Church Schedule Update
Greetings Discovery Church,
We wanted to give you an update on our plans as a church for the week ahead of us. Here's a quick list of items included in this update:
- Announcement regarding church cancellations
- How the pastor and elders are responding to Yankton's new city ordinance
- Status of available online devotional content from our church
- Status of online giving
CHURCH CANCELLATIONS
As many of you may know by now the city of Yankton has issued a new ordinance that officially restricts social gatherings to ten people or less. Until now, this restriction has been a guideline rather than an official ordinance. Unless the Lord chooses to intervene, this ordinance will last until May 1st.
So, in obedience to Romans 13:1-7, we are cancelling all church gatherings. We had already resolved to cancel Sunday's worship gathering but were continuing to allow our scheduled, mid-week Bible studies to meet because they did not exceed the 10-person guidelines.
Even though it's safe to say that our mid-week Bible studies would continue to fall within the "10-person limit" we felt like it was best to cancel
all
gatherings at this time.
PASTOR/ELDER UPDATE
As elders and ministry volunteers we have been planning our responses to this situation day to day and week to week. We believe that this new ordinance gives us permission to take a pause this week and carefully think about and plan a strategy for ministry in the peculiar month ahead of us.
Let me give you an example of why we think it's important to "breathe" and slow down for a few days so we can plan for ministry going forward. So far, as an American Church culture we have been doing a lot of "reacting" to sudden developments. And our reaction has been to "go online". Of course, our technology is a huge blessing! I love having that capability (and I'll be enthusiastically recording a few things today!). However, I have a hard time believing that the Lord is looking down on us thinking, "I sure do hope my church spends more time on the Internet because of this virus." In other words, we are already a technology soaked, screen obsessed culture and, as ministers, I don't want to give the church more reasons to stare at a screen if it will distract them from each other.
So, we want to use the blessing of the Internet and video streaming BUT we want to use it wisely. So, we're treating this week as a week for us to personally meditate on God's word, pray, and seek counsel so that, by next week, we can have a well informed plan for ministry through this bizarre season.
ONLINE CONTENT
At this point we are still planning to have an online "Preaching/Teaching" video that you can stream at 10:30 on Sunday morning. In addition, there will also be another kids activity that complements the "Sermon/lesson".
I (Pastor Cory) am also developing a personal blog where all our online teaching can be posted in case any of our members/attenders do not wish to use Facebook. Stay tuned for that to launch by the end of the week.
ONLINE GIVING
Even before church cancellations started happening there have been some that have expressed an interest in online giving. Now that we are being forced to cancel, many others have expressed a desire to give their tithes and offering online. We are close to being able to provide this service. It has required some "shopping around" to find an efficient and affordable service for our church to use for safely managing online giving. But, we're close to finding a provider and a process and I would expect that to be available soon. So, stay tuned for that announcement. Until then, the church office continues to be open and our tithes and offerings can be accepted in the office.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
I know that this season has been hard and will continue to grieve us as we're not able to gather. Keep this in mind: this is not an experience that will crush the people of God. In fact, this is the exact situation of many, many, brothers and sisters in Christ around the world that cannot meet on a regular basis without government interference. And yet, where the brokenness of the world presses on the church the Good Shepherd is faithful to care for his flock and use them to spread his glory. Lights shine brighter in the dark. The Lord will use this to shape us more and more into his image and to spread his glory in Yankton.
Pray with me for the spiritual eyes to see the ministries that the Lord is putting in front us. Pray that when we see these opportunities we will have the heart to seize them and honor the Lord.
Consider Hebrews 10:32-37.
Even though this is a passage about persecution and not exactly about the kind of suffering we're going through, it still has a good word about what's most important right now. Feed your soul with it today!
32
But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings,
33
sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
34
For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
35
Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
36
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
37
For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;
38
but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39
But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
For your joy,
Pastor Cory
