March 29,2020
Friends,
We now have the ability to receive payments electronically through PayPal. See the Online Giving buttons on the menu above and the menu to the left. Or click here:
March 20,2020
Friends,
I have started posting reflections on our YouTube channel, Christ Presbyterian Church, Fairfax.
You can see the first two videos here and here.
Friends,
Check out these three free Kindle books from Presbyterian Publishing for devotion and worship at home:
Hello again from Erika at Presbyterian Publishing! In an effort to help your all’s ministries during the precautions many are taking in response to COVID-19, we’ve made three ebooks free through Amazon Kindle.
Living into Lent by Don McKim can be used as a devotional or group study: https://amzn.to/38S1q7b
Mindfulness and Christian Spirituality can help all of us during this time: https://amzn.to/38S0FuI
Overcoming Stress is also intended to provide insight and tools for stress reactions: https://amzn.to/38PV4oT
We also wanted to let you know that last year we started a Facebook group about reading the Bible in a year using the resource, A Year with the Bible. You don’t need to have the book to participate in the group and readings are posted in the group. http://bit.ly/2QfHIMm
March 13, 2020
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God,
who are called according to his purpose.
(Romans 8:28)
Dear Members and Friends,
After careful consideration, the session voted last night to suspend all in-person meetings in the church building until April 1. This includes Sunday worship, small group gatherings, and committee meetings. The session and I will reassess the situation on April 1, and let you know what we decide.
You may have seen this graph from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which shows how early action reduces the incidence and intensity of infection in epidemics like the current one.
More people will still get sick, but by implementing protective measures early, we can decrease that number and slow the rate of infection. By suspending in-person gatherings at CPC, we are doing our part to flatten the infection curve. This is the most important thing we can do to help our healthcare system and our neighbor.
The one exception to this suspension is the dinner that we are scheduled to provide for the FACETS Hypothermia Shelter at Pender UMC next Friday, March 20. Those arrangements are proceeding as planned. Contact Elder Nyambi Nyambi with any questions.
To keep us connected through this period of social distance, we will use our website, our Facebook page (Christ Presbyterian Church, Fairfax), and our email list. Your deacon will also be calling you, so please note their name and number in case you have a pastoral need.
Please join me on Facebook Sunday mornings at 10:30, when I will live stream a scripture reading, reflection, and prayer. You will be able to contribute your own thoughts and prayers by commenting on the stream. Either click on the link that will be on www.CPCFairfax.org, or go straight to the Christ Presbyterian Church, Fairfax page in Facebook.
I can also schedule Zoom meetings so that people may meet virtually. If you would like to schedule a meeting for your group, please let me know.
We have never been through a crisis like this before, so we may need to experiment with different approaches to find what works best for our community. Please be flexible, and bear each other and me with grace and patience. Remember that we are assured that we can do all things through Christ Jesus, who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13).
In Him,
Pastor Megan
Email: pastor@cpcfairfax.org
Photo-a-Day
Lenten Discipline
Join Pastor Megan in a Lenten discipline of looking for God in the ordinary. Use the word prompt for the day, or take a picture of whatever speaks to you of the Spirit. Post your photos to the CPC Facebook page, or email them to pastor@cpcfairfax.org.
Devotional for Lent:
Lent in Plain Sight
The product description for Jill J. Duffield’s Lent in Plain Sight says,
God is often at work through the ordinary: ordinary people, ordinary objects, ordinary grace. Through the ordinary, God communicates epiphanies, salvation, revelation, and reconciliation. It is through the mundane that we hear God’s quiet voice.
In this devotional for the season of Lent, Jill J. Duffield draws readers’ attention to ten ordinary objects that Jesus would have encountered on his way to Jerusalem … Each week, readers encounter a new object to consider through Scripture, prayer, and reflection. From Ash Wednesday to Easter, Lent in Plain Sight reminds Christians to open ourselves to the kingdom of God.
Join us as we open ourselves to the kingdom of God using Lent in Plain Sight this season. Adult Christian Ed classes meet at 9:15 a.m. and noon, and Pastor Megan will use it as a basis for her preaching. The church has a few copies for members to buy, or find your own copy here or here.
