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 49^th 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,
. 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
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)