I pray that you are all well and making the most of this opportunity to slow-down (somewhat).
It’s easy to lose routine in all of this and feel frazzled or ‘undone.’ So, we have decided to be more structured for ourselves and the children.
Although we encourage everyone to stay connected be careful that, in our eagerness to stay connected (to each other and the news), we do not become overly attached to our screens. It seems that everyone is using this opportunity to broadcast their thoughts and ideas to fill our time (even churches).
Maybe, we could use some of this time to spend with God and our families in increased measure. Maybe, use the phone and ring someone rather than online chat? We could contemplate having set online connection times? That’s our goal anyway, you do what is best for you.
What’s On? Sunday Services
In terms of what’s happening as a church we will continue to keep our sacred rhythm of gathering together every Sunday at 10am, but online at our facebook page:
www.facebook.com/pg/Ststephensponsonby/videos/
You can view the video without having a Facebook account (ask Douglas) but can only interact if you have a Facebook account. We encourage you to join us and stay together as best we can given the circumstances. Maybe, you could create a temporary account for this season or lend a hand to those who do not have such technology.
Children
There will be a children’s slot happening on Sunday morning. This will also include a fun ‘hope challenge’ for children to participate in (adults you can participate too! See below):
The Hope Challenge
Create a banner, sign or some sort of display using whatever you can think of that people can see from the street to inspire others with hope that we can do this and that it will be alright. Be creative.
You can upload photos of their creations to the St Stephen’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pg/Ststephensponsonby
Or email them to ststephensponsonby@gmail.com for us to upload.
There may be prizes coming in the post too.
Mid-week Prayer
We will be live-streaming mid-week reflective prayer. This will be a time to centre ourselves on God. It will happen every Wednesday night at 8pm for 10-20 minutes. We will explore some ancient practices together to keep our minds and spirits centred on God.
Another Private Facebook Page to Connect St Stephen’s also has a private facebook group here:
www.facebook.com/groups/1280809765643406/
This group is for fun, giggles and laughs. You can even see my acting debut (cringe) as I sought to find humour in our current situation. Feel free to ask to join. You may just want to have a looksie now and then. No pressure to participate but it is there for when you feel like connecting online.
Go well, be good, be kind, show grace to each other. And keep connected (in healthy ways).
And I shall give the last word to the Apostle Paul:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” (Philippians 4:8)
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