{"id":1138,"date":"2020-03-21T09:50:59","date_gmt":"2020-03-21T01:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hebronbp.org\/info\/?p=1138"},"modified":"2020-03-21T09:55:16","modified_gmt":"2020-03-21T01:55:16","slug":"church-advisory-21-mar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hebronbp.org\/info\/2020\/03\/church-advisory-21-mar\/","title":{"rendered":"Church Advisory (21 Mar)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dear Hebronites,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SUSPENSION OF WORSHIP SERVICES<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This past week has been a whirlwind of changes as Singapore\nleaders sought a more and more targeted response to the COVID-19 situation.\nOver a month ago, I said to you that we would continue with our essential\nministries while holding off non-essential ones. The reason for doing so was\nbecause, as Christians, we have an unfinished work of discipleship as our God-given\npriority. In a few short weeks, we have also discovered new ways of expressing\nand practising discipleship. From absolute scratch, the live streaming of our\nSunday 9am English and Mandarin services now serves Hebronites who worship at\nhome. We talked about moving our small group meetings and Bible learning online\nand some groups have experimented with various meeting apps in readiness for\nimplementation. The Children\u2019s Ministry urged parents to practise home\ndiscipleship by teaching their own children should the children\u2019s activities\ncome to a halt. The pastoral team and I have met and prayed with Hebronites via\nteleconference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The time has now come for us put into effect Plan B. Yesterday,\nthe Government issued a directive to limit the size of gatherings, including\nreligious events, to no more than 250 persons. This significantly affects our\nability to continue with our Sunday worship services and activities since our\nSunday attendance, even during the current season, is easily more than twice\nthat limit (praise the Lord!). Desiring to respond as a good corporate citizen,\nthe Hebron Session has decided to suspend all Sunday worship services and\nancillary ministries occurring on Sundays with immediate effect<\/strong>. We are\nmindful that just up ahead are Hebron\u2019s 49th<\/sup> Anniversary Service (5\nApril), Good Friday Service (10 April), and Easter Sunday Service (12 April). The\nSession will review its decision nearer those times to ensure not only\ncompliance with law but also how Hebron and Hebronites continue to fulfil our\ngospel mission. However, we do need to be prepared for the suspension to last\nuntil there is a positive change in the Government\u2019s stance on mass gatherings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, the worship team will still meet in church\non Sunday mornings to lead in worship. Their act of service will be live\nstreamed at 9am to enable Hebronites to participate in the act of worship\nonline. The link to the live stream is available on the Hebron website,\nhebronbp.org.<\/strong> Please consider gathering as families and as YDGs, LGs, KGs\nand other small groups to praise God together. This is to preserve a semblance\nof community as you worship. You may also take the opportunity of the weekly\ngathering to discuss the sermon after the service is over, and pray for one\nanother. Of course, as you gather, please remember to take the necessary health\nprecautions, practise social responsibility, and ensure sufficient social\ndistancing for the love of your brothers and sisters in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Hebron website<\/strong> will become an important point of\nconnection for us all during this time. Please refer to it regularly for\nupdates. The Hebron News and the weekly service programme and Family News will\ncontinue to be updated and made available there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned last Sunday, the English congregation Children\u2019s\nMinistry<\/strong> will be completely suspended for now. The superintendents and\nteachers will contact parents and provide them with materials for them to carry\non discipling their children at home. The leaders of other Bible classes and\nministries will contact you to inform you of new arrangements. However, if you\nare in doubt, please do not hesitate to contact them for clarification. The\npastoral team and the leaders continue to be available and contactable during\nthis time for prayer, encouragement, visitation, and pastoral care. Remember,\nyou can bless them too!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Notwithstanding the foregoing, from time to time during this\nperiod, the leaders may have need to convene meetings involving up to a few\ndozen people, whether for training or dissemination of information. For\nexample, the Hebron Annual Congregational Meeting will still continue at\n11.15am tomorrow<\/strong>. This is a regulatory meeting which we cannot defer. Given\nthe circumstances, we will continue to receive proxy forms from Hebronites who\nnow decide not to attend the meeting in person. You may send an image of a duly\nsigned proxy form to any Hebron staff member. Although we will continue to\nreceive proxy forms right up to the time of the meeting, please try and let us\nhave the form by 3pm today in order for there to be enough time for processing.\nFor tomorrow\u2019s purposes, please do not park your cars in the church grounds.\nPlease follow the signage to be provided that will direct you to the usual\nscreening procedures before you enter the meeting venue at Zion Sanctuary\n(Level 3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, I have mentioned to you before that in every crisis\nis an opportunity for growth. Never before in church history have we as\nChristians had to make a decision such as this, to take the church, not\nunderground, but online! Let us discern what God is and will be teaching us in\nthis precious experience. However, do let\u2019s continue to bear in mind the\nfollowing truths:<\/p>\n\n\n\n