Church Family Update - November 18, 2020

First, some good news

We are still planning on having our traditional candlelight service (Dec 20) and Christmas Day service this year. Whether or not these events will be in-person or online will depend on the COVID situation. If you would like to serve on the Christmas Day worship team please contact Freda and if you would like to participate in the candlelight service then contact me (Pastor Jason).

Congregational Meeting Tomorrow!

Our congregational meeting will be online and you can access it the same way that you access our live-streamed church services. Go to our website and click on the link at 7:00 PM tomorrow night (Nov 19). This meeting will include a “State of the Church Address” as well as a discussion about the 2021 budget and feedback from the church-wide survey. There will also be an opportunity for people to ask any questions they might have (via text) about anything at all. 

A message from the GEMS ministry:

Poinsettia Fundraiser Reminder: The deadline for ordering poinsettias and greenhouse gift cards for the GEMS fundraiser is tomorrow (Thursday, Nov 19.)  Please check back in your emails for more information and the online order form or contact Leanne.  The poinsettias and gift cards will come in on Friday, Nov 27, delivery can be arranged if needed.  The GEMS club appreciates your support! 

A message from one of our own frontline healthcare workers:

I received an email from one of our members who is serving faithfully and sacrificially in a hospital. I thought it might be helpful to post part of it here so that you can hear this person’s perspective on the current COVID situation. I personally found this information helpful so that I can understand a little bit better how stressful things are right now for healthcare workers. (I edited this email slightly in order to protect the identity of the person who wrote it but I have not changed the content.)

“Every hospital in the Edmonton area has a unit or multiple units under outbreak. This means that those units cannot take new patient admissions and these patients are then admitted to other units. For example, staff that usually work on a surgical unit are now learning new things to provide care to a new patient population with very different needs or they are being pulled to a whole new unit to help fill in due to staffing shortages caused by exposure and staff off on isolation.

“This added to the ongoing stress that all staff feel about the potential to miss a step in the putting on and taking off of the protective equipment, thus increasing their risk of contamination. A missed step or a slip in the process puts them at risk for exposure, and this could result in passing covid on to those they care for, live with and love.

“I request that everyone do what they can to help support healthcare staff at this time. This can be done through prayer, but also by following the guidelines to protect not only yourself but each other.”

A Prayer Request:

There is now one confirmed case of COVID at Emmanuel Home. Please pray for all the seniors there as well as the staff.

A Devotional Thought:

“I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together!” Psalm 34:1-3 

After I got engaged to Marco, a wise mentor took me out for breakfast and he asked me a question that is both simple and complicated at the same time: “Jason, how do you know when you’re in love?” 

What would you say?

I honestly can’t remember how I answered but I’m sure I’d be embarrassed if I could hear it now. Anyways, I know that my answer was wrong because here’s the response I got from my mentor. “No Jason, that’s wrong. You know you’re in love when you decide that you’re in love.” 

He went on to explain to me that while it feels very good to be in love, love is more than a feeling. It’s a decision. You decide that you love someone and you decide that nothing is ever going to get you to change that decision. That way, no matter how you’re feeling at any given moment, you know that you love that person. 

Not exactly super-romantic, right? But extremely practical. 

The Psalmist is doing something very similar in the verses above. He is making a decision that he will bless the Lord at all times. Not just when he feels like it but continually. Every single one of us can make the same decision. We can decide right now that no matter what, no matter what kind of day, week or year we have, we are going to bless the Lord and praise Him continually. 

Not only will that result in a life that glorifies God, but it’s also a sure path to peace, joy and contentment in all circumstances. 

Have a blessed and worshipful day.

I’ll “see” you tomorrow at the congregational meeting.

Pastor Jason