July 28, 2021
Dear Engadine Cong church family,
It has now been just over 4 weeks since our lockdown commenced and it would appear that this situation will continue for some time yet. I wonder what kinds of feelings this produces in you? What a privilege that we can turn to our Lord, whatever we may be feeling, because he knows us completely. We also have the privilege of sharing what we are going through with one another. We may not be able to do that in person at the moment, but can I encourage you to do so via email, SMS, phone call, FaceTime, or Zoom? We have so many avenues through which to maintain contact with one another that were not available to people in the past.
I also wonder what the Lord might do in and through us during this time. His Spirit is not in lockdown! Towards the end of Galatians, in Chapter 5, Paul urges his readers: “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” (v. 16). Specifically he says that, “… the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (vv. 22-23). I wonder in which of these areas God might be at work in you, growing you during these days of lockdown? “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (v. 25).
Please continue in prayer for our Ministry Groups and Growth Groups. Playtime, Launch and Youth are all seeking to continue to connect with children and their families via Zoom. As you can imagine, this brings various challenges. Most of our Growth Groups are continuing to meet, also via Zoom. It’s obviously not the same as gathering in person but we are thankful for the provision of this technology. If you would like to join a group during this time, please be in contact with me. It’s a great way to connect with God and with one another.
Please also be in prayer for our Sunday gatherings. We are making a change to our format from this coming Sunday. The sermon will be pre-recorded and, with the songs, available via the church website. From 10am we will gather on Zoom for around half an hour for an abbreviated service, including prayer, announcements and the kids spot. There will also be opportunity to connect personally with one another. We trust this will be beneficial in better facilitating our fellowship together during this time. CDs of the sermons are available for those unable to access the Internet. Please let us know if you would like a copy – we are more than happy to provide. Matt is preaching this Sunday (Commandment # 3) and myself on August 8 (Commandment # 4).
The Church day away planned for September 4 has unfortunately had to be postponed. We hope to be able to reschedule this for later in the year.
Finally, this Sunday night there will be an opportunity for corporate prayer. We will have our regular first-Sunday-of-the-month prayer meeting via Zoom. Please note the different time – this will commence at 7:30pm. We hope you can join us. All Zoom links will be emailed out in advance.
In Christ,
James (on behalf of the elders)