At Casey Church we have not been immune to the impact of this second lock down faced by Melbournians and we have been quick to acknowledge and respond by helping each other and our community to stay positive and connected during this difficult time.
Over the past couple of months we have rolled out a number of new initiatives such as making fabric face masks, 40-day Marriage Prayer challenge, (and other prayer projects), Daily video devotions, 100 push ups per day and memory verse challenge, just to name a few. This has been in addition to our commitment to livestream Sabbath School and Church each week live allowing for interaction and connection in real time.
When the announcement was made in Victoria that face masks would become mandatory, several church members sprang into action, making masks that were environmentally friendly and washable. Our priority has been to deliver these masks to our elderly and those with physical limitations taking a moment on their doorstep to encourage and pray with them.
Our prayer leader has been incredibly creative during these lockdown periods. At Casey we began the year with 10 days of prayer, followed by 100 days of prayer and now we are just over a week into the 40-Day Marriage Revival and Prayer Challenge, aiming to help our families to spend more time in prayer and in strengthening their relationships. Our prayer hotline is open at 6am every day and we also have a prayer padlet wall where people can post prayer requests. Our local church leaders have partnered up and through July made time daily to call and pray together. This was such a success many have decided to continue with their prayer partner. We praise the Lord for the blessings of these initiatives that have proved and continue to prove very useful and effective.
As Seventh-day Adventists we know that health is a very important part of our spiritually. Pr Michael started the 100 a day pushup challenge in July for one month and encouraged a team of members to join him. After a successful month this has now become the 100 a day sit up challenge for the month of August and many more members have jumped on board.
If you happen to follow the Casey Church facebook page you will have notice that there is a daily video devotional. This started during the first lockdown and where Sylvia read through the Gospel of John. With the Second lockdown and member recommendations she is now working through the Gospel of Matthew. This has been a way to share God’s word daily with our members via social media.
Our ADRA team of course continues to support the local community. Each week they cook and deliver meals for those in need. This is in addition to the food parcels prepared and delivered for a number of families in the Casey area.
Our Sabbath School team rolled out the Memory Verse challenge for quarter 3. We have been encouraging members to learn each weeks memory verse and record themselves. We believe that entrusting the sacred text to our memory is very important not only for remembering the verse but for the impact that the Word of God has on our lives and faith. Psalm 119:11 ‘I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.’
All in all, this period of lockdown has given Casey opportunities to think outside the box, with a priority on staying connected and sharing God’s love through a number of different initiatives. We are very grateful to our leaders, members and many volunteers who get involved and continue to serve during these difficult times.
Sylvia Mendez and Michael Mohanu