as far as rain, we will continue. If it is a hurricane-like weather day, we will cancel. The usual ways of letting you know about that will be through church voicemail outgoing message, email, and Facebook.
8) If you don’t feel well, stay home. If you are a vulnerable to illness, stay home. We will continue to offer the YouTube devotions available for each weekend until further notice.
Sunday, October 4
Worship in the Sanctuary - 9:15 am
We are excited about the next step and anticipate we can carry through on the challenges presented to us to worship and sing safely in our worship space. It will take all of us cooperating together to make this work.
You will need to reserve worship packets ahead of time as we have been doing all summer. We will continue the YouTube devotions for the
foreseeable future and we will begin to Facebook Live the service
beginning in October.
A children's time/Sunday School time will continue in the fellowship
hall in October. A more restricted area for people who want to be
"socially distanced" from the sanctuary will be through Facebook Live
stream in the scout room downstairs in the under-croft.
We will offer a tutorial on "re-entry" to indoor worship by YouTube
the week of September 28 and will probably show it in the worship time
announcements October 4.
Please plan to join us as we head back in!
As you are able in these days and weeks, remember your church continues in its business – there are commitments to the greater church (synod and ELCA) and to church staff and pastor and facility needs that still need to be honored for the greater good and service to the world. Please mail your church offering by check, if that is your practice, to 700 Kriders Cemetery Road, Westminster, MD 21158. We offer online giving through Vanco for your convenience (see below). Another vehicle for giving is the “Giving Plus” app which can be installed on Android and Apple smartphones. Thanks so much!
Outreach Opportunities
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Do you use Amazon.com for shopping? If so, your use can help support St. Benjamin's.
Click here for more information.
St. Ben's is Home to......
Christian Hands Child Care, LLC
Debbie Davis
Owner/Director
700 Kriders Cemetery Road
Westminster, MD 21158
410-871-4790
Hours - 6:30 am to 6:00 pm
Monday through Friday
Please call for more information or to schedule a tour of our facility.
Christian Hands Child Care, LLC is a separate entity from St. Benjamin's Lutheran Church.
St. Benjamin’s Lutheran Church is a growing congregation recently engaged in a self-study to be more present in discipleship to its neighbors. A Fellowship Hall, open to the neighborhood for group meetings, picnics and events, sits on a three-acre grass lawn with a shaded pavilion, a tree-lined drive, meditation gardens, both toddler and big kid playgrounds, and plenty of parking. Call the church office at 410-848-3311 for booking details.