Over the last few weeks, I have missed the sweet fellowship we usually enjoy on Sundays and Wednesdays as a church family. Not seeing your smiling faces and interacting with the kids have made Sundays a strange time since we have been apart. Although we are not able to meet together, we as a staff are trying to stay connected with our members and supply you with the resources to worship as a family.
During a time in which we are physically separated, I would like to encourage you with two reminders to ensure that we continue to grow spiritually and not allow our spiritual lives to be hindered. First, personal Bible study, quiet time, or devotional time, whichever you prefer to call it, has become more important than it ever has been. Even during times when we are meeting together as a church, individual Bible study and prayer are a vital aspect of a Christian’s spiritual growth. Without the ability to study the Bible in Sunday School and worship, the time we spend studying the Bible each day be- comes even more important. I want to challenge you to set aside time each day to dive into God’s Word and spend time in prayer. If we build this habit now, we can continue to grow spiritually through a pandemic and when life returns to normal.
Second, I encourage you to take family worship that is available through Facebook and the church website seriously. When Bro. John or others are teaching Sunday School, let us give them our undivided attention. When Bro. Mark leads us in wor- ship and Bro. Tommy shares a message from God’s Word, having a Bible out and the outline pulled up will help to engage our attention on the message. Use the Sunday night lessons with your children and tune into Jeremy’s message on Wednes- day nights at 6:00. If possible, watch the services live. There is something unique about watching the services together as a church body even when we are apart. Use the craft and other activities provided to reinforce the story that your children learned this week. Use the resources provided to fulfill the Great Commission even when we cannot see other people. Share the messages on Facebook and send the links to friends and family that do not know the Lord. Lead your family in a devotion time each night and make sure to hold worship as a priority.
Worship during this time looks different, and it takes effort to truly engage with the resources provided by your church. When we are able to come back to church, I pray that we can look back on this period as a time of spiritual growth through personal study and family worship, and that we look forward with joy and a newfound appreciation to the time when we are able to fellowship again.
In Christ, Kyle Brassell