Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint (Is. 40:30-31).
As your pastor, I greet each of you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Although this pandemic is allegedly responsible for the deaths of over a half million people globally, we must praise God who is sustaining us and renewing our strength daily. In regards to St. John, please take note of the following subjects.
- Safety: We are told that a spike in the Coronavirus is occurring in many places such as Contra Costa County, and we are also told that Richmond is now a leading city in our country in regards to Covid-19. Therefore, I encourage all of us to practice, promote and proclaim safety (wearing a mask in public, social distancing, frequent and thorough hand washing, etc.).
- The Lord’s Supper: If God is willing, we will partake in the Lord’s Supper this Sunday at 8:00 am and 1:30 pm. To participate, we will need to have some bread or a cracker, and we will need some grape juice (or something similar). For more information, please visit our website (sjmbc.org).
- The Bible: 1) Let’s read a minimum of 3 chapters in the Old Testament and 1 chapter in the New Testament each day. 2) Let’s participate each Sunday in at least one Online Sunday School class. 3) Let’s engage weekly in the Wednesday Bible Study at 7:00 pm. For more information about our Online Sunday School and Online Bible Study, please visit our website (sjmbc.org).
- Prayer: I encourage each of us to pray individually at least three times daily (1st prayer between 12-6 am). I also encourage each of us to procure a St. John Prayer Partner (Mt. 18:19), and pray together with this person at least once a week (a scheduled time is preferable). I further encourage each of us to participate in our Online Prayer Meetings on Wednesdays at 12 pm and/or 6:30 pm (Acts 12:5-19). For more information about our Online Prayer Meetings, please visit our website (sjmbc.org).
- Outreach: St. John is still “Reaching Others For Christ” (Lk. 14:16-24). On Tuesday (June 30th), we distributed over 190 bags of groceries at the South Campus and North Campus, and I thank so many of you who are assisting to make this ministry a success. If God is willing, we hope to distribute groceries again next Tuesday, July 7th (beginning at 12 noon) at both campuses. Moreover, we are still helping St. John parishioners who have difficulty paying their rent or mortgage. For more information, please contact Deacon Johnson concerning how to receive this assistance or how to financially contribute to this ministry. Furthermore, if you are in need or aware of a St. John member in need of groceries or unable to go grocery shopping, please share this with me by replying to this email because we want to help. We have parishioners who are willing to deliver free groceries to you or go grocery shopping for you. Plus, if you desire to volunteer your services to assist elderly or disabled parishioners (housecleaning, grocery shopping, etc.), please share this with me by replying to this email.
- Reopening: Currently, we have not set a date for reopening our church facilities. As I have stated previously, reopening as God directs and as our county and state advise, in light of our safety, is still our primary focus.
- Pastor’s Appreciation: On Tuesday evening (June 30th), I informed the Trustees in their meeting and the Deacons in their meeting that the Pastor’s Appreciation Worship Celebration (which was scheduled last Sunday—June 28th) might be canceled this year. If we are unable to reopen soon, our emphasis will be on the Church Anniversary month which is in October. I would not want us to have these two major celebrations scheduled too closely together, so I am willing to forego what benefits me personally to enable the church to prosper financially. Nonetheless, I really appreciate how some of you mailed and blessed me with love offerings anyway. Again, thank you!
- Tithes & Offerings: I sincerely thank those of us who have been supporting St. John financially, but more of us need to do what God requires from each of us. Giving our tithes and offerings consistently enables St. John to meet our financial obligations and help others in need. Therefore, I encourage everyone (mainly those of us who receive income) to faithfully and generously support St. John financially with our tithes and offerings. You can mail your Tithes and Offerings to our St. John South Campus (662 South 52nd Street—Richmond, CA 94804), or you can give online through our website (sjmbc.org). Although I do not recommend this next option, if you prefer, you can also set aside weekly your Tithes and Offerings and give the total amount (individual checks, one check or cash) the Sunday we resume corporate worship.
In conclusion, are you bothered or wondering What’s Next? If so, my pastoral advice is as follows: Trust In The Lord, Encourage Yourself In The Lord, Think Yourself Happy, Think Higher, Keep Your Mind On The Lord, Hold On and take One Step At A Time because This Too Shall Pass, God Still Has Plans For You, and The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow. Remember, if you are Covered By The Blood by acknowledging that He Is Risen, God Will Take Care Of You.
May God Bless And Sustain Each Of Us.
Your Servant In Christ,
Dr. Kevin B. Hall, Pastor