Church Family Update - August 19, 2020

I’m in a reflective mood this morning so bear with me!

Right now it’s 7:00 in the morning and I’m sitting on my front deck enjoying a cup of coffee. It’s a perfect morning. The sun is just peeking over my chicken coop. (We have three hearty survivors from the great fox attack who faithfully give us three eggs each day. We’ve named them Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego since they’re such brave and faithful little chickens!). There’s a slight chill in the air that tells me summer is thinking about packing up and moving on and fall is knocking at the door. But there will still be warm days ahead. 

This has always been my favorite time of year. Many people think of January as a time for fresh starts and new beginnings but for students, teachers and pastors, September is the start of a new year. This is the time when I plan out the ministry year. I make personal goals, family goals and church goals. I think about what I want to preach on and how we can continue to improve the ministries that we’re engaged in. 

I’m doing all those things again this year. But it’s different this time. It’s hard to believe but there was a time not that long ago when we saw each other in person at least once a week. Remember that? That was pre-March 2020. And even beyond Sunday morning, we had multiple opportunities to connect with each other during the week. That is no longer our situation and it probably won’t be for quite some time. 

One of the nice things about being physically present with each other every week is that it was easy to check in on each other and see how we’re doing. With steaming mugs of delicious Ebenezer coffee, we would ask each other, “How was your week?” And then we would share life’s joys and trials together. It’s a big loss that we’re no longer able to do that. Sure, we can call each other and talk. But that’s not the same. 

We discussed this dynamic at length during our last Council meeting. How are we going to function as a united church body during these unusual times? How are we going to make sure that everyone feels connected and cared for? We don’t have all the answers but we’re beginning to formulate a plan. Initially I thought maybe I could keep everyone feeling connected through writing these updates and calling everyone. But then I began to feel overwhelmed by the size of the task and had to stop making so many phone calls. As a Council, we have determined that we’re all going to have to work together to stay connected and united during this time. 

You can look forward to a communication from Council in the days to come in which we will outline a plan for making sure everyone feels connected and not one member of our faith family feels overlooked or unappreciated. We are a body and each member of the body is vital. We’re all in this together. We’re learning as we go. And we’re trusting that the Lord Himself will carry us through this.

In addition to the communication from Council about how we can stay connected, I’m eager to share with you some exciting new opportunities for ministry that will be coming in the fall. This is a time that calls for creative thinking and if you have good ideas, please share them. Together, with God's help, not only will we get through this but we'll come out of this stronger than ever. 

As always, don’t hesitate to contact me if you would like a visit. I’m always happy to connect with anyone on the phone or in-person either in your home or at the church office. Please just let me know. You can reach me through email: pastorjason@ebenezercrc.com, or phone by calling the church office: 780-986-4119.

Jesus promised, “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” He has been faithful to that promise throughout the history of the church and He will continue to do so. We didn’t see COVID coming but He did. And he has a plan. And it’s good. 

Blessings and prayers,

Pastor Jason