April 1, 2020
Dear Fellow Saints at St. Paul,

Lenten greetings in the name of our Suffering Servant, our Lord Jesus!  Because of an urgent situation I am calling a special vote for our congregation.  Due to current circumstances, we will not be able to vote in person at a meeting, but we will ask you to submit ballots by taking a piece of paper and writing on it either “Yes” or “No”.  You will need to mail the ballot(s) in to be received and counted by Monday, April 6, or (even better) place the ballots in the lock box to the left of the main church sanctuary entrance (near the side door). The vote is to authorize (or not) our congregation to submit a loan application up to $300, 000 in connection with the federal government’s CARE stimulus act.   This “forgivable” loan provides relief for payroll needs and other basic needs for businesses and non-profits.  (See comments below from our church treasurer, Marcia Buckley).  If you agree to authorize this loan application, please write “Yes” on a ballot and submit it.  If you disagree, write “No” and submit it.  The ballots may be submitted only by eligible voting members of St. Paul Lutheran Church, and, again, must be received by Monday 4/6/2020.
May God bless you and keep you in His loving care, this day, and every day!
Pastor Constien

Comments from our Treasurer, Marcia Buckley:
Recently, the federal government passed legislation called the C.A.R.E.S. Act. This large stimulus bill includes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) that allows businesses as well as non-profit organizations, like churches, to apply for SBA guaranteed loans through a local bank. 
 These loans are made to qualified applicants based upon average payroll costs. Once the loans are approved, each recipient can use the proceeds for any operating costs, but, ALL of the proceeds used to pay payroll, payroll taxes, health insurance, retirement benefits, utilities and mortgage interest during the next 8 weeks is  FULLY FORGIVEN. No payback of the loan!
 As, I am sure all of our members can understand, our church and school is facing uncertain financial times. We were struggling to pay all bills, especially our Concordia benefits, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, due to no “in house” church services, our normal donations have dropped off significantly. 
This opportunity to quickly apply for this forgivable loan program is a blessing of perfect timing.