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My Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,

By our Father’s mercy and grace, we are looking forward to being together in worship this coming Sunday at 10:30 AM.

I’m sure that most of us would have never imagined that we would be providentially hindered from corporate worship for nine weeks!  And yet, our Father’s eternal plan for us, which is always wise, loving, and good, has included this time of distress and tribulation.

But even in this, we thank Him and praise His Dear Name! His greater purposes are being accomplished, and we have every reason to believe that there are many blessings to come as we continue to trust Him fully throughout this crisis.

Of course, there is yet much ahead for us, as far as getting things back to the way they used to be. When, and if, this will happen is also in the mighty hands of the One who loves us and makes everything work for our good and His glory!  For now, we need His wisdom, His mercy, and the constant supply of His grace and love as we try to faithfully navigate the pathway that is before us.

This coming Sunday will serve as a ‘trial run’ as we seek the best way we can worship safely going forward. And let me assure you that we are very much aware that some of you have reservations about worshiping with us in person. If you have such concerns, we don’t want you to feel any undue pressure to attend. This is, indeed, a very complicated and difficult situation, and your comfort and safety are of critical importance to us.

For those who may not yet be able to attend, there will be both an audio recording of the sermon (available immediately after worship), and a video recording of the whole service (available at our website early next week. An email will be sent to you when it is ready for viewing).

Sunday’s Message from the Word

It is with amazement and joy that I sit here today writing this note to you!  In our study of the Epistle to the Hebrews we have arrived at a brief passage that is so wonderfully well-timed. It is exactly what we need at this moment! With all that is within me, I believe that in eternity past our loving heavenly Father planned the sweet intersection of our current crisis and these blessed and inspired words!

In Hebrews 3:12-13 we read:

Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

There is much gold in this passage that we will attempt to extract on Sunday.  But what is most significant for us is the command that we find in verse 13, “ But exhort one another.”

Here we encounter one of the richest words in the New Testament, “ exhort,” and the command associated with it, “ exhort one another every day.”

As we will see on Sunday, the dominant meaning of this word rendered “ exhort” is to comfort.  And it speaks of sacrificially and unselfishly giving “ one another” such comfort and encouragement, each and every day as we travel together though the ‘wilderness’ on our way to our Father’s eternal “rest.”

What a wonderful time we will have in God’s Word together!

I can’t wait to see you!

All my love for each of you,

Mike

Online Orders of Worship:

Below is are printable versions of this week’s Order of Worship and Children’s Bulletin

Order of Worship
Children’s Bulletin

Announcements:

COVID-19 Message:

Please observe the following guidelines for resuming worship in the sanctuary. First, practice social distancing as much as possible – no physical contact, and keep 6 feet between your family and other families. Sit in pews where marked. There will be no nursery or childcare, or any other food or beverages on church property. There will be no communion. Masks are not required, but encouraged for those who would like to wear one. There will be no Sunday School or other regular Bible Studies until September. Per the State Health Department, if you have been in contact with someone who been sick, if you feel sick yourself, or if you have any pre-existing health conditions, you should remain at home. We will continue to provide a recording of the worship service to allow for participation in worship at home.

Sunday Worship:

To better help your Diaconate plan for the service, please respond to the survey here if you plan on coming to church to worship in person on Sunday.

Message from your Diaconate:

As we continue through this difficult time, if you have needs of any kind, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Diaconate. We’re eager to help you or to find someone who can. This is one of the main reasons the church has deacons, to make sure that congregational needs are being met. Please remember that your Diaconate and Session are praying for you, and we’re here to help however we can.

Resources for Further Study:

Pastor Mike has posted a list of books on a variety of theological topics that you might find useful. Check out the list by clicking here. You can also find this list from the About Us menu on the web site home page.

Senior Fellows:

Women’s, Children’s, Career/Singles, and Youth Ministries:

Ministry activities have been canceled pending the virus quarantine. Check this space for rescheduled events.

Men’s Studies:

The weekly Men’s study of John Calvin’s Institutes is meeting via Zoom, contact Daron Drown for details.

Prayer Requests:

Healing: Please pray for the health of the following individuals: Lynn Doughty, Ramona Edwards, Bill Dent, Jacky Haynes, Steve Terry, John Baxter, Bill Cowley, Larrabee Kirkland, Elizabeth Holton, Janet Chou, and Nolan Osmer.
Expecting: Please pray for the Elliotts, expecting in May; the Libertos, expecting in August; the Elys, expecting in September.
Ministries: Please pray for the following missionaries and ministries: Seth and Jessica Lewis (Ireland); Steve and Rita Williams (New Zealand); Noah and Karleigh Stephens (Thailand); Vinnie and Molly Athey (RUF at UAH); RUF at Alabama A&M; Ken and Angie Burnett (FCA); Franky and Alaina Garcia (church plant in Canada); Dieter Paulson (church plant in Scottsboro, AL); The Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center.

Online Donations:

If you would like to give to Christ Presbyterian, you can do so at the following link:

Emails:

general inquiries: admin@christpreshamptoncove.org
benevolence needs: benevolence@christpreshamptoncove.org
counsel and ministry needs: matthew@christpreshamptoncove.org
men’s ministry: men@christpreshamptoncove.org
women’s ministry: women@christpreshamptoncove.org
children’s ministry: children@christpreshamptoncove.org
youth ministry: youth@christpreshamptoncove.org
senior fellows: seniorfellows@christpreshamptoncove.org

Address:

288 Old Highway 431
Owens Cross Roads, AL 35763