To God's Beloved At Cloverdale Baptist Church:
Another week has come and gone, and although I am so thankful for those helping us to stay safe during this time, I am ready for this to be over. Love the people we have serving on the front lines of this, as well as serving God's people here at Cloverdale at such a time as this. Cloverdale Baptist Church IS SO PRECIOUS! HUGE thank you to those who are helping us stay online and minister online (tech people), and exalt God (worship extended team!). YOU ARE APPRECIATED AND VALUED!
I so miss gathering together with God's people. Was watching an old video of a sermon, and my heart ached as a church filled with people was on display. Some pastors are worried that long term this will cause people to want to stay home and watch online, even when we are allowed back together, but my experience with God's people is that if you love God, you long to gather, and we are certainly as a church feeling that longing now. Can't wait to be back together as a family, and although technology is amazing, the real thing is a lot better. I love our church family, and so glad that you are a part of God's people here! Have been so encouraged by our own people committing to this connection time, as well as so many from around the world joining us. May our God use this to grow us, and our love for the local church!
Responding to a crisis comes in different ways. The world responds with complaining about the situation or others. The world responds by crashing emotionally. WE RESPOND IN CHRIST. So, strengthen your hearts and minds and focus on Him, and we will be confident, caring and creative in our service of Him in trying times. God willing the devotional in a few weeks on Wednesday night will cover that. Complaining is really complaining against God, and crashing is seeing life without God in the mix, so we can, IN CHRIST, experience so much more.
Thank you to all of you who continue to give during this crisis. Our giving is now about 50% at what it usually is, and for that we are grateful, and also concerned. Please pray for us as we make hard choices in terms of what not to invest in at this time, and how to succeed in maximum Kingdom impact in the midst of a shortfall. Thank you again, for so many making huge efforts to help us continue to function!
We would love to see your pictures of how you are gathering around and doing church online. We are making a video for next Sunday (Palm Sunday), and would love to get your pictures, or short videos. Also if you have the creative urge, to act out Palm Sunday as a family that would be fantastic. We need your pictures or videos by Wednesday to include portions of them in our Hosanna video, so please get them in! Send them to Elias, or respond to this email, or perhaps best of all the church office. We want to stay connected and see this as a great way of doing it. If you want to dress up at home, and show us how you are acting out Palm Sunday, that would be great, as we seek another way of staying connected!
Good Friday: We are planning to gather as a church on Good Friday at 10:00 am. This is an ONLINE gathering, but we deem it to be a community church event, and as such are planning to celebrate communion together. There is a lot of online debate going on about whether this is appropriate or not, as communion is specifically given to the local church, and to be celebrated when the local church is gathered. We believe this, and in this extra ordinary circumstances also believe that our gathering online constitutes our community as best we can. So, we are asking you to get some grape juice or wine, and cracker or bread and then partake with us on Good Friday if this is something that you can do with us freely. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to ask, and we will seek to focus on Jesus and the greatness of what He has done for us richly together even while we are apart. Please pursue the elements as close to the Bible's as you can, as we want this to be a reverent, community experience that is rich and aligned with God's Word.
Resurrection Sunday: We would love our voices to be heard in our community as we celebrate the richness of what Jesus has done for us! Please take the time to invite your friends to watch online, and help us praise His name, and widen our impact! This is the most important Sunday in the Christian year, so let us seek to make it special even as we long to be rejoicing together!
Reminder of our communication schedule: Tuesday: Sunday 2 Sunday email; Young Adults Zoom Bible Study; Wednesday: Bible Study (entire church video); Youth Online Bible Study; Thursday: Video Update; Friday: Email Announcements; Sunday: Online Service: 10:30
Sunday Is Coming: Palm Sunday
Title: Salvation Has Come
Text: Luke 19:28-44
Read the chapter...
- Have you ever gotten anything wrong before?
- How does this story help us to trust in God's plan, even at the worst of times?
- How can we deepen our faith so that we are not just surface praisers, but we get it right in a way that leads us to continuous worship?
- How can you be a person of praise?
Looking forward to a great Sunday with you, in isolation, but joined together for His glory!
Pastor Rob