Nassagaweya PC Chapodcast – Thursday

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Oops, I posted this Chapodcast on Tuesday by mistake, and it really should have been posted this Thursday. I’ve corrected the Tuesday post, and Thursday’s video is now in its rightful place in the weekly line-up. If you viewed this Chapodcast earlier this week, you will need to head back to Tuesday’s post to see a new chapel today. If not, enjoy today’s Chapodcast. I’m sorry for the mix-up. As with everyone, I’m learning more about technology these days than I ever thought I’d need to.

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Nassagaweya PC Chapodcast – Monday

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I am so excited to bring you this video clip from Rev. Reuben St. Louis from Nassagaweya Presbyterian Church. Last week their church was expecting to host a Kintail At Our Church week at their church for the children of their community to enjoy and experience the delight of Christian camping at their church. With the closure of our churches Reuben and his two sons decided to host camp chapel over the internet. Their Chapodcast includes singing, praying and bible reading in a wonderful camp way.

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ENCOURAGEMENT DURING COVID-19

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Friends in Ministry,

In 2004, Tori and I were serving a congregation in Central Florida. That year, in about a month, we experienced three hurricanes; Charley, Frances and Jeanne. These past weeks have felt very much like that time. While social distancing was not an issue, isolation and fear were. Isolation as people were stuck in homes without power and impassable roads, and fear for family, jobs and shelter in the face of an overwhelming catastrophe.

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Talking With Your Children About COVID-19

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mother holding child

The kids have questions…and lots of them! 

Why are we off school? Why can’t we play with our friends, or see grandma and grandpa? Why is church cancelled, and why are we stuck with nothing fun to do?

What is the Coronavirus and/or COVID-19? Why are so many people dying? 

Why are my parents so obsessed with the news, the internet and the telephone?

What does God have to do with what’s going on? Does God have something to do with what’s going on?

This is new, uncharted territory for most of us, and we wonder how we are to answer our children’s many questions the best way we can. There is no perfect answer to “What do we say to the kids?” but there are some good guidelines to help us discern what is best for our family.

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FAMILIES @ HOME DURING COVID-19

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The Storm, by Leopold, age 6, Melville Presbyterian Church
used with permission

These are unprecedented times. Our churches have been instructed by the Ontario Government and the Ministry of Health to cease holding worship services and all other religious gatherings and meetings for the foreseeable future. Our participation in social distancing offers us all an opportunity to actively help flatten the curve and prevent the needless transmission of this virus to anyone we might meet and interact with. It is imperative that our churches follow the instructions of our government and health care leaders.

Now that we’ve had a day or two to check-in with our congregations’ members and church leaders, many are beginning to turn their attention to finding creative ways of supporting and staying connected throughout this pandemic.

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Covid-19 and Worship Decisions

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Dear friends in the synod, today I have witnessed much confusion and concern about whether or not to cancel church tomorrow or in the coming weeks. I am aware of a number of congregations who have already cancelled and a few who are having worship tomorrow but not the two Sundays following. It seems like the majority are planning to continue. 

In our polity, it is difficult to find one person who can make this decision, I can’t make it either, however, I would like to offer a few thoughts.

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The Covid-19 (Coronavirus) and Your Church (updated March 12, 2020)

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Our news headlines these days feature story after story of the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) throughout the world, and we are saddened by the number of deaths that have occurred in China, Italy and other nations including our own as a result of Covid-19. As our health care system is seeking to contain and eliminate this disease many religious bodies are also wondering what role they might have in preventing Covid-19 from spreading.

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Finding the ‘Perfect’ Vacation Bible School Curriculum

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It’s that time of year again and, if your email inbox is anything like mine, you’ve got lots of colourful reminders that it’s time to pick a VBS curriculum for your church. It is both a delightful and trying exercise. How do you determine which of the many options will be the best fit for your congregation? Should you get the one with the cute chipmunk, or the one that teaches us about water conservation? Which will excite the kids the most? Which will best teach the great stories of scripture and invite participants to find themselves in the story? It is quite a challenge. So, let’s try and unpack it by looking at a few key criteria you should be including in your decision-making process.

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