Dear Friends at 5C:
Hope that you all are doing well in the midst of the pandemic. It is the summertime, but many cannot take vacations as they did in the past years. In one way or another, we have to exercise self-control (this is a Christian virtue) when we are going out-doors. Reported cases in California took a wrong turn a few weeks ago and the current situation may stay up the curve for a while until the force of the virus comes down somehow. Please take good care of yourself when you are in contact with others. Due to the rapid increase of cases in the local community, the deacon board met on Sunday and decided to postpone the church reopening until further notice. Today, the governor ordered to suspend all in-door activities statewide, worship services included in this mandate. It seems that there is a long way for us to go back and worship in the church.
As usual, our church comes together on Sunday and celebrates the Lord’s Day. After eight messages, we finally conclude the book series on Ruth. What a beautiful story! There is so much to learn from this short book that many of us cannot let it go without relating to our personal experience. Our members are deeply touched by those heroic characters in the Book, such as Ruth and Boaz for their love, faithfulness, and courage to help others in need. Moreover, we learn more about God, whose love-kindness endures from generation to generation. Apparently there is no lack of applications from what we learn in this book as we face the malicious virus in our own times. Thanks to Jackson for being worship leader on Sunday, worship songs that he picked up based on the theme of redemption, perfectly matched with the Sunday message. We trust the Lord that each of church families finds no lack of God’s love-kindness during this pandemic.
Ministry Update:
- Virtual prayer meetings at 7:30 pm Monday and Thursday.
- Pastor Chen will be in the church office this Friday and Saturday.
- Chinese Sunday school (Pastor Chen) and English Sunday school (Bianca Lin)
- Small Group “Love” will meet through Zoom at 7:30 pm on Sunday 7/19.
- Pastor Ray is going to preach this Sunday 7/19.
- Deacons board decided to delay the church reopening during Sunday’s monthly meeting.
- Deacons board is reviewing the Good Samaritan Committee guideline.
Prayer Requests:
- Pray for the Coronavirus outbreak in the US and around the world.
- Pray for the physical and spiritual well-being of our church members.
- Pray for Anderson Lin’s biopsy procedure on Wednesday 7/15.
- Pray for God’s protection for people who have to work outside home.
- Pray for Annie Shi-Mu’ sister who suffers Parkinson’s disease.
- Pray for Ed Sherman’s son Lane who undergoes treatment for brain cancer.
Look forward to seeing you virtually on Sunday.
Blessings!
親愛的中岸教會朋友們:
希望大家在這場疫情中合家安康。夏季已至,但是許多人卻無法像以往那樣外出度假。當出門時,大家也必須多少有些自我節制(這是基督徒的美德)。幾週前,加州確診病例開始飄升,目前的情況可能會持續一段時間,直到病毒傳染力有所下降。請大家在與他人接觸時,多多注意。由於 SLO 地區病例的迅速增加,執事會在周日舉行會議,決定推遲教堂的重新開放,日期另行通知。今天,鑒于日益惡化的疫情,加州州長決定再次關閉所有的室內活動,教會也在此次關閉的名單之中。看來,我們重回教會,將會是一個漫長而艱難的過程。
和往常一樣,弟兄姐妹在周日相聚,慶祝主日。經過八次的講道,我們終於結束了路得記系列。這是一個多麼美麗的故事!從這本簡短的書中可以學到很多東西,以至於許多人都情不自禁將故事與我們的親身經歷聯繫起來。故事中的那些英雄人物,例如路得和波阿斯,他們的摯愛、忠誠以及幫助其他有需要的人所具有的勇氣,使我們深受感動。此外,我們也更多地了解上帝,祂的恩慈恆久,世代相傳。顯然,我們從這本書中學到的,可以很好地應用在當今面對新冠病毒的疫情之中。感謝何成諾弟兄帶領崇拜,他根據救贖主題挑選的聖詩異常出色,且與主日傳達的信息吻合。我們祈求,教會的每個家庭在疫情期間都不會缺少上帝這般的恩慈。
事工更新:
- 線上禱告會於週一和週四晚間 7 點半舉行。
- 陳牧師這個週末將會在教會辦公室。
- 中文主日學將由陳牧師帶領,英文主日學由張西齡姐妹带領。
- 『仁愛』小組將於 7 月 19 日晚間 7 點半通過 Zoom 聚會
- 本週日 7 月 19 日將由裴牧師講道
- 執事會已決定推遲教會的重新開放
- 執事會正在審查好撒瑪利亞人委員會的草案。
禱告事項
- 為美國及世界各地的新冠肺炎的爆發
- 為我們教會所有成員的身體及屬靈健康
- 為林恩深弟兄 7 月 15 日的活檢
- 為那些必須在外工作的人們祈禱上帝的保護
- 為裴師母的姐姐正在遭受帕金森困擾
- 為 Ed Sherman 的兒子 Lane 祈禱,他正在接受腦瘤治療
期待週日線上見!
主僕 陳金昌