Hey River City,
How are you doing? I hope you are experiencing the Lord’s presence as we all walk through this challenging time together (as together as we can be with social distancing!). One of the greatest challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic is the uncertainty and change. Each day seems to bring a new development which requires a new response. As you walk through each day, remember these powerful words from the book of Isaiah:
But now, this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; (Isaiah 43:1-3a).
God is with us; we do not need to fear! This is going to be our drumbeat as we respond to the challenges around us!
I’m sure you all have been following the latest news and responses from our government. We are doing everything we can to be supportive and helpful to the containment efforts. We at River City are planning the next 8 weeks without any large group gatherings on our campus. This includes all weekend services, classes, meetings, etc. Our school, River City Believers Academy, will not be having classes on campus for the foreseeable future. The Beth Moore event has been canceled or at least postponed. Easter in the Amphitheater will not happen as planned but will become a different kind of virtual worship experience. Of course, the number of weeks could lessen or increase depending on how the situation develops.
By God’s amazing grace, we as a church are well prepared for this challenge:
- We already broadcast our services and will continue to equip and support the body through this season. We are adding new platforms like Roku and Apple TV. We will be providing more content to minister and inform through this difficult time.
- We are already a church of small groups which will continue to operate as “The Church” by meeting together and looking for ways to serve our community. We will use this time to better train our leaders to really “pastor” their groups as well as minister to their surrounding communities.
- We will increase our capacity to serve our community. Real Life Christian Assistance is increasing its hours to serve those in our community who need resources. We are aggressively reaching out to our local medical communities to support them with prayer, care packages, and even child-care.
- We have established a new page on our site to get the most current information and updates. www.reallife.org/covid19response.
Our staff members are not sitting idly during this time. We are working hard to adjust to the new realities of ministry in the midst of greater need and social distancing. In fact, any staff who have fewer responsibilities due to our campus shutdown are being reassigned to support the new ministry opportunities that have been created.
One of my greatest prayer concerns is the economic impact of all the shutdowns. I know this will affect many people. God has given me a powerful word addressing this concern for this weekend. Please plan to be a part through our Facebook page, Roku, or Apple TV. (Many of you know that reallife.org/live crashed due to the flood of traffic this last week. We are getting that upgraded but it may not be ready for this Sunday. Check out one of these other live streams to experience our service this weekend.)
In regard to the finances, I am praying that God will build our faith as we experience His provision together. I’d like to ask you to continue to tithe as you continue to have income. There are some who will lose their income at this time and we will be praying for them and serving them in any way that we can. It is important that the rest of us realize that we are stepping up in ministry to our community, and our expenses are not decreasing but will actually increase with new ministry needs and opportunities. If you are able, this would be a great time to do something extra to help the fellowship minister to the community as we navigate this time. Giving online is a safe and efficient way to support our ministry through this time. Click here to give now.
This is my prayer for all of you during this time:
Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God (2 Corinthians 9:10-11).
God has given me a sense of anticipation for the upcoming weeks and months. I think we are going to see Him move powerfully as we trust Him and as we grow in our understanding of the New Testament Church. Let’s be diligent and focused in our prayer as we look for His provision!
I am praying for you!