Hi everyone,
Greetings in the lovely name of Jesus.
This is just a short catch up to say Hi and remind you all that you are loved, you are thought about, and we are praying for each of you.
We are attempting to catch up with each and every person on our church fellowship list to “take our pulse” and see how we are all going. This is happening by way of a personal phone call from the church leadership team to you, ready to have a chat, catch up with your news, and conduct a short survey as to how you are engaging with church life, online meetings, and your views on being part of a small group. As restrictions begin to ease, we are looking at creative ways to enjoy fellowship with each other, and to reconnect on a personal level. Social distancing and isolation have created a very “abnormal” state for believers who love community, love to worship together and love to share God‟s word.
It is our hope to create a network of small groups where this connection can take place. At the moment, we can only have up to 5 people from our “bubble” in our homes, but hopefully soon we will be able to extend that as we move from “step three” into our last phase before going to what the government is calling “Covid normal”. It is a good thing to be connected with other believers that we can worship, pray and share with, and it is our hope that through the formation of these small groups, this will be able to happen. So, watch out for our call, and I look forward to many “mini churches” being planted in our streets and towns.
Colossians 4:2 encourages us to “continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving”. The NLT says it this way, “Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.” Paul goes on to ask the church to pray that they will have many opportunities to speak about God’s “mysterious plan” of salvation, and that they will be able to share the good news clearly and boldly. I pray that for us all, too. That we might al-ways be prayerful, alert to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and that we will be ready to share the good news of Jesus with our friends, family and neighbours. Verse 6 finishes by saying, “Let your conversation be gracious and attractive so that you will have the right response for everyone.” As we witness for Jesus and share his love with those around us, we must not be contentious or argumentative, but wise, gracious and loving.
God bless and keep you in His care.
Till next time,
Love to you all,
Glenda.
Dear family in Christ,
Here we are as another month comes to an end. I always wonder how you are going and pray for you as I write this note. This morning I was thinking about the toll that Covid has had on our state and our nation. It is on my heart to be able to do some-thing practical for those who have really done it tough over these past months. People who have lost jobs or have had hours reduced, businesses that have had to close doors, cafes and restaurants that have had to change their business hours and reduce their service to take away. Also, the toll on people’s mental and emotional health over this time. I am open to suggestions of practical ways we could reach out to our immediate community. Could we do a grocery drive, or a special offering to be donated to a church or group who are already doing community care? Are there people you know who would benefit from a regular phone call or zoom chat? I think we have been pretty good at helping one another through this time, and I commend those who have been making phone calls and texting people with encouraging messages. There are those who have been making small groups on Facebook and sharing scripture, devotional times and prayer. How good is that?! Let’s have a think about this and pool our ideas to see if there is may be something we can do as one part of this community to another.
We are still not able to meet together – unless there are those who would like to meet outdoors for a time of communion – which I would be happy to do. We can only have 10 people, so we might have to have several sessions. This could be a possibility – maybe not every week, but certainly something we could do. What do you think? We will also keep you posted regarding setting up home fellowship groups for Bible study and communion, and of course – fellowship which we are all missing.
Keep a lookout this week for our Armchair Chat on Wednesday night at 7.00. We have a special guest – Liz Baillie, who will bring us a great little word with a bit of humour. On Sunday we will also have a guest speaker – Dr. Tony Kees, Director of Trinity Leadership, an author, Bible teacher, Leadership trainer and mentor, so be sure to tune in this Sunday at 10.00 am.
We are excited as we are planning our way forward as restrictions ease, so hang in there, keep praising the Lord, be blessed, and be a blessing.
Lots of love to you,
Glenda
Some people might imagine that things are a bit quiet at Moe New Life Christian Centre.
It has now been more than six months since we had a “normal” church service.
But the church has definitely not gone into its shell, just because there is a pandemic.
* A group of leaders within the church has been working through a program called 100 Days for a Healthier Church, the idea being to biblically assess where we are at in terms of church health, and then decide on a significant project to move us forward.
* Online services continually improving.
* Weekly newsletters and sermon notes, delivered either by e-mail or to letterboxes.
* Appointment of Keith Weigold (and Jean) to eldership.
* Appointment of Arita Smith to oversee Youth and Children’s ministries.
* Demolition work proceeding on the old house in the block.
* New album of original worship songs from Diana.
* Zoom meetings galore…
As restrictions ease, watch out for new home meetings, outreach events and all sorts of innovative ideas.
Have a wonderful week in the blessing of the Lord!
Steve
A little bit different today. Our Armchair Chat is a worship throwback to Easter.