COVID-19 Update: March 18, 2020

Hey Grace family,

Most of our regular gatherings and special events are suspended for the next few weeks. We think this is wise and an honoring of our civil authorities as Romans 13 tells us. The one exception is our church workday which is still planned for March 28. Since we’ll be working outside, we thought that was still a safe option. I hope you’ll come to that.

Now I want to tell you more about how we’re going to be worshipping for the next several Sundays. I know many churches are live-streaming their services, but I wanted to try something a little bit different that actually lines up better with our mission of making followers of Jesus. Starting this week, we are going to be emailing out a worship guide that looks just like the one we use on Sunday mornings. Instead of watching a service online, your family will use this guide to worship at home.

The guide will have Scripture readings, prayer times and even links to songs selected for that service. During the sermon portion of the service, we’ll include a link to our YouTube channel where you will find a video of me walking through the sermon passage for that Sunday. Instead of a formal sermon, I will lead you through the passage much like I would a Bible study, making observations, asking questions of the text and suggesting applications. I’m inviting you into the “sermon lab” so to speak to equip you on how to study the Scriptures on your own.

Why are we doing it this way? Here are some reasons:

1. It’s active participation in worship, instead of passive consumption. Every member of the family can be involved, much like they would be on a Sunday morning, and you can tailor that to the make-up of your home. Groups of families can even join together if you so choose. (Be wise in your gatherings.)

2. It’s discipleship. This model fits what we believe about making followers of Jesus. Disciples are made not just through listening to a message, but through training and engaging with that message.

Now, we know this is not ideal. We love to be together. We get the most out of being together. Heaven itself will be a huge, joy-filled gathering. So this is temporary. It’s also new, so we’ll have to work out some kinks. We’ll see how it goes and we’ll make adjustments along the way.

In the meantime:

● Make sure we have a good email address for you.

● You can call the office at 205-755-4150 or email us at office@graceclanton.com

● Keep your eyes on the Facebook page and our website for updates.

● You can access our YouTube channel here. Videos will be posted before Sunday at 11.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Kevin Corley

Pastor