Beloved TMC,
We’ve arrived at Maundy Thursday! I wanted to let you know the plan for Easter Sunday. We had planned to do live music and preaching with the help of Zoom, but with increased restrictions amid the pandemic, as well as the desire to make our service to you as smooth as possible, we’ve decided against that plan. We will pre-record the sermon and create the Youtube playlist for you as we did last Sunday.
We do, however, want to have a time of virtual gathering Easter morning. It is likely that we will continue this moving forward in an effort to see each other and pray together ahead of our participation in ‘corporate’ worship. To this end, we will have a church-wide Zoom meeting from 10:30-10:50 a.m. or thereabouts.
In order to facilitate this, we will create break out ‘rooms’ that keep the groups to a more conversational size. Consider it an opportunity to greet and pray together in view of worship. Additional details will be forthcoming. For now, take a mental note, frequent Slack, and get excited about more interaction this coming Sunday.
A few other items for your consideration:
- Is there anyone in the church body without the means or know-how to participate in this kind of on-line activity? Reach out to them and see how you can be of help in equipping them for this. If that’s not possible, reach out to them by phone or email and be the community they would otherwise miss.
- We all have unbelieving family and friends (and enemies). I’m sure we also know a fair amount of disbelieving, disassociated believers. How can you connect them to Christ this Easter Sunday? How can you promote the Gospel ministry of TMC for their benefit? Maybe, you can share the playlist from this coming Sunday and e-chat with them about it afterward. Maybe, you can share the blog posts planned for later this week and follow up with them. You can certainly reach out to them and ask how you might pray for them, or if they’ve given any thought recently to the vital veracity of Christ crucified and raised. Whatever it is, let’s create ways to get Christ to souls and souls to Christ in these days.
- Would you pray for me and your elders and deacons? I know I need it. I need ‘a closer walk with Jesus.’ I want to know, as Paul told us in Philippians, His resurrection power. I want to be more like Him in His death, more for Him in my life. My spirits are down of late. So, more than anything, I long to feel the fact that He is above! I desire the peace, the courage, the joy, the Christ-centered-ness that comes from the knowledge that Jesus is risen! And not just for a day, but increasingly in all my days. For this, I and we covet your prayers.
As always, the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith (1 Tim 1:5).
Brian (on behalf of your elders)