Pastor’s Weekly Update – Chaires United Methodist Church

March 28, 2020

Greeting in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!

As we continue to live in unprecedented times, we are challenged to find ways to continue to be the church (not just a building). To find ways to be community without gathering together physically. On Thursday, the Cabinet of the Florida United Methodist Church after prayer and discernment requested that all churches no hold Public (Corporate) Worship through Easter Sunday as recommended by the CDC.

SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP: 10 AM LIVE-STREAMED

This service will be live-streamed from the Chaires United Methodist Facebook page at 10 AM and posted later at our church website: www.ChairesUMC.com

If you know someone who does not have Facebook, please call them on a phone with a speaker and let them listen to the service with you as you watch.

Please pray that God blesses us again with no streaming issues.

FLORIDA CHILDREN’S HOME – 5th Sunday Offering

This Sunday is a 5th Sunday, a time we make a sacrificial offering (over and above our Tithe) to support the ministry of the Florida Children’s Home and Madison Youth Ranch. Since we cannot be together physically, please send in your gift to the church or use our online giving option and indicate where you want the funds to go.

TITHES AND OFFERINGS:

Please remember to mail in your tithes and offerings to the church. You can also give securely online at www.ChairesUMC.com

Thanks to those who have sent in your contributions this week!

LENTEN BIBLE STUDY – WORDS FROM THE CROSS

We will offer Session 5 on Tuesday morning at 10 AM with the addition of a call-in option for those who do not have Facebook and ability to see the live-stream video.

You are invited to use this to create a time of discussion.

The Dial-in Number is : (425) 436-6367

The Access Code is: 283650

Please keep the church informed of your prayer needs and other needs.

To connect to the church you can send in request to the following:

Church Email: ChairesUnitedMethodist@gmail.com

Church Secretary: SecretaryChairesUMC@gmail.com

Pastor Zig: pastorzig@gmail.com

The Church Office is open on Tuesday & Thursday from 10 AM to 2 PM. You can leave a message at: 850-219-9361

Remember to pray for one another and to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit to reach out by phone to one another.

Devotional:

“The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations and thwarts all their schemes. But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; God’s intentions can never be shaken.” Psalm 33:10-11 NLT

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently told an audience the world is now in a “somewhat dangerous and chaotic” state. She went on to say the geopolitical and economic balance is “under strain and under threat: and we’re seeing the breakdown of the global order as we once knew it.” What we need is a plan – and we have it!

There are two levels of God’s planning for us.

First, God has a plan for the history of the world. All the current global events are unfolding under God’s providential eye. Even the leaders of the world’s greatest nations are like grasshoppers to God. If we look closely, we can see the events moving toward the prophetic promises of Scripture.

Second, God has a plan for you. God is both infinite and intimate. Psalm 139:16 says, “You saw me before I was born. Everyday of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (NLT).

Don’t worry about tomorrow, God has an incredible, unchanging plan for us and for our world.

“The God who knows you best knows the best for you.” Woodrow Kroll

Prayer:

Gracious and loving God, we are in need of your Almighty Hand to touch our community, state, nation and world. We are under attack by a virus we cannot see that has disrupted our lives, created mass unemployment, shut down businesses, closed schools, limited travel, and taken lives. This virus has even closed the church to public worship! Now we are faced with the knowledge of no corporate worship on Palm Sunday and Easter. Faithful God, help us to stay connected with the technology You have provided, to worship you in a virtual community. Draw us close to You, lay upon our hearts to pray for those who are still serving on the front lines and to lift them up in prayer. Most High God, we ask that You begin to stop this spread of the virus, to level the curve, to restore our communities, to provide hope for those suffering. Bring us back together soon O Lord, so that we as your people can sing you praised and lift up your holy name. We ask all of this in the name of your Son, and our Savior, Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Peace,