From the Pastor…
It is the time of year when we gear up for our most effective evangelistic outreach to the community – Vacation Bible School. This is our greatest evangelistic outreach and discipling event of the year, and is a time of fun and fellowship for children and workers alike. Sadly, as with so many other things in our world, VBS will not be a reality in most churches this summer. Fortunately for us, our VBS directors have been able to set up a “Virtual VBS” for us to offer the community this year! Please contact Carmen Hadinger for more information about registering your child, grandchild, or neighbor for this event.
We have returned to the sanctuary for worship, and it was so good to see 50-60 of our brothers and sisters here the first Sunday. It is not the same… but we are taking every imaginable precaution to keep everyone safe during this uncertain time. A special thanks to our deacons and others who are helping us do everything to make sure we keep everyone safe! Two unsung heroes in our church family are Bob and Mary Williamson. They have always done an outstanding job, but they have gone over and above in keeping our facilities sanitized and sparkling during this pandemic!
Thanks also goes out to our staff and volunteers who have had to adjust to our current reality. For those who don’t see everything that goes on behind the scenes, it might seem like a “lockdown” would mean that we get a break since not many folks are in the building every day. I have discovered that the opposite is true! There is a great amount of inconvenience and stress that has been added to each of our daily routines. Thank you to everyone who continues to make our live streams possible, and to everyone who makes sure that necessary ministry is being done. A special thanks to our secretary, Kristin Jones, who added the title of homeschool teacher to her daily routine for the last few months – yet continued to get everything done in a timely and professional manner.
While none of us would have chosen our recent circumstances, it has been a time of unique growth for RBC! We have had thousands of people join us for online worship – most of whom would not make the effort to come to our building for worship. We have learned of lives changed as a result of our virtual presence and ongoing ministry. Others in our congregation have made an effort of delivering food and medicines to those who could not leave their homes. The acts of mercy and kindness go far beyond anything we were seeing before this happened because healthy folks stepped up to assist those who were most vulnerable. Thank you!
We don’t know what the next few months will hold, but I would like to encourage you to keep up the ministry! Keep calling, texting, emailing, and sending cards of encouragement to one another. Keep praying for each other, our leaders, and our nation. And by all means, when you are able and comfortable doing so, come back to God’s House and return to in-person worship with God’s people!
In Christian Love,
Pastor Billy
댓글