In this email:
In Case You Missed It
Easter Week
Mobilize to Action!
Wednesday Zooms: For Everyone!
Online Giving
Birthdays and Anniversaries
In Case You Missed It
This pandemic is affecting us all in different ways and to different degrees. And while we don't know exactly how it is affecting each of you, we know that one of the effects might be that you might find it difficult to go anywhere or do anything or think about anything that isn't affected by the coronavirus. And as big of a deal as this is and could be, it is good for each of us to see beyond the small box that this crisis might create for each of us. It is good to remember that God is bigger than this pandemic and this economic crisis. It is good to remember that God is still at work, bringing about His will for this world— and that we get to be a part of it!
Celebrating Easter and thinking about mobilizing together to take action are good for us to think about, not just because the will help us take a break from the crisis, but because they are a part of the big picture that is bigger than this crisis.
Easter Week! Happy Easter Week! We hope that you are planning and finding ways to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord in the midst of this pandemic. We trust that the daily videos following Jesus in the Passion Week are an encouragement to you. If you haven't been able to see them yet, check out the website or Facebook each day, or you can see all of the videos in order here. You can still download this Passion Week chart and print.
This Sunday, we will be providing a longer service online— a few more songs and a few short devotions/meditations from the pastors— and we hope it will be a special encouragement to you. We will also be singing a new song together, and you can get a head start on getting familiar with it: 'Christ Our Hope in Life and Death' by Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, Matt Merker and Matt Papa.
We also want to invite you, after the online service, for a drive-thru photo booth. From 1-3pm Sunday, come to the church parking lot dressed up-- dress up/decorate your car, too? Get your photo take in your car, and maybe get a chance to see some other people!
Mobilize to Action! Masks
Much news and talk has been done about making masks for yourselves and medical professionals. Unfortunately, there is not one single mask design that will work for everyone— for personal use as well as for medical use, or for each different facility's requirements or preferences. We are confident that our CBC church family can mobilize and work together to meet needs like this in our community, and we want to direct that energy towards helpful steps. We need to mobilize:
1. Materials
2. Tailors/Seamstresses/etc. and
3. Deliveries to Medical Facilities/Individuals that need them
If we don't have #3— medical facilities or individuals that need them, then we don't need to get steps 1 & 2 going unnecessarily.
So,
Please let us know if you know of a medical facility that needs masks or other equipment and is accepting homemade items.
Please let us know if you want to make a smaller amount that can be distributed for individual use when requested/needs arise
Please let us know if you might have materials that could be used:
Cotton
Interfacing material
Elastic
In a completely different area, we want to encourage you to be active in sharing the Gospel this week (especially, but no t just this week). Technology + this crisis has resulted in the Gospel being available online to more people than perhaps any other time before, and now it is your turn! You have the chance to share the Gospel through your individual testimony.
See Pastor Matt's video for an example.
Wednesday Zooms: For Everyone!
While our Sunday Services Online are filling the gap for our normal Worship Services, we have also been trying to keep something midweek going— for ongoing discipleship as well as fellowship (digital) and prayer. We have setup Zoom meetings for 3 adult classes and for the Youth Team (Pastor Matt). And while we have used the teachers and names of the adult classes that we had going before this crisis, that doesn't mean that only people who went to those classes can join. These are for everyone! If you want to be able to interact online midweek, just pick if you want to join the men's group (Ironmen— Pastor Kyle), the women's group (GIFT— Christie Noll), or a combined/open Bible Study group (Timothy— Brandon Howard).
Because of security precautions, we are not going to be sharing the links or the passwords to join online. If you are interested in joining one of the Zoom classes, contact the class leader or the church office. Don't let that stop you from joining! Enjoy chatting and praying together!
Online Giving
Thanks for continuing to faithfully give, online or through other means. Reminders for those using online giving: We are using a service someone else provides, and we owe them a small amount for it. Two things you can consider doing:
You can opt for ACH Bank transfers-- this is a significantly lower fee than credit/debit
You can opt to cover the fee yourself when you give. We understand that you may not be able to do this, and we are thankful if you do or if you don't.
Birthdays
Gunner Sloan April 6 Mildred Lockard April 11
Carol Mehaffy April 12
Anniversaries
Jerry & Clara Ingwerson April 10
Edward & Marcia Rich April 12