The beginning of the pandemic found Mildura SDA church with a new pastor at helm, a significant computer illiterate segment of membership, and a good number of members with a language barrier, thus further complicating communication, sharing of information, and implementing changes, like introducing online church service and Sabbath School group. With a list of over 350 contacts, everything is harder when a single online approach doesn’t work effectively.
Life-streaming worships, Zoom children and adult sabbath schools (with deliveries of Sabbath School packs for each program), extensive visitation work by our elders team, community service effort of a small but dedicated team, constant phone and in person (exercise, walks, small groups in open, conversations at distance) visitations by the pastoral team, various Zoom life groups, trainings, week of prayer, and Bible studies helped us get by and offer some kind of sense of community.
The beginning of 2021 still saw our church family dealing with many challenges. But rising to the occasion, we have come up with plans – new ideas to implement – things to continue developing…
- a new ‘Cuppa with Pastor’ group has emerged in a public park where anyone can bring a camping chair and enjoy fellowship of friends (a result of ‘open space’ policy during covid)
- our live-streaming has further improved, allowing the shut-ins to not miss worships
- there is a hunger for more small groups, preparing for the possible future need to go ‘small’
- emergence of young adult leaders who nourished and cared for their peers
- strengthening of passion for community service work, by distributing food parcels to a few unprivileged groups
- a long-overdue break for some key leaders took place during the Covid, who are now a bit fresher, and keen to again engage in church
Let us all pray for each other – while we are now mid year, the aftermath of 2020 is still being felt and our church families still need attention and love. Pray for other churches. Pray for your own. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s infilling that God can bring good out of bad, as we all move forward together….
IntraVic