Dear Harvest Family,
Hafa adai! I am looking forward to our livestream service tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. Though it certainly will not be the same as "assembling together," it will be good to be in the Word and at least be in the same "virtual place."
Let me encourage you about two things:
Schedule to set aside this time for individual and family worship, just like you would other Sundays. Don’t plan to do anything else at the same time – don’t cook dinner, work on a project, wash the dog, etc. Make the effort to preserve this time for focus on God and His Word. If you are living with family, plan to gather in one location rather than spread out on separate devices. If you have a roommate, watch together. Perhaps invite some in your house who may not normally attend church with you, to join you for this time. Maybe you could plan to get together at 10:15 and pray in your group, asking God to bring many people from our island to the Livestream and to prepare your own heart and family for this time of worship. Livestream and virtual church can never be a replacement for the Biblical command to "assemble together, provoking each other to love and good works" (Hebrews 10:24-25), but I am praying that this would be a sweet time of family worship.
Can I also encourage you about your regular giving of tithes and offerings? These will likely be challenging financial days for many in our church family. Just like everybody else, our ministry is considering ways that we can adjust our budgets to the economic reality that may come. Even one week without the generous giving of the HBC family will affect our ministry in some ways. I encourage you to continue to give faithfully a portion of what God has given to you. I assure you that God always honors the faithful giving of His people in obedience to Him. The best and easiest way may be to give online. Watch the video below for instructions.
Of course, you can mail your offering to the church or even drop it off in the school drop box by the outside door to the offices. I am looking forward to seeing the ways that God is going to provide for His church in the same ways that I am confident He is going to provide for each one of us.
I want you to know that Faith and I love you and we are thankful for you. Please let me or one of the other pastors know if you are feeling overwhelmed or unusually anxious. I understand that we are all feeling the uncertainty. But I don’t want anyone to walk a path of real anxiety and fear by themselves. I want to help you and walk beside you during these days.
Praying for you and for God’s glory to shine like a beacon from Harvest Ministries,
Pastor Gary