Resources for Alignment

On 25 January 2020 Australia confirmed its first case of the coronavirus — a Chinese national who flew into Melbourne on a flight from Guangzhou on January 19.  Three more cases are identified in NSW and are held in isolation in hospital in Sydney.  Within a week Australia saw the beginnings of travel restrictions, imposed quarantines, and community lockdowns.  By the end of February Australia activates its emergency plan.   Within a couple of weeks the Australian Government advises against gatherings of more than 500 people urging them to be suspended from March 16 onwards.  At the same time a ban is placed on Australians travelling abroad.  Only one week later, on 23 March, in Australia, from 12:00pm (AEDT) all bars, clubs, restaurants, cinemas, places of worship, casinos and gyms are closed.  This string of events has truly impacted CRCA churches all across Australia as pastors, church leaders, and congregational members had to rethink how to do church in these rapidly changing and uncertain times.  It might be a while, if not months, before churches will again be able to gather their people for public worship and other meetings.

So how are CRCA churches faring during this global pandemic?   I have the unique opportunity to speak with most of our pastors and churches and I am deeply encouraged by what I am seeing and hearing.  Jesus promises us that he would "build [his] church and the gates of hell will not overcome it." (Matthew 16:18)   The church is not a building. It’s a people, with or without a building.   The Bible clearly tells us that people who make up a church have a builder, and the builder is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus builds the church.  And he does so, as John Piper once put it, "by ripping down the gates that hold the human heart in hell-bent sin."  And as I catch up with CRCA churches I see evidence again and again that Jesus is true to his promise.  He is building his church!  Hell is no match for what God can do and is doing!

Here are some common evidences of how CRCA churches are not just surviving, but thriving through this global pandemic:

• Almost immediately every CRCA church hosted church services online using a host of different platforms:  i.e., Facebook, YouTube, Sermon.net, and ZOOM.   Many churches pre-record their services including music, announcements, and sermon message and broadcast these recordings at designated times.   A good number of churches are doing live-streaming.
• The vast majority of churches are reporting that their reach through their online services goes far beyond their church members.   Friends, neighbours, relatives, local and global, are tuning into these worship services.  Many unchurched people are being reached with gospel.  From many indications, church attendance has increased!   Praise the Lord.
• Member care has become more intentional and widespread across the local church.  Whereas before the pandemic there was little contact from pastors/elders with the membership, now pastors and elders are regularly ringing up their members, checking in on how they are doing, and praying with them.  Many church members can identify with one comment I heard, "As a member I have never had so much contact from the church as I do now!"  A good number of churches have reinstated the practice of having elder districts and ensuring that each elder regularly follows up with those in his district. 
• For most, if not all the churches, financial giving has not decreased but in fact is increasing through this pandemic.  This is one of the benefits of giving online.  Members are more prone to contributing larger sums of money online than they would if they gave at church when the plate/bag is passed. 
• Prayer initiatives have increased through this pandemic.  Most churches are providing regular prayer points and encouraging people to pray and care for one another.   An increasing number of churches are organizing regular prayer meetings over ZOOM.   Some of these churches are committed to having weekly prayer meetings until this pandemic is over. 

Below are some of the creative initiatives taken by CRCA churches during these uncertain times:

PC3 (Pakenham Christian Community Church in Pakenham VIC) Pastor Richard Shoenmaker keeps in touch several times a week with his congregation and others by allowing people to have a "PASTOR POP IN".   You might find Richard taking a jog, having a drive by, shopping in the local Woolies, working in his workshop, making dinner, having morning tea with his wife Lesley, or many other settings.   What Richard has done is very creative, catching, comical at times, but always with an encouraging word from God.   People like seeing their church leaders in their everyday settings.  This builds community and strengthens relational ties with the leader.  Check out Richard's "Pop Ins" on his Facebook page.

 Sutherland CRC provides daily devotions for their congregation, which can also be shared with others or accessed online.   These devotions are not only done by their pastors Gerald VanderKolk and Steven Goring, but also by the elders of the church.   These devotions follow a particular theme for the various days of the week: 

• Mission Monday (something about our concern for the world around us and fits in with our mission statement);
• Transforming Tuesdays (Inspiration from characters in the Bible who changed because of Jesus/God);
• Wednesday Wonders (Some work of God’s power in the Old or New Testament);
• Theological Thursdays - Something based on our confessional positions (three forms of unity);and
• Friday Feeds (Something that you read, felt inspired about, encouraged you).

 Check out these daily devotions here.

Bernard Cane of Good News Christian Church in Howrah TAS give daily devotions called "Good News Daily" which is made available through the YouTube channel.   In these devotions Bernard reads a portion of the Bible, offers words of explanation and application, and then closes in prayer.   Check out one of his devotions here.   Pastors do well to keep God's Word before their people during these uncertain days.   As John Piper comments:  "No man can comfort our souls in this pandemic the way God can. His comfort is unshakable. It is the comfort of a great, high Rock in the stormy sea. It comes from his word, the Bible."  (Coronavirus and Christ)

Casey CRC, located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne VIC, is committed to caring for the members and reaching out to those who are unchurched.  Many people will be observing the National Day of Thanksgiving which will take place on Sunday, 28 May.   So through the month of May members are encouraged to bake or purchase something for morning tea and drop it off at the front door of someone's home with a note of encouragement.   Those receiving these baked treats are challenged to pay it forward to others.  This gesture will foster a lot of good will and stimulate the warmth of Christian fellowship during these dark days.   Also, the moms who attend the church's playgroup can come to the church, drive-in with their cars, and they will receive a fortnight pack filled with sanitized toys that can be shared with their children.  The Kid's Talks which are shared with church members are also shared with the moms in the playgroup as a way to reach out to the unchurched with the good news of Christ.  

Chris Pretorius of the Wonga Park CRC VIC is preaching a series on the COVID-19 pandemic.   This church was well positioned to seize this unprecedented happening as a gospel opportunity.   For the past couple of years they have been going through the Vine Project and were keen to reach out to the unchurched.   Over 2000 letter drops were made by their congregational members in the local neighbourhoods.   This outreach series of four messages will clearly lay out to people how to live in faith and not fear.  This will be followed up with inviting people to a Christianity Explored course.  This church is heeding the advice of the apostle Paul: "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."   
(Colossians 4:5)  Check out the messages here.