Wednesday Update: 05.06.10

Hello Grace Church Family,

I hope you’re doing well through this challenging time.  In this Wednesday update, we wanted to address three main questions that are probably on all our of minds right now:

HOW TO HANDLE PANDEMIC DIFFERENCES?

In an article we would highly recommend, a seminary Vice President is quoted as saying: “Prediction: one of the most challenging aspects of the #COVID19 recovery will be disagreements over acceptable post-COVID social norms between friends and family. Hurt feelings will abound if we’re not careful. Extend lots of grace. Everyone is different.”

That seems to be the stage we’re in now:  emerging differences in how we view the severity of this COVID crisis, the importance of social distancing, what the government’s response should or should not be, and how churches should or should not respond to all of this.  As very different people joined together in Christ, it’s to be expected that we would view this multi-faceted situation in a variety of ways.

That article highlights three categories in which we can find ourselves:  the confident, the cautious, and the cauti-dent (they feel a bit of both).  Yet we can benefit from these differences among us.  The author offers “4 attitudes for COVID-19 recovery that will strengthen your ability to navigate differing views and approaches.”  He writes:

1. Optimistic people are a blessing to my life. It keeps me hopeful about the future and enables me to embrace uncertainty as opportunity.
2. Cautious people are a blessing to my life. It keeps me sensitive to the needs and concerns of others and enables me to make prudent decisions.
3. Different gifts and approaches make us all more effective. Pride demands that everyone do things the way we demand. Read 1 Corinthians 12 and celebrate different gifts.
4. People matter more than my opinion. Being in healthy relationships with people is a privilege that requires me to love others above myself. When I am highly opinionated, I can needlessly hurt others.

Then he offers a bottom line:  Choose Love.  “In the end, these attitudes prepare our hearts and minds to do one thing above all else: choose love. Preserving valuable relationships and developing healthy teams, churches, and families is more important than winning arguments, or being (more) right.”

As elders we are confident that we will walk through this season with love as a body, because that’s the kind of people you are in Christ.  Thank you for being a body that sincerely cares for and loves one another like that!

(Here’s another helpful article in this regard:  “Four Ways to Disagree Graciously” – go HERE.)

HOW IS THE CHURCH DOING FINANCIALLY?

I have been asked this question more than any other, and I appreciate the sincere care for this body behind the question!  Here’s the latest income update for us as a church:

	Actual Contributions	Budgeted Contributions	Difference
March, 2020	$22,076	$27,150 **	– 5,074
April, 2020	$21,240	$21,720	– 480

** March had five Sundays, so budgeted figure was higher.

Thank you so very much for continuing to worship God through your financial giving in a consistent and consistently generous manner!  I hope you know that God is glorified by our ongoing trust in his trustworthiness.  Let’s continue to fix our eyes on him and on eternal things, as we gladly invest into his purposes right here.

In addition, over the past two months a total of $5,381 was very generously given to our benevolence fund.  When this crisis first began, we anticipated some immediate benevolence needs.  However, those needs have not yet materialized.  Nevertheless, these funds will be there when they do.  If you find yourself in financial need please contact our “benevolence point person,” Dave Poe.  Dave will lead us into helping you any way we can.

On a related note, some members have asked about our part-time staff:  Sarah Rehart (children’s ministry / youth ministry) and Tiffanie Arthur (administration).  Both Sarah and Tiff approached us suggesting that their employment be suspended due to a lack of work from the church and their other employment.  As a result, Sarah and Tiff are not employees of Grace Church at the present time and are volunteering their time on a more limited basis.  We have every intention of rehiring Sarah.  However, Tiffanie is evaluating her longer-term plans and will let us know what she desires regarding future employment.  If you have any questions, do let us know; and please thank Sarah and Tiffanie for their ongoing and invaluable help!!

WHAT WILL OUR SUNDAY SERVICES LOOK LIKE?

This is the question we have begun to think through as elders and with our ministry team leaders:  what should our services look like when we do start meeting again?  There is a lot to think through in this regard, like:

• What does social distancing look like in a Sunday service?
• What healthy practices can we implement? (e.g., are masks needing to be worn?)
• What other adjustments need to be made to our services?
• How shall we handle the Lord’s Supper?
• Is children’s ministry possible, and if so: how and when?
• Most of all, how can we best love and serve one another through this time?

We are actively engaged in thinking through those issues and formulating plans.  Our goal is to create as safe an environment as possible for all our members and guests.  We will strive for this goal out of sincere love for one another (John 13.34-35; Rom 12.10, etc.) and the prioritization of others’ interests above our own (Phil 4.4-7).

We don’t know yet when we will be able to gather again, but we do know that we will gather again, friends.  Please continue to be patient in this regard.  The Governor’s office and San Diego County will likely provide more specific guidelines for re-opening churches.  In the meantime, please pray for us as elders in this way.  We welcome your input on these matters as well.  If you have specific questions, suggestions or concerns about our Sunday services resuming, please email me:  Tab@gracechurcheast.org .

On behalf of all our elders, we miss seeing all of you face-to-face, but we know that day is coming soon.  We love you and thank God for you!

Tab

PS – One more resource:  Psalm 91 speaks of God delivering us “from the deadly pestilence.”  It’s a very encouraging psalm in a time like this, but how should we rightly understand and apply it?  Here’s a great article to help you appropriately interpret that passage:  “No Plague Near Your Tent.” (go HERE)