Dear Church,
In light of this week's announcement regarding what level 2, the staff have already begun formulating a plan for what church will look like. We do have an idea around what we can do around gatherings. I will get that information out to you once we know for sure when we will be coming into level two and once we are certain what the guidelines will be (especially if it becomes a phased entry). I can tell you, we will be having Sunday services, we just need to work out the logistics and policies around making sure it will be appropriate and safe for all (and of course, keeping the numbers to below 10 at each service).
Hot Gossip, Buzz and many other small businesses have opened up on High Street. Aaron, the chef at Hot Gossip is in and cooking up a storm of cheese scones, muffins and his world famous toasties, while his assistant Jessica is happily churning out the coffees. If you do wonder down High Street for a walk, please be sure to pop your head in and say hi!
No word yet on Reading Cinemas and what their plans may be. The restrictions of level 2 will make it a bit of juggling act for us with them around to keeping the total numbers in the building below 100 if they do decide to open up. We have a couple of plans around that as well which we hope to share with you next week after the government announcement.
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I continue to invite you to an open zoom gathering for our everyone connected with our church. Here are the details:
Day: This Sunday (May 10)
Time: 10.30am
Meeting Details and link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88452766179?pwd=OFprdmFJU1lESkpCY3hyeHhTQ2xYZz09
Meeting ID: 884 5276 6179
Password: 054987
Feel free to join in and leave as you please. Looking forward to "seeing" you all.
We Need Your Creativity!
We would love, from our church, any forms of poetry, art or creative project that we can share either on a Sunday morning in the service, or with the our church body through other means. If you have something or know of someone, please contact Gareth (gareth@huttbaptist.org.nz).
Sunday Morning Prayer Gathering
Prior to our Sunday morning service (before Covid-19 and being confined to our homes), we had a group of faithful members gathering before the service to pray. We would like to continue that, but open it up to anyone who wants to join us together on zoom. This Sunday will be our first "pre-service" prayer Sunday morning prayer gathering. We've structured it as follows:
Time: Sunday morning, 9.00am to 9.45am
Structure: Praying the Lord's prayer together
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;
Prayer for the world, thanks giving to God
thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven.
Ask for guidance and direction, for Governments, communities, ourselves
Give us this day our daily bread.
Intercede for others, their needs, healing, grief
And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
Lord, search our hearts, help us forgive others and learn from this time
And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
For deliverance from this crisis, from temptation, and to put others first
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Lead ourselves and others to God and salvation, the life everlasting, through grace and mercy
Jean Rhoades will open up for us and I will then close the prayer time at 9.45am with a benediction.
The Zoom link for this Sunday's meeting is:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82908653705?pwd=ZGVSMk8xRVVGVFVhZG5CYThsZlo0Zz09
Meeting ID: 829 0865 3705
Password: 011351
Looking forward to joining with you all in prayer this Sunday morning!
Questions to Ponder at home or in LifeGroups
I've thought about some things we can talk about/share amongst ourselves, in groups online or in our family bubble.
- How are you remaining spiritually grounded/emotionally healthy during this time?
- Sigmund Freud called religion an illusion humans invent to satisfy their security needs. To him, a benevolent, all-powerful God seemed incongruent with natural disasters and human evil. Is religion an invention? How do you make sense of pain and evil in a world created and ruled over by God?
- Respond to this statement: “It doesn't matter what you believe as long as you're sincere.”
- In the US there has been a vocal call to open churches back up. In many states they did on May 3. Some were subject to restrictions such as Staff and volunteers having to wear a mask, food and coffee not being served, and nurseries and Sunday schools remaining closed. What would make you comfortable about returning to in-person Sunday worship? What are your concerns?
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May the Lord bless you and may His peace cover you and your family through this time.
Psalm 46:1-2
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear...
Blessings,
Rob
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