Hope in Trial
Beloved,
Psalm 27:1,
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
The Lord reigns!! In times of uncertainty and upheaval, we must put our trust in the Lord. He is the stronghold of our life, our fortress and strong tower. The nations will rage and the world may totter, but our steadfast hope, Jesus Christ, is our sure and steady anchor in the storm.
As Elders, we encourage you to follow the recommendations from our state and national leaders and health organizations as we desire to do for our congregation. We are not medical professionals and we do not have the expertise on all the ramifications of this particular crisis.We do not want to overreact, but also do not want to under react. We feel it is most prudent to follow the guidelines set forth from our government. To that end, we are going to cancel all public gatherings through the end of March. This will give us time to monitor the impact of the Coronavirus and make adjustments as needed.
Even though we will not be gathering as a church, we will continue to be the church in caring and praying for one another as we love and serve each other during this season. Every family is going to respond to this crisis differently and every family will be affected by this crisis differently. Our deacons and elders will be checking on you during this time. We want to help each other during this crisis and here are some practical ways.
Financially: We are going to create a special benevolence fund that you can contribute to online, through text and/or through the mail to help church members who have been financially impacted due to loss of work and unexpected bills. Please continue to give your regular contributions to the church as you are able so we can maintain proper care for our staff and facility. www.parkbaptist.org/give
Physically: Most of our college students have gone home but there may be a need for housing in the next several weeks. Also, we may need help with shopping for groceries and/or supplies for those are most susceptible. As of right now, individuals are being cared for by family and friends, but we would love a group of people ready if the need arises. Local schools are canceled and are offering breakfast and lunches for families if you know anyone who has a need. Here is the information from the school system:
In order to support families in our district, we will begin offering free “grab and go” breakfast and lunch services at five locations to all students. Breakfast will be available between 8 – 10 a.m. and lunch will be available between 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Meals will be available to all children 18 years of age and younger. To pick up a meal, please visit the location most convenient to you. Children must be present with a parent or guardian to receive a free meal.
Belleview Elementary, 501 Belleview RoadFinley Road Elementary, 1089 Finley RoadRichmond Drive Elementary, 1162 Richmond DriveRosewood Elementary, 2240 Rosewood DriveOakdale Elementary, 1129 Oakdale Road
Spiritually: We want the Lord to use this crisis to deepen our faith and our trust in him. We hope you take advantage of this time to reflect on your walk with the Lord and to serve one another. Please pray for leaders of our local and national government, our churches, and for one another in handling this crisis with wisdom and strength in Christ. We can utilize technology for our gatherings as we will continue to livestream our services. All of our past sermons can be found on our YouTube channel and our podcast. We hope this serves you well. We also will be adding videos that will help you walk through the book of 1 Peter over the next two weeks. We have created the reading schedule posted below that you can follow with your family. We will be posting a new daily video that we hope will resource and encourage you in your family discipleship.
Beloved, we love you. It pains me not to gather together, but we want to love our neighbors by protecting them from the spread of this virus. One of the helpful tips I received from a medical professional in our church was to imagine you have the virus and your interactions with others should be to try and protect them from yourself. I believe this will help us think through how and when and where to interact with people. I was reminded of Gandalf's words to Frodo Baggins in the Lord of the Rings,
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Beloved, we must decide what to do with the time that has been given us. Let us steward for the for the love of our neighbors, for the hope of the gospel and for the glory of Almighty God.
In Christ,
Pastor Dave