The way out of Lockdown for WVC.
Dear Church,
First, a moment to say ‘Well Done’ - we’re out of lockdown, we survived!
And ‘Thank you’ - Westgate Vineyard has strengthened throughout this season as a community of hope, encouragement and connection. Each one of you has contributed to that in different ways and it brings us great joy to reflect on all the ways you have “been the church” to one another and to your neighbourhoods over the last (nearly) two years of COVID-19!
So, where to next? Let’s take the next tentative little step out! We’ll do it together!
Plans for the next step
This Sunday (31st of October) we will continue to meet for our Sunday service on Zoom.
On Sunday the 7th of November we will take our first step towards being together again by welcoming 40 fully vaccinated people to our in-person service.
There are two ways you can be part of Sunday morning church during this “first step”
Continuing to tune in on Zoom or,
Register online and attend the building in-person.
In person:
The current government regulations will require us all to wear face masks and, of course, practice social distancing. Also, we’re required to confirm the vaccination status of anyone attending Sunday services in-person, so we’ll do this by asking you to show your vaccination certificate when you sign in to the building.
On Zoom:
We will be doing our best during this time to ensure a sense of connection particularly for those participating from home via Zoom. We will have the camera set up close to the front so that the person speaking is easily seen, and when speaking from the front we will be mindful to address both the people in the room and people on zoom, we will hook up the church sound system to the Zoom broadcast for quality audio, and we will still utilise breakout rooms within the Zoom meeting so people joining in from home have a chance to connect, pray and catch up with others.
It’s a tricky time
We want to acknowledge that even while we’re excited to be taking steps towards everyone eventually being together again, there are complexities and compromises in the steps towards that goal, and until everyone is allowed to gather together, we remain a “wounded body”!
As we each return to church gatherings in-person, at different times, we may feel like we are limping a bit... but we are trusting that in time, as restrictions continue to lift, we will heal and grow as a body and begin to run again! The allowances and restrictions that have been made in the State Government's Roadmap affect each person in different ways, and while outlining the practical steps that we as a church are taking within that, we also just want to acknowledge these steps impact each person in particular ways. Please speak to us about how you are going as things are opening up more, and particularly how we can help you remain connected, or reconnect, with church family as things transition again.
Looking forward
We are really glad that as Christmas approaches we’ll be able to offer more opportunities to be meeting together in person, and we’re looking forward to sharing with you more about our Summer Communion Picnics that are going to form the basis of our gatherings in January.
Again, we’d love to hear how you are processing this time of change, and especially if these new regulations will keep you from joining us in-person, we are here to help and offer extra support where needed and however we can!
We have so much love in our hearts for you Westgate Vineyard Church, and we thank you for the grace, patience and love that you extend to us and each other!
Love,
From Aaron and Jules
(With the support of the Board & Eldership Teams)
Chocolate Gift for teachers
We're saying thanks to some real local heroes!
If you'd like to join in on the fun and bless some schools, play centres or kindies near you, you can download the label, print it*, wrap it around a block of chocolate and deliver it!
*If you don’t have access to a printer, get in touch with Aaron and you can pick up some from him :)
Resources for your Rhythm
Here's some of the resources I'm using in my rhythm.
A 'rhythm' is a tool to create a pattern in our daily lives to keep us connected with God.
It's what I need—a constant, regular 'beat' that keeps me anchored to God and his Kingdom. Without it, my life quickly descends into chaos. I get busy, get performance based, I notice that my anxiety increases, and I worry more quickly. I become more connected to my faults and my weakness than to my identity in Christ. I lose touch that I am made new, I am a son, I have purpose, I have family, God is my provider, He is loving, and that I am saved.
I want to have a rhythm to my days and weeks that keep me close to God and anchored in truth and the reality of his Kingdom in a culture that is not my own.
It’s the act of stepping out of the chaos of life and stepping into the rhythm of his Kingdom.
Below are some of the resources I use in my rhythm. Maybe they'll inspire yours.
—Aaron
Podcasts:
The Bible Project
So much good stuff here. not just a podcast, but some great videos to help you navigate the Bible. Plus some other great resources, worth checking out heir website.
https://thebibleproject.com/blog/
Vineyard Anaheim (with Alan Scott)
Alan Scott brings such great accessible teaching that will inspire, encourage and probably challenge you in living a Kingdom life.
Commoners Communion
Commoners Communion is a blog, podcast & community of people exploring conversations in Christian spirituality centred around beauty, mystery & revelation.
https://www.commonerscommunion.com/podcast/
This Cultural Moment (with Mark Sayers and John Mark Comer)
A podcast about following Jesus in the post-Christian world.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/this-cultural-moment/id1342868490?mt=2
Emotionally Healthy Spirituality
http://podcasts.subsplash.com/1a1045e/podcast.rss
Central Vineyard, Auckland, NZ
A church pursuing Jesus and playing our part in what God is doing in the world, right now.
https://itunes.apple.com/nz/podcast/central-vineyard-church-messages/id1063167917?mt=2
KXC, Kings Cross Church, London, (Pete Hughes)
https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/kxc-podcast/id391860262?mt=2
Soul Survivor
Especially check out the teachings from their Naturally Supernatural conference for some excellent teaching on the Spirit.
https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/soulsurvivor/id771867090?mt=2
Apps
Dwell
Fall in love with listening to the Bible. A new audio Bible app that keeps Scripture in your ears and on your heart.
Infinitum
An app to help people connect daily with God. With daily resources and reflections.
He Reads Truth / She Reads Truth
An online community of men/women in the Word of God every day.
+ also check out their website for awesome wallpapers and reading plans
Share what your using in your 'rhythm' in the comments below!