A letter from our Pastor during week 3 of the COVID-19 social distancing directive...

Friends,
We are now in week three of the COVID-19 lockdown here in Michigan. So much of what we are experiencing during this time is new for all of us, but there is comfort in knowing we are in this together– and confidence we will come through it okay together. Pam and I definitely miss being together with our church family and I am hearing similar sentiments from many of you. But as hard as this time of separation and isolation may be for all of us, we need to be patient in this season for the good of everyone around us whom we know and love.
Well, we just learned that our governor has cancelled school for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. I know this decision was not easy for her and that she did not fail to consider the implications of this decision to students and their families. I understand she has two students of her own, one of whom will now not be able to finish her senior year of high school with her classmates. I know this decision has put quite a burden on some families, but I encourage you to look at the opportunities it provides to spend more time together and to find new ways to learn. Many zoos, museums, and other organizations, like NASA, are streaming all kinds of virtual tours and educational activities for free. There are also a number of ministries providing amazing free resources for families to use right now to help children learn the Bible and ways to apply that teaching to the present circumstances. I am excited to announce that the new animated film, Pilgrim’s Progress, is now available to view online for free at https://www.revelationmedia.com/watchpilgrims/RM12271/ Study God’s Word together, pray together, and thank God for this extra time together.
Please remember to pray for our governor, our president, and all of our local, state, and national leaders as they try to navigate us through this trying time. Pray for one another and don’t forget to pray for yourself and your own family. It is amazing the peace God can give in response to prayer. I would also like to invite you to set aside a special time for prayer next Friday, Good Friday, April 10. The leaders of the Missionary Church denomination are calling on the churches of the Missionary Church to observe the day as a National Day of Fasting and Prayer. I strongly encourage you to participate. Learn more about becoming a part of this, and suggestions for your time of prayer at https://www.mcusa.org/prayfirst/good-friday/.
The work of The Church continues, even as we are unable to meet together at this time. I am getting reports of our people helping each other and those around them. WE are the church. No virus or governmental decree can change that. I think we are gaining a new understanding of that truth through all of this. And that is good.
A number of you have been asking about the financial condition of the church, correctly assuming that giving has decreased since we have been unable to meet. We continue to minimize expenses everywhere we can and to defer some payments where we can. We are thankful for the faithfulness of so many of you who have been able to maintain or even increase your giving during this time that we are unable to meet. Our God knows our needs and we are confident He will provide.
Last week I posted my first online YouTube message. Several of you have responded with positive comments that it helped provide a little bit of a normalizing point in the week. At this time I am planning to continue to add sermons each week. I hope they are helpful, encouraging, and even challenging to those of you who watch. You can access our YouTube Channel through our website at https://www.crossroadsmcusa.org/, or by searching for our church directly on YouTube. I am also uploading audio copies of the sermon, as always, on our web site.
Again, we are here for you to help in any way we can. If you have a need we may be able to meet, or if you have any needs you would like us to pray for, please do not hesitate to let us know!

In Christ's Love,

Pastor Bryan

A letter from our Pastor during week 2 of the COVID-19 social distancing directive...

Hello, Friends!
I hope you and your family are all well as we continue to temporarily modify our behaviors to stay healthy and do all we can to assure the health of those around us for whom we love and care. Is the threat as bad as some people are saying… or is it all being blown out of proportion, as others are saying? I don't know. The truth is probably somewhere in between, but I would hate to be the one who caused someone to become severely ill, or to even die, because I failed to follow the health-safety protocols we have all been asked to follow. That being said, we are a social people and this social distancing is hard. Let us pray that it is only very temporary and that we will soon be able to return to a more "normal" way of life. God is still in control. This pandemic did not catch Him by surprise. God still loves us, will never forsake us, and will walk with us through whatever is ahead.
As you know, in accordance with guidelines issued from state and federal authorities, we have temporarily suspended all group activities at and/or involving our church. Pam and I continue to work, partially from home and partially out of the office. I am preparing some videos to share with you on our new YouTube channel, with links on our Facebook page and our website at crossroadsmcusa.org soon. I hope to have a short sermon video up this weekend. I encourage you to join our sister church in Nappanee, Indiana for their complete Sunday morning worship service at 8:00, 9:30, or 10:45 am at nmc.church. This way we are still worshiping together, in a way, and can discuss the message with one another as God provides the opportunity.
Ministry, as well as planning for future ministry, continues at Crossroads! As the governor's orders now stand, we will not be able to meet together on Easter, which we always look forward to with great anticipation. Please remember: Easter is not cancelled! We can each still celebrate Jesus' resurrection from the dead and what that means for us in this life and beyond. When the church board last met, we considered the possibility that we may not be able to celebrate together on Easter this year. As we discussed plans to respond to this contingency, we determined that our first week back together would be a time of reconnecting. The second week we wish to be a celebration of God allowing us to pass through the pandemic and of His love and gift of life, both here and eternal. It is our hope that this second week back together, whenever that may be, will also begin with our annual "Easter Breakfast" and service of celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord!
In the mean time, I want to stress: If you have any needs we might be able to meet, PLEASE let us know by email, text, or phone call. Of course we are all here, virtually, to pray for each other in this time of unusual need. Please share your needs with us and allow us to lift them to the Father. Again, if you are not already on the church prayer/information email list, please contact us with your email and ask to be added. We have become aware that some servers are marking our emails as spam, so if you are on our list, but not receiving communication from us via email, please check your spam folder and be sure to "whitelist" us if our communications are there.
Since no one can close the church, because the church is all of us:
1) Keep praying for one another for health, strength, and wisdom.
2) Pray for those who have contracted this virus, and for their families who are separated from them at this difficult time.
3) Pray for those who are unable to visit loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes.
4) Pray for the health care workers and other service providers who risk their lives to save others.
5) Pray for business owners whose life work is being threatened by this shut-down.
6) Pray for out-of-work workers and their families, some of whom are not being paid during this time.
7) Pray for our leaders on every level who are tasked with the responsibility to guide this country through this pandemic. It is easy to sit back and critique their decisions, especially after the fact, but they carry a load few of us can even begin to imagine. Pray God will give them wisdom, strength, peace, and even rest, to do what is being demanded of them every day.

We will get through this. The world will probably look a little different on the other side, but it may be for the better. With so many of our society's "gods" being shut down (such as sports, movies, and other social norms) we may yet see people turn to the one true God in ways we may not have imagined only a few months ago. Pray, too, that God would use this to bring revival to our land- and to the world!
I have enclosed a card from truelife.org. I encourage you to visit the site and view the videos for a Biblical perspective on many of life's issues, all free. Please feel free to share this site with others.
I leave you with the following verse to remind us of a powerful truth:

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed,
for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Loved by God, as you are,
Pastor Bryan

P.S. Even though our church services have been temporarily suspended, most of the financial obligations of the church continue. We have taken steps to reduce expenses (as far as we practically can) while still keeping the church operational, but expenses remain. Additionally, some of our people are currently without income and are unable to give as they normally would. That said, please keep the financial needs of your church in your prayers and consider maintaining, or even increasing your regular support of this ministry by giving online through our church's website at crossroadsmcusa.org or by sending a check through the mail. Thank you for your faithfulness in meeting this need.