Corona Virus Update

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VINTAGE FAMILY...I LOVE YOU GUYS!

There is SO much I want to say to each of you. I know you have heard this from me before, but I feel like it’s worth saying it again—I truly believe that God has prepared us as His saints for seasons of uncertainty.  Throughout the Gospels, we see how Jesus offers certainty in Him both to His original disciples and now to us at Vintage, as He leads all to look UP at Him, and not OUT at our situation. God>Circumstances

This entire year we've focused on the powerful reality that "God is GREATER than > ______" That blank space represents everything this world has to offer: broken relationships, destroyed finances, political chaos, wealth and health.  During this last month at Vintage, God’s continued faithfulness to His people and His commitment to sharing His glory through us to the world has been on display throughout Nehemiah 9. As the uncertainty of the world increases in light of COVID-19, we have an incredible opportunity to live, love, lead and look like Jesus—placing our certainty in HIM. This world has always been uncertain, but COVID-19 has made people feel the uncertainty in a more tangible way. As believers we take our human responsibility seriously through respecting the health of those around us; while allowing our trust in God to be tangible for the watching world. 

With that as our aim and focus, I want to share part of our personal and corporate response:

PERSONALLY: 

  • Finding peace in the midst of trials is evidence that we trust God's sovereign plan: faith>fear!  Remember Jesus SENT us to live amongst those who don't know or trust Him yet—these are our friends and family looking for PEACE in the midst of all this uncertainty, and as followers of Christ we have a clear call to be the #LivingProof of our loving God; and we are surrounded with new chances this month!

  • Remember the early Church was called to step in and care for the poor and the sick so we ask you to continue praying for everyone involved, those who are sick and those who are caring for the sick.  #Prayeristhework

  • We’re also asking you to Pray-Watch-Step as the Spirit leads. You may have neighbors who need practical help. Maybe food or toilet paper—Sharing>Stockpiling!  Our call as followers of Christ is to see the needs and be the need-fillers. This is what we mean by “Opportunities>Obstacles” and “No Set Backs, Just #SetUp’s”!  God is on the move, let's keep our eyes open. 

CORPORATELY: 

  • Forgive us for the delayed response, but we have been monitoring the situation diligently and now are ready to share that EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY (3/15-4/5) there will not be physical Sunday morning gatherings.

  • Church isn’t cancelled...it’s online! All campus gatherings on Sundays are being moved to an interactive online format *Options for Kids will be available as well!

  • We will continue to stream our services on Facebook Live as well as through our YouTube Channel, which you can subscribe to here 

  • If you don’t have Facebook this may be a great time to sign up for a short season as we won't just have our Sunday gatherings there but also daily ways to connect and interact too!  

  • I’ll be sharing more of these updates on Sunday, during our FB Live gathering at 10:00am. 

  • We’re calling this season our “SUNDAY MORNING RECESS”

  • Recess was always something I looked forward to as a kid as it was a break from the normal/regular schedule and was always FUN and different :-)  That really is my prayer for all of us during this different schedule and break from our normal gatherings.

  • As for our other adult gatherings on campus including all midweek youth gatherings, they will be on recess as well. 

  • Recess also means “to take a break” and I am excited to see what God will do during this time of recess for us all :-) 

MOVING FORWARD:

  • First and foremost, keep praying!

  • Second, we say every Sunday the best part of the service is the SENDING, so consider yourself SENT now & everyday.  Sundays are our time to gather before we scatter, and although we won't be gathering physically we will still be gathering virtually and still be living sent.

  • Couple of final things we’re hoping for--if you’re healthy would you consider offering VG Watch Party with your group and friends in your home, we will have a special sermon this weekend where I'll be focusing on the #Certainty we have in Christ, during these uncertain times.  Then we will dive back into Nehemiah on March 22nd.

  • Stay tuned for other ways to connect digitally–we are very excited for the creative ways we’re planning to keep moving the Gospel forward during this unique season.

  • As a Family Ministry, we will provide ideas to make the most of this “SUNDAY MORNING RECESS”--capturing the time to invest in our families, our faith, and our laughter. We trust God has invited us into this season as well!

As I share all of this, I recognize the fear from our society, because I see it in the empty shelves and parking lots around town and even more so saturated in our social media accounts—honestly fear seems to have gone viral even quicker than the virus. Although this is discouraging at times, I also see it as a MASSIVE MOMENT for us as the Church to practice what we preach as the #LivingProof.  2 Timothy 1:7 says that God gave us a Spirit of power and love, not of fear; and Jesus modeled this for us, not just by washing hands, but by taking the form of a servant and washing feet!  

How can we be like Jesus?  May we pray-watch-step, sharing the peace of Christ that doesn’t just conquer temporal ailments, but eternal ones too! 

Can’t wait to “See” you Sunday...

Partnering with you--For His Glory!

Drew


 
Vintage Grace