A Message from the Minister

I hope this finds you both well and reasonably sane, despite the disease and the quarantine!

At this point, most of our lockdown ministries should be in place. I hope you’ve been giving and receiving the phone calls assigned on our call sheet, and with them, the fellowship, accountability, encouragement, and prayer that comes from contact with your church family. If you aren’t receiving those calls, aren’t able to make your calls, or know anyone we’ve missed on the list, please let me or Karin Rettig know.

We are continuing to Livestream our Sunday morning service on YouTube at 10:30 AM (or thereabouts). Our YouTube channel is https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG1fHOQeUqulq1FvCK1vc_Q. We’re working through a number of technical issues, including using equipment that isn’t really intended for lengthy live broadcasts. We’re looking into getting better equipment for that, but it’s neither simple nor cheap; if you’d like to contribute toward that, it would help.

Speaking of contributions, our electronic giving is now up and running on our website. If you go to the homepage at www.dextergospel.org, the link will be in one of the messages on the slider on the front page. That will allow you to donate securely and safely with either one-time or repeated donations. While our ability to meet in person has been reduced drastically, our expenses have not.

Through the week, we are also posting shorter Bible studies on our YouTube channel, and on Wednesday nights, we are experimenting with different formats that will allow you not only to watch and listen to the Bible study, but also to participate in discussion and giving of prayer requests. These short videos may be a handy way to introduce friends, family, and neighbors, even those who don’t live around here, to our church, the Scriptures, and the Savior. The Wednesday night broadcasts begin at 6:45, if you want to watch and talk with our other viewers.

Our AWANA program continues to maintain contact with the children who were coming, and we are working to help them with their verses and sections over the phone. This may even be an opportunity to have more contact and impact on parents who are at home when we call than we normally have. I hope you’ll pray to this end.

As this situation develops, I hope you will continue to be characterized by a spirit, not of fear, but of power, love, and sound mind. Please uphold your fellow believers in prayer, our missionaries in prayer, medicals workers and government officials in prayer, and through this all seek to glorify Jesus Christ and find ways to point others to Him.

As always, if there is anything I can do for you, or even if you just need to hear a friendly voice for a few minutes, don’t hesitate to contact or call. Let’s be there for each other, even if that means over the phone or at six feet of distance.

In Christ’s service,

Pastor Dan