covid19 response

Cross Bridge Sermon Live Streaming || 中文直播視頻 | 直播視頻常见问题

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

 

As you are aware, the world is facing a period of history unlike any other that we have experienced in our lifetimes. These are uncertain times, but we serve a certain God who is faithful and true to all his promises and who has called us to “love, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). As the COVID-19 situation has escalated in Massachusetts, church leadership has decided to move our church gatherings to be online-only effective immediately through at least April 12. At a high level, what this means is that all church activities will be moved online through video-streaming and video-conferencing technology where possible and cancelled otherwise.

 

The leadership of CBCGB has been closely monitoring the spread of COVID-19. Last month, a church task force made up of medical professionals and experts was formed. They have been advising our church as we journey through these uncharted waters. We have spent numerous hours in prayer and in discussion with one another as we have sought to discern the wisest course of action. We will continue to monitor developments and reassess our church’s response as the situation progresses.

 

This is not a decision we are making lightly. We understand that our faith is not just an individual faith but that we are called to be in corporate community with one another. We recognize that this community is most obviously manifested in the physical gathering of believers for worship. However, in moving to an online-only model, we are seeking to love, serve, and protect vulnerable populations both within and outside of our church community. We believe that the church has a responsibility to help slow the spread of COVID-19 as an act of love to our surrounding communities.

As a result of this decision, the following changes will be made starting this weekend:

  • Sunday Worship: All church worship services will be online-only, streamed from our church sanctuary. Unless notified otherwise, everyone is requested to view the worship service online. We encourage fellowship coordinators and ministry leaders to assist those with limited internet access. Details regarding how to access the streams will be announced soon.

  • Adult Sunday School: Classes will be moved online via video-conferencing. For this Sunday (March 15), some classes will be held at the discretion of individual class teachers, but most will be canceled while we work out logistics. A further announcement about Sunday School will also be made soon.

  • Adult Fellowship Groups: Fellowship groups are requested to move online via video-conferencing (if they have not already done so). While church leadership works to identify a uniform solution for video-conferencing, fellowship leaders are requested to use any platform with which they feel comfortable. If you have any questions, please contact Pastor Yuegang (CM), Minister Jeff (CB), or Minister Juan (COM).

  • Friday Night ALIVE Youth Group: Friday night youth group will also move online via video-conferencing. Please contact Pastor Jen, Minister Taylor, or your youth counselor for more details.

  • All Children’s Ministry activities including Friday night AWANA and Sunday Children’s Worship are cancelled for this weekend. However, we care strongly about the spiritual well-being of our children. Children’s and Family Ministry co-workers and leaders are meeting over the next few days to identify a strategy for how our church can effectively disciple our children in creative ways.

  • Adult Prayer Meetings: We are exploring different strategies for prayer meeting. We encourage all members to be praying continuously. Please stay posted for updates!

  • All other large-group activities through mid-April have been cancelled or moved online:

    • All church leadership meetings will be held online.

    • The March 20-22 Cross Bridge Charis Retreat has been cancelled.

    • The March 27-29 Chinese Ministry Mandarin Gospel Meeting has been cancelled.

    • The April 5 Church-wide Information Meeting will be moved online.

    • Good Friday and Easter Sunday services likewise will be conducted through online streaming.

    • Additionally, the April 24-25 Stephen Ministries workshop has also been cancelled.

       

This is a completely new paradigm for our church. We are still working out some of the details for how our church can continue being the church of God though we will not be physically together. Circumstances are fluid, and church leadership will continue to regularly assess the situation and make changes as needed over the following weeks. We ask for your prayers both for wisdom in decision-making and for love and grace towards one another during these uncertain times.

 

May we remember who we are as the people of God and who our God is. While we ought to be cautious, we are still called to have faith in the One who is sovereign over all things and who is the Great Healer. During this time of uncertainty, let us heed the call to “humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God… casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:6-7). And even though we are temporarily moving online, “let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near,” (Hebrews 10:24-25) even if our meeting together is virtual.

 

As the restrictions being implemented by schools, companies, and organizations create and expose many physical, mental, and spiritual needs, let us continue to seek to care for the community and pray for those who are suffering. If you yourselves are in need of prayer or are dealing with an emergency, please don’t hesitate to contact any of our pastors, elders, or deacons.

 

In Christ,

The CBCGB Board of Elders

March 13, 2020

 

親愛的主內兄弟姐妹們，

如您所知，世界正面臨一段與我們過去生命的經歷完全不同的歷史時刻。這是一個不確定的時期，然而我們確知所服事的是信實、守約的上帝，他呼召我們“愛，因為他先愛我們”（約翰一書4:19）。隨著麻薩諸塞州新型冠狀病毒COVID-19情勢的升級，教會負責同工決定從3月13日開始，至少到4月12日，將我們的教會聚會活動改為網上聚會(online-only)。整體而言，如果可能，所有教會活動儘量使用視頻會議技術，否則取消。

 

CBCGB的負責同工一直在密切注視COVID-19的傳佈。上個月，成立了由醫療專業人員組成的公衛專案小組。當我們在這些未知的領域中摸索時，他們一直為我們的教會提供建議。為了尋求最明智的行動，我們花了許多時間進行禱告和彼此討論。我們也將繼續關注疫情的發展，隨時重新評估我們教會的反應。

 

這不是我們隨意做出的決定。我們明白，我們的信仰不僅是個人信仰，而是被呼召與其他信徒結成社群。我們認知，這個群體最明顯地體現在信徒們親臨聚集的敬拜中。但是轉向網上模式，正是我們尋求愛、服事和保護教會社群內外弱勢群體的作為。我們認為，教會有責任幫助減慢COVID-19的傳染，這正是對我們周圍社區的一種愛的行動。

 

由於上述的理念，教會將從本週末(3月13日)開始進行以下改變：

 

  • 主日崇拜：所有教堂的崇拜將只提供網上崇拜--從我們教堂的大會堂中直播。除非另行通知，我們要求每個人都在線觀看崇拜。我們鼓勵團契召集人和事工負責人協
  • 助那些對使用互聯網不熟悉的人上網。有關如何上網觀看的詳細信息將很快宣布。
  • 成人主日學：所有課程將轉移到視頻。在這個主日（3月15日），某些班級將由老師酌情決定上課方式，但是由於我們仍在處理後續行政細節，大多數班級將會取消
  • 。關於主日學的上課細節將很快發佈進一步的公告。
  • 成人團契：我們要求所有團契和小組透過視頻在線進行聚會。在教會負責同工努力制定視頻的統一解決方案的同時，團契同工們應使用任何他們認為合適的平台。如
  • 有任何疑問，請聯繫張越剛牧師（CM）、黃以傑傳道（CB）、或陳娟傳道（COM）。
  • 星期五晚上青少年團契(Alive)：星期五晚上青少年團契也將通過視頻會議在線舉行。請聯繫林珍妮牧師、柏恩光傳道、或您的青少輔導以獲取更多詳細信息。
  • 兒童事工：本週末開始取消所有兒童事工的活動，包括星期五晚上的AWANA和主日的兒童崇拜。然而我們非常關心孩子們的屬靈成長，兒童和家庭事工的同工和負責人將在接下來的幾天裡開會，以制定策略，使我們的教會能以創意的方式有效地培訓我們的孩子。
  • 成人禱告會：我們正在探索禱告會的不同的進行方式。我們鼓勵所有會友持續祈禱。請繼續關注進一步的消息！
  • 所有其他在4月中旬以前與行的大型活動均已取消或改為網上聚會：
    •  所有教會同工會議將在網上舉行。
    •  3月20日至22日的Crossbridge Charis退修會已經取消。
    •  3月27日至29日的中文部佈道會已經取消。
    •  4月5日全教會的溝通會將在線進行。
    •  耶穌受難日和復活節主日崇拜同樣將通過在網上進行。
    •  此外, 4月24日至25日的司提反事工退修會也已取消。

 

對於我們的教會而言，這是一個全新的模式。儘管我們不會親身相聚，我們仍在為我們的教會如何繼續合一為上帝的教會制定一些施行計畫。外在環境仍在變動中，教會負責同工將持續評估狀況，並在接下來的幾週內根據需要進行調整。我們請求您的祈禱，讓我們既有決策上的智慧，也在此不確定時期彼此有愛和恩典。

 

願我們記住我們是上帝的子民以及我們的上帝是誰。儘管我們應該保持謹慎，但我們仍然被呼召來信靠那位萬有的掌權者和偉大的醫治者。在這個不確定性的時期，讓我們關注上帝的呼召“你們要自卑，服在神大能的手下，到了時候他必叫你們升高。你們要將一切的憂慮卸給神，因為他顧念你們。”（彼得前書5:6-7）。即使我們的活動暫時轉移到網上，讓我們 “彼此相顧，激發愛心，勉勵行善。你們不可停止聚會，好像那些停止慣了的人，倒要彼此勸勉；既知道那日子臨近，就更當如此。”（希伯來書10：24-25）。

 

隨著學校、公司和組織實施的限制而造成和顯明許多人身體、精神和屬靈上的需要，讓我們繼續尋求關懷社區並為正在經歷苦難的人們禱告。如果您自己需要代禱或正在處理緊急情況，請隨時與我們的牧師、長老或執事聯繫。

 

主內，

CBCGB長老團

主後2020年3 月13日