Stay at home orders remain in Greater Sydney and Wollongong
Friends at St Michael’s,
On Monday, the pastoral staff decided on the following arrangements for ministry of word and prayer this Sunday, 11 July, the last weekend of school holidays (Lord willing).
1. No in-person congregations will gather this Sunday.
2. Full Livestream service will be produced on Sunday morning at 9:45am. We expect to be allowed to perform some music live. We pick up our series in the book of Romans at chapter 14, with Reg Piper preaching. Access the sermon outline here.
3. Members of each of the morning congregations (8am, 9:45am, and 11:30am Easy English) will be invited to join a congregational Zoom meeting at 11am (after the Livestream). The congregational Zooms are a chance to chat and pray and will last no longer than 30 minutes.
4. Members of the evening congregations (5pm & 7pm) are invited to engage with a joint Evening Zoom meeting at 6pm, with Mitch completing the series on Ruth, with chapter 4. When it comes time for breakout rooms near the end, this time we will simply break out into two 5pm and 7pm congregational groups, to chat, share and pray. If you only want to attend the breakout rooms, for example, because you watched the morning Livestream, I suggest joining the Zoom at around 6:45pm.
James 4:14-15 says, "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.”
I encourage you to cast on your cares on God in Jesus’ name, because you know he really cares for you.
Recently in my early morning Bible reading, I was struck by Proverbs 14:10
Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.
Though we share so much in common as humans, made in God’s image, still our experiences of both joy and sorrow can often be very personal and even private.
As I shared the frustration of repeat, last-minute changes of COVID restrictions on our Sunday plans for St Michael’s over the last fortnight, I was given some perspective. I heard that CMS missionaries in Chile and Japan had not been able to gather for Sunday services or university ministry since March 2020. That’s 16 months without going to church!
No growth groups in person (should be cancelled for prayer summit anyway)
No EFL
No KidsClub
No MiniMikes
Prayer Summit (14 July) on Zoom
Youth Group on Zoom next week.
Following Sunday, July 18th TBD
SURVIVOR Event CANCELLED
We are keen to share with you all the fun, challenges and truths we had prepared for you on another pupil free day in the future. Until then, I wonder if you can tell me who you think the ultimate survivor would have been and why? Send answers here!
Wednesday, July 14 | 7am, 10am, 5:15pm & 7:30pm
At St Michael's we value "Prayerful trust in the sovereignty of God” and "Prayerful dependence on the Spirit to grow us in Christ-like maturity and holiness”. Join us amidst this uncertain Covid situation via Zoom. You can join the Zoom meetings below: 7am https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83319018807?pwd=QVJST0R4WEJHeUdlM0J1WHhZYVV1Zz09 Meeting ID: 833 1901 8807 Passcode: 151162
