Pastor’s Perspective 12-25-2020
This is my last Pastor’s Perspective of 2020. It has been a year unlike any other in my lifetime. Like many of you, I am ready to turn the page. To move forward to what I hope will be a better year with a brighter future. But before we do, I want to share some final thoughts on the year of COVID. Those thoughts center on the words “Thank You.”
Thank you for helping us keep our church family safe and healthy. We took a risk back in June opening up our worship services for in person attendance. We put numerous safety protocols in place for those who would choose to worship in person. We encouraged anyone who felt uncomfortable for any reason to stay home and connect with us online. We have not had a single case of COVID transmission on our entire campus! We all know some individuals who have contracted the virus, but none of them did so here at church. And that was with a very robust schedule of rehearsals and recordings for this year’s virtual SCT. We cannot let our guard down now. To that end, our worship services the next two Sundays (December 27th & January 3rd) will be virtual only at 11:00. Many of us will be with loved ones over the Christmas holiday. The risk of exposure and transmission is greater and we want to mitigate that risk. Thank you for helping us keep each other safe and healthy!
Thank you for your faithfulness in giving. Despite our initial concern that this virus may negatively impact giving, you have not missed a beat! Giving this year has been exceptional! You have enabled us to do the work of the church in spite of the unique challenges of this year. Additionally, you have given generously to our 2020 Vision enabling us to significantly enhance the sound in our sanctuary and to project our services virtually when a majority of our folks are still worshipping with us online. Because of your generosity, we are close to purchasing the additional cameras and audiovisual equipment we need to support both services with equal quality. Thank you for your faithful giving!
Last, but not least, thank you for your love and support. This has been a challenging year for all of us, and particularly so for people in positions of leadership having to make decisions in the face of so much uncertainty. You have overwhelmingly communicated your love and appreciation to all of us on staff. It means more than you know. I could not be more proud of all of you! And I love you! ~ John