Welcome to The Pastors’ Post, an update for life at Southern Cross.
More changes on the way! Anyone ready for 2022!?! With the change to the NSW Government road map, we have altered our SCPC road map from the Pastors’ Post on 8th October & 10th of October.
It has become apparent that Bible studies that meet on the church premises can be done on the grounds of religious exemptions. So on Wednesday night this week the men and women who lead our Gospel Communities met and made the decision we will aim to make the provision for DNAs to meet in person now that an avenue has been provided for all DNAs to meet if they choose to.
Therefore, Vision Coordinators will receive an electronic form today to enable your DNA to meet at Park Ave from this Monday 8th November if you require that space. We understand some DNAs will be able to take place in people’s homes so they can begin meeting this coming week. But for some GCs, this booking process will be important to ensure we provide spaces for DNAs from East Lismore and Southern Cross Goonellabah that require it.
We rejoice with you, our church family, for partnering with us in this challenging time and assisting us to achieve the goal of the SCPC road map: ‘all one in Christ Jesus’.
And don’t forget, that the congregational meeting will take place this Sunday 7th November at the Lismore show grounds from 11:30am.
If you were unable to attend the information session last weekend, please speak to someone who did attend. There will be a handbook available on Sunday with my transcript from last Sunday. But again, please speak to a member of Leadership Team or Committee of Management if you are unaware of the process up to now as we will aim for a clear and smooth meeting process to enable us to look at, and make a decision on the motion, to approve the financials for the Rev. James Ritchie as a private appointment as a Pastoral Assistant for 2022, before a more formal call process late 2022, for a possible induction into Southern Cross early 2023.
Finally, and briefly, we will have a slot in church family news this Sunday: ‘Love in Crisis’. What does love in crisis mean? Is love in crisis?? Maybe. It will be a short segment that aims to prepare our church family for the likely event of a COVID case in our church family and how to respond to that crisis. How to be safe. How to be calm. How to be loving in that crisis.
We are thankful for some of our health team at Southern Cross who have been able to brief me and in doing so Leadership Team and our staff team as we have created draft documents to enact if a COVID case is presented within our church family.
What difficult days we are in! It is stressful. It is confusing. It is hard. It is frustrating. It is annoying. It is worrying.
So I think as a church family, now is the time we desperately need to be:
Calm
Understanding
Thoughtful
Wise
Delicate
Considerate
Kind
Empathetic
And respectful
We will certainly need much prayer and supernatural strength to love in these days.
Let me close or pray from Ephesians 3 verses 14-21.
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Thanks for tuning in to The Pastors’ Post.