COVID-19 and Our Sunday Morning Gatherings

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Dear Redeemer Family,

The Elders have been in discussions with one another every day as new information comes out as we want to make the wisest decision possible. We do not take lightly the responsibility before us to minister and lead you guys well. We ask that you be patient and gracious with us. These are difficult times, and there is no seminary class or book one can read that prepares us on “ministering in a pandemic.” I would be hesitant to pass judgment on any church or pastor during this time as all of them are seeking to do what is best. There are truly ZERO good answers when the suggestions from the CDC are to suspend all gatherings of more than 10 people. Yet, that is precisely the latest recommendation from the CDC and from President Trump, and as of Thursday at noon, our Governor passed an Executive Order limiting all social gatherings to 10 people.

As such, we have made the difficult decision to not gather for our Sunday services for the next 2 weeks. Should this need to be extended (or re-evaluated) we will do so as the situation progresses. We believe this is in keeping with scripture’s command to be submissive to the governing authorities that God has placed over us (Romans 13) and also to love our neighbors as we do our part in preventing the spread of the COVID-19 disease. We agonized over this decision and held out hope we could do something different, but it has become more and more clear this is the best choice among several undesirable options.

What does this mean for us for Sunday gatherings? Well, we believe the church actually must gather for the regular observance of corporate worship to take place. It is what we mean when we say “corporate.” As we all know, watching a livestream is not the same thing as being present with fellow believers and singing together and encouraging one another in person. There is something special and unique about gathered corporate worship. It cannot be replicated via technology. So, we will not attempt to replicate it. Our prayer is that this time of distance will stir in us an affection for our Lord and others so that we will long for reunion and our corporate gathering will be an even sweeter time of reunion because we are actually together! Consider these days like a ‘fast’, where one forgoes the blessings of food in spiritual focus and preparation. But those fasts are ‘broken’ by a sweet time of feasting. We pray that our worship will be more joyous, more glorious, when we are gathered back together praising our Lord…corporately!

That said, we do believe that the Lord’s Day has been set aside for the church to worship our Savior, and even if we are providentially hindered from gathering corporately the church as it is scattered should spend the day in worship. Our longing for corporate worship should not prevent us from spending time in private worship. We encourage you to spend time on Sundays reading Scripture with your family (or, if you desire, with another family as well), singing songs, and listening to the Word of God taught. To that end, I will be preparing a video exposition of a text and making that available to our church family through Facebook and YouTube each week that will assist you in family (scattered) worship. We will make a Spotify and YouTube playlist of songs that can be utilized by your family for singing songs together. If you desire a hymnal to utilize for family worship, we will gladly make those available to you as well. So, this will not be a livestream of an entire service, but it will be an exposition of a text each week to meditate on and discuss among family (and other church members) to aid in private and family worship.

During the rest of the week, throughout this time of “quarantine” we encourage you to spend time in meditating on the scriptures and growing your prayer life. We encourage families to be more diligent in family devotions. We encourage each of you to join us in shepherding one another. (An easy way to do this is to go through the membership directory and call another member to ask how they are doing spiritually.) Spend time making phone calls and texting one another to pray for each other and encourage one another. Ligonier Ministries made all of the teaching lessons of RC Sproul available for free, you could watch those lessons and discuss them with others. You could start a book club. Though technology is horrible at replicating corporate worship, it is a great tool to keep us connected at this level. Utilize it to the glory of God and for the good of your own soul.

I also want to add a few notes of housekeeping for us. The Elders will be contacting you on a regular basis for the duration of this situation to check on your spiritual health. Please share openly and honestly with us as we want to care for you well. We are ALWAYS available for you if you need anything at all. To that end, the deacons are also available to you, to meet physical needs. If you are struggling physically or financially let us know so we can help. The majority of our member care will be done through Community Groups, since each is led by Elders and Deacons. If you are not connected to one, we encourage you to reach out to any Elder or Deacon so that you can be included into their group’s care. Their contact info is in the Membership Directory and at the end of this letter.

One of the ways that many churches will struggle through this situation is a lack of funds as giving often drops off in times of crisis. We encourage you to keep giving during this time, and you can do so through our church website. These funds help us pay bills and provide benevolence for those in need, and we thank you for your continued generosity.

Please know that these decisions have weighed on us heavily. It breaks my heart to not be with you face to face. It is out of concern for those in our church and larger Abilene community, and submission to the recommendation of our government leaders, that we would even consider such drastic steps. I understand if you wish we would consider something different, but I have consulted dozens of pastors, and we have spent hours in discussion and prayer about this and believe it is the best course of action for us at this time. Your elders would ask that you would be patient with us and gracious in disagreement, and we ask that you trust us. We love you all dearly. You are prayed for regularly and consistently. We truly want what is best for your spiritual good. If you have concerns, we would be glad to talk with you. We will also gladly take your encouragement, because this task is not easy.

As we go through this difficult period in our congregation’s life we pray that the Lord would cause our hearts to be warmed for the local church he has placed in. God is good, and this time of difficulty is for our good, even if we struggle to see it. The Lord has not ceased to be Sovereign. I remind you of the words of William Cowper, the 18th century English poet and hymn writer:

God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm. Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs, and works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, the clouds ye so much dread, are big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

We will continue to trust the Lord for his grace – and look toward seeing his smiling face.

The words of 1 Thessalonians 2:17 echo in my head: “But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face.”

We long to be gathered with you soon – to the glory of our Triune God.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Jason, on behalf of the Elders

CONTACT INFO:

Elders:

Jason Gray              325-660-1981

Randy Bowers          325-829-4336

Dipak Samuel          325-518-9600

Deacons:

James Clark             818-281-0714

David Ibach             405-517-9368

Wardell Mayfield       660-233-2772

Preston Moody         325-721-8064

Nathan Pledger        325-439-8351

Beny Shuping           325-201-4331

Rich Tamblyn           325-260-1823

Staff:

Chase Shelton                    214-491-9791

Kristian Dillard                   214-704-8562