Church Advisory (21 Mar)

Dear Hebronites,

SUSPENSION OF WORSHIP SERVICES

This past week has been a whirlwind of changes as Singapore leaders sought a more and more targeted response to the COVID-19 situation. Over a month ago, I said to you that we would continue with our essential ministries while holding off non-essential ones. The reason for doing so was because, as Christians, we have an unfinished work of discipleship as our God-given priority. In a few short weeks, we have also discovered new ways of expressing and practising discipleship. From absolute scratch, the live streaming of our Sunday 9am English and Mandarin services now serves Hebronites who worship at home. We talked about moving our small group meetings and Bible learning online and some groups have experimented with various meeting apps in readiness for implementation. The Children’s Ministry urged parents to practise home discipleship by teaching their own children should the children’s activities come to a halt. The pastoral team and I have met and prayed with Hebronites via teleconference.

The time has now come for us put into effect Plan B. Yesterday, the Government issued a directive to limit the size of gatherings, including religious events, to no more than 250 persons. This significantly affects our ability to continue with our Sunday worship services and activities since our Sunday attendance, even during the current season, is easily more than twice that limit (praise the Lord!). Desiring to respond as a good corporate citizen, the Hebron Session has decided to suspend all Sunday worship services and ancillary ministries occurring on Sundays with immediate effect. We are mindful that just up ahead are Hebron’s 49th Anniversary Service (5 April), Good Friday Service (10 April), and Easter Sunday Service (12 April). The Session will review its decision nearer those times to ensure not only compliance with law but also how Hebron and Hebronites continue to fulfil our gospel mission. However, we do need to be prepared for the suspension to last until there is a positive change in the Government’s stance on mass gatherings.

In the meantime, the worship team will still meet in church on Sunday mornings to lead in worship. Their act of service will be live streamed at 9am to enable Hebronites to participate in the act of worship online. The link to the live stream is available on the Hebron website, hebronbp.org. Please consider gathering as families and as YDGs, LGs, KGs and other small groups to praise God together. This is to preserve a semblance of community as you worship. You may also take the opportunity of the weekly gathering to discuss the sermon after the service is over, and pray for one another. Of course, as you gather, please remember to take the necessary health precautions, practise social responsibility, and ensure sufficient social distancing for the love of your brothers and sisters in Christ.

The Hebron website will become an important point of connection for us all during this time. Please refer to it regularly for updates. The Hebron News and the weekly service programme and Family News will continue to be updated and made available there.

As mentioned last Sunday, the English congregation Children’s Ministry will be completely suspended for now. The superintendents and teachers will contact parents and provide them with materials for them to carry on discipling their children at home. The leaders of other Bible classes and ministries will contact you to inform you of new arrangements. However, if you are in doubt, please do not hesitate to contact them for clarification. The pastoral team and the leaders continue to be available and contactable during this time for prayer, encouragement, visitation, and pastoral care. Remember, you can bless them too!

Notwithstanding the foregoing, from time to time during this period, the leaders may have need to convene meetings involving up to a few dozen people, whether for training or dissemination of information. For example, the Hebron Annual Congregational Meeting will still continue at 11.15am tomorrow. This is a regulatory meeting which we cannot defer. Given the circumstances, we will continue to receive proxy forms from Hebronites who now decide not to attend the meeting in person. You may send an image of a duly signed proxy form to any Hebron staff member. Although we will continue to receive proxy forms right up to the time of the meeting, please try and let us have the form by 3pm today in order for there to be enough time for processing. For tomorrow’s purposes, please do not park your cars in the church grounds. Please follow the signage to be provided that will direct you to the usual screening procedures before you enter the meeting venue at Zion Sanctuary (Level 3).

Finally, I have mentioned to you before that in every crisis is an opportunity for growth. Never before in church history have we as Christians had to make a decision such as this, to take the church, not underground, but online! Let us discern what God is and will be teaching us in this precious experience. However, do let’s continue to bear in mind the following truths:

  • Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body (Ephesians 5:23)
  • We are brothers and sisters in Christ, with God as our Father (Matthew 6:5-18) and Christ our Brother (Hebrews 2:11)
  • We owe one another the continuing debt to show love in action (Romans 13:8-10)
  • We are called to bear witness of Christ (Acts 1:8) in season and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2) by godly living and gentle, respectful words (1 Peter 3:15)
  • God’s Holy Spirit has bestowed gifts to each of us with which to bless the church (1 Corinthians 12:4-7)

May God do a great work among us, in us, and through us for his glory even in this unusual situation. May God’s peace and grace gird and nourish you from day to day.

In Christ,

Rev Wong Shin Hoe

Senior Pastor

Hebron Bible-Presbyterian Church

Tel: 6766 1221 (ext 106)

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