Hello Midsouth Leaders and Friends,
Back to School Daze: One of the blessings of this pandemic season continues to be our weekly Midsouth Pastors ZOOM every Tuesday morning @ 11:00am. Last Tuesday was amazing as people shared personal encouragement from their own Bible reading and study. I was reminded again how thoughtful, devoted, heroic, and real our Midsouth pastors are. It’s a privilege to serve together in our five-state region.
A few weeks ago on our Midsouth ZOOM we talked about going back to school. As everyone shared their particular context, it was apparent this is going to be one unusual back to school season. There were so many school districts represented and so many different back-to-school plans in process…including some school districts implementing different school reopening plans in the same city. The situation is fluid, uncertain, and challenging…for students, teachers, administrators and parents. Talk about a felt need! It’s also a season of opportunity. Here are three simple ideas to seize this opportunity:
Father God,
Bless all students, teachers, professors, and administrators as they go back to school.
Keep them healthy and safe.
Bless their work to train up the next generation.
Use them to show forth your love, kindness, wisdom, and salvation, and fill this world with light and the Presence of your Son.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Returning to church buildings….
Just as school reopening are different throughout the Midsouth Conference, the same is true for Midsouth Covenant churches. Some churches have already returned for public worship in their buildings. Some churches may not return to their buildings into the start of 2021. Several of our church plants have special challenges because they do not have regular places for weekly gatherings. Whether your church is already “back in the building” or “waiting to return” or somewhere in-between, here are some resources that can help you make wise decisions and develop good plans:
open.life.church
reopenchurch.com
reopenschool.com
“How to Safely Reopen Your Church” is a helpful article from attorney Richard Hammer and the folks at Church Law and Tax. Even though the article title is inaccurate (the Church has always “been open,” even during a pandemic) we know what he means. Lots of helpful information in this article. Several Midsouth churches are already gathering back in your buildings. Don’t be shy about passing on what you’re learning.
We have scheduled a weekly Midsouth Pastors’ ZOOM Meeting @ 11:00 am each Tuesday morning. We will send out weekly ZOOM invitations by 8:00 am every Tuesday morning. Whoever is available to join the call is welcome. It was good and we agreed that ZOOMing weekly would be a helpful practice for Midsouth pastors during this season of disequilibrium and disorientation. See you next Tuesday @ 11:00 am.
Our Midsouth Pastors Retreat is scheduled for October 13-15, 2021 at Montserrat Retreat Center in Lake Dallas, TX. Right now we’re still planning to have an in person retreat, though things could change based on public health realities in the Fall. Your Midsouth Ministerial Executive Team is monitoring the situation and will keep us all informed about the status of the this year’s Pastors Retreat. Our theme will be Stories of Racial Brokenness, Wounds and Healing. Our Midsouth Pastors ZOOM is nice, but we look forward to being together in person soon.
Thanks for your heroic leadership. It’s a privilege to serve with you…
Back to School Daze: One of the blessings of this pandemic season continues to be our weekly Midsouth Pastors ZOOM every Tuesday morning @ 11:00am. Last Tuesday was amazing as people shared personal encouragement from their own Bible reading and study. I was reminded again how thoughtful, devoted, heroic, and real our Midsouth pastors are. It’s a privilege to serve together in our five-state region.
A few weeks ago on our Midsouth ZOOM we talked about going back to school. As everyone shared their particular context, it was apparent this is going to be one unusual back to school season. There were so many school districts represented and so many different back-to-school plans in process…including some school districts implementing different school reopening plans in the same city. The situation is fluid, uncertain, and challenging…for students, teachers, administrators and parents. Talk about a felt need! It’s also a season of opportunity. Here are three simple ideas to seize this opportunity:
- Pray regularly, creatively and publicly for the children, teachers, coaches, and administrators who are connected with your church and are in the process of returning to school. Pray for safety, learning, community & blessing in our schools, both public and private. Everyone from your church who is returning to school is a missionary. They are doing the work of the Church. Wherever the followers of Jesus are, there He is by his Spirit. Could this be a year of Gospel transformation in schools in the Midsouth?
- Pray specifically for the schools in your city where your church’s students, teachers and administrators will be attending and serving. Mention schools by name, as well as students, teachers and administrators. Keep on praying for these schools throughout the school year, whether the road is smooth, bumpy or both.
- Personally reach out to the administrators and teachers in the schools for whom you are praying. Send them letters or cards or emails or texts or social media messages of encouragement and blessing. Let them know you are praying for them. Even if you think they could be doing their jobs much better (which we all could be doing), encourage and bless them regardless. When the Lord Jesus taught us to pray, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven” and when he said, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children” do you think he was including the unusual 2020 school year all over the world? Do you think the challenges and opportunities of this school year caught Him by surprise? Let’s follow King Jesus back to school this year. Here’s a prayer from our friends @ Lifepath Church in Houston:
Father God,
Bless all students, teachers, professors, and administrators as they go back to school.
Keep them healthy and safe.
Bless their work to train up the next generation.
Use them to show forth your love, kindness, wisdom, and salvation, and fill this world with light and the Presence of your Son.
In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Returning to church buildings….
Just as school reopening are different throughout the Midsouth Conference, the same is true for Midsouth Covenant churches. Some churches have already returned for public worship in their buildings. Some churches may not return to their buildings into the start of 2021. Several of our church plants have special challenges because they do not have regular places for weekly gatherings. Whether your church is already “back in the building” or “waiting to return” or somewhere in-between, here are some resources that can help you make wise decisions and develop good plans:
open.life.church
reopenchurch.com
reopenschool.com
“How to Safely Reopen Your Church” is a helpful article from attorney Richard Hammer and the folks at Church Law and Tax. Even though the article title is inaccurate (the Church has always “been open,” even during a pandemic) we know what he means. Lots of helpful information in this article. Several Midsouth churches are already gathering back in your buildings. Don’t be shy about passing on what you’re learning.
We have scheduled a weekly Midsouth Pastors’ ZOOM Meeting @ 11:00 am each Tuesday morning. We will send out weekly ZOOM invitations by 8:00 am every Tuesday morning. Whoever is available to join the call is welcome. It was good and we agreed that ZOOMing weekly would be a helpful practice for Midsouth pastors during this season of disequilibrium and disorientation. See you next Tuesday @ 11:00 am.
Our Midsouth Pastors Retreat is scheduled for October 13-15, 2021 at Montserrat Retreat Center in Lake Dallas, TX. Right now we’re still planning to have an in person retreat, though things could change based on public health realities in the Fall. Your Midsouth Ministerial Executive Team is monitoring the situation and will keep us all informed about the status of the this year’s Pastors Retreat. Our theme will be Stories of Racial Brokenness, Wounds and Healing. Our Midsouth Pastors ZOOM is nice, but we look forward to being together in person soon.
Thanks for your heroic leadership. It’s a privilege to serve with you…