Dear sisters and brothers,
I want to begin by updating you on progress various groups are making as we all try and live as God’s true people during this pandemic.
Following the meeting of the Wardens of St Peter’s and myself, and the Wardens of St Andrew’s and myself I want to let you know the following:
- Training has happened for people interested in what a Covid Marshall is expected to do in a church service or ministry setting or in becoming or training Marshalls for these occasions. Thanks to Adrian Culbert in particular this training will progressively be made available for all who want it.
- Professional cleaning contractors are to commence weekly cleaning of some of the St Peter’s properties in late August. They will clean to commercial standards and our timetable.
- Junior Jivers and Youth are almost there! Leaders of these ministries have worked very hard to finalize their Covid19 Safety Plans and have consulted with Anglican Youthworks Regional Advisers before gaining approval to start meeting. They plan to re-commence Junior Jivers and Friday Youth Group in the next few weeks, and of course are keeping group members informed. Please pray for our leaders to be not only faithful in ensuring the groups meet in a safe (and CovidSafe) environment but that their zeal to see families reached with the gospel will be even stronger than before Covid. Please pray for non-church kids and their families to be converted through the work of our sisters and brothers.
- The Wardens and I have agreed that for the time being non-parish/outside events and groups will not be permitted to use our properties. This includes weddings or funerals for people not part of our parish and/or conducted by other ministers, and outside groups which may have met on our property in the past. We are being cautious, we know, but our first priority is St Peter’s and St Andrew’s own ministries.
- The Covid19 Safety Team continues to keep its finger on the pulse in order that as we make any decisions about returning to even remotely “normal” church life we will have the best and latest information. Thank you to Jason Manning and the Team.
- I will be the go-to person for enquiries and questions about what is happening in all this. There are a number of groups working on and within our strategy – among them are our wardens and the Team, ministry staff and those with other responsibilities- and it is best if one person is at the centre coordinating and overseeing our response. Please direct all enquiries to me on 0411 770 451 or dkhowell@exemail.com.au. (I am available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and Sundays as well)
I don’t know about you, but I am personally really sad that we are not able to meet as we used to (well, as you used to, but the same is true no matter which church people belong to). It seems like every week – sometimes every day – the number of Covid19 cases in our community and the number of “case locations” changes. Our governments are doing their best to be wise, cautious and clear in what they expect of the community. Some of us are super-cautious, even fearful. As Christians we want to be known as those who love one another and those outside of Christ. We want to demonstrate godly citizenship, especially in times like these. So, can we not meet together?
I wonder if you realize that such are the precautions we need to take at the moment that church in our buildings would be very different from what we are used to.
Our Team has worked out how many people each of our buildings can safely hold under the government directives. Attendees would need to book a seat ahead to ensure no overcrowding. We could not mingle and chat with one another either before or after the service. We would have to sign in – as you do at any club, restaurant etc. you plan to visit and answer questions about our state of health and where we may have visited. We could not sit closer than 1 ½ metres to each other. We could not sing or join in prayers, creeds etc. as a body. We would have to listen to at the most two singers singing to us. If children were present there may well not be any provision for separate ministry to them. We would have to leave the building one row at a time under the direction of Marshalls. We would have to go straight home.
I know there are numbers of churches who are meeting in this way, and there are some small ways in which this scenario may differ from one church to another. But frankly, and I am open to other suggestions, I much prefer what’s happening now, and our working to try and make better use of the recorded or live-streamed services. How can “receivers” do that?
Think about the service you watch as “Church at Home”. Think about ways in which you can use what’s broadcast more than just watching it. Send in a question or comment to the preacher. Think and pray about who you might invite to come and enjoy it with you, like you would do with normal church. Phone friends from your service to chat over what you watched – you could even be on the phone to them as you watch and at least sing together! And before the service starts – perhaps 10 minutes before, stop and pray for all those who are working behind the scenes to prepare and broadcast the service you are about to watch. That we seem to have so very few glitches in the broadcast is due to the kindness of God in giving us such dedicated and competent servants. And pray that as the broadcast goes out God’s word read, sung and preached will convert people. It does happen!
A personal story.
For about 2 years my home church at Fairy Meadow has been live-streaming the Bible readings and sermon each Sunday on Facebook. We know that non-churched people watch, because they often make comments that can be seen by all watching on their device.
One Sunday I noticed my sister’s name, saying she was watching. She has had a difficult life and for years has dabbled in many different religions – New Age, Christian Science, forms of Buddhism etc.
Brought up with a church involvement she had wandered off into many different wildernesses. She had always been very defensive, even hurt, when my Mum challenged her. And now, somehow, she had come across Fairy Meadow Anglican Church sermons on Facebook! She was intrigued, kept watching, began to read solid Christian authors, and somewhere along the line, by the mercy of God she has been converted. She lives an hour out of Sydney and isn’t in a church yet, but she laps up good solid Bible teaching and is increasingly prayerful. God is changing her!
Rejoice with me that this sort of story is not unique. And pray God will use this strange time to bring many people to himself.
Your friend,
Deryck Howell
Acting Rector