STATEMENT FROM LEAD PASTOR RUSS MCDONALD
The Covid-19 pandemic is hardly the first time the Church has had to navigate a major health crisis. Just over a century ago, the world was ravaged by the so-called “Spanish Flu” pandemic. In the United States alone, an estimated 675,000 people lost their lives due to the disease. Public authorities across the country issued orders restricting public gatherings, including ordering churches to close. It has also happened at other times in other countries around the world.
I know there are those in and around our area that have called some of these social restrictions religious persecution, but a little common reasoning will tell you that if this was religious persecution, the church would be the only public gathering that is required to follow these orders. As it is, we are, by far, not the only public gathering that is supposed to follow social distancing guidelines.
There are also those who feel that there is no example of faith and that the church is overcome with fear because of the present restricted way we are gathering for corporate worship. Please understand, just because we are practicing the CDC’s recommended social distancing guidelines, doesn’t mean we are afraid.
The church is an environment of faith, but we must practice wisdom. I wear a seatbelt in my car, I wear a safety harness when I climb a tree and hunt, and I wear a lifejacket when I’m in my boat. I don’t do this because I am afraid; I do this because it’s foolish to take chances and tempt fate and God. I believe God is a supernatural healer, deliverer, and miracle worker, but I’m not about to jump in front of a moving bus to prove it.
Acts 20:28 says that Church leaders are given the responsibility to guard the flock of God. This is what we are trying to do here at Appleton. If we are going to make a mistake, I want us to err on the side of caution.
All being said, I believe that God is doing great things through this pandemic, and I believe that the best is yet to come. God doesn’t work in reverse; He is always moving forward. He changes His people from glory to glory. He makes the path of the just shine brighter and brighter. He increases His people from strength to strength. He’s the God of progress not regress.
We are practicing social distancing, our sanctuary looks different, we are seated differently, we enter and leave the building differently, we greet one another differently, and we even park our cars differently. We’re not having nursery, Children’s Church, or Sunday School. It is safe to say that our worship services are not what we are used to, but we still have the ability and responsibility to worship and serve our God with all the strength we have. Let’s not fail in doing that. In His darkest and most unsure moment Jesus gave His all for us, now let’s do the same for Him.
I am excited about what God is doing in and through His people here at Appleton. I believe the devil is doing everything in his power to confuse and limit the church through the awkwardness of the times we are living in because he is scared to death of the promise Jesus gave the church – “I will build my church and the very gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18)
We are the unstoppable church. Let’s believe it! Let’s live it!
Pastor Russ McDonald
I know there are those in and around our area that have called some of these social restrictions religious persecution, but a little common reasoning will tell you that if this was religious persecution, the church would be the only public gathering that is required to follow these orders. As it is, we are, by far, not the only public gathering that is supposed to follow social distancing guidelines.
There are also those who feel that there is no example of faith and that the church is overcome with fear because of the present restricted way we are gathering for corporate worship. Please understand, just because we are practicing the CDC’s recommended social distancing guidelines, doesn’t mean we are afraid.
The church is an environment of faith, but we must practice wisdom. I wear a seatbelt in my car, I wear a safety harness when I climb a tree and hunt, and I wear a lifejacket when I’m in my boat. I don’t do this because I am afraid; I do this because it’s foolish to take chances and tempt fate and God. I believe God is a supernatural healer, deliverer, and miracle worker, but I’m not about to jump in front of a moving bus to prove it.
Acts 20:28 says that Church leaders are given the responsibility to guard the flock of God. This is what we are trying to do here at Appleton. If we are going to make a mistake, I want us to err on the side of caution.
All being said, I believe that God is doing great things through this pandemic, and I believe that the best is yet to come. God doesn’t work in reverse; He is always moving forward. He changes His people from glory to glory. He makes the path of the just shine brighter and brighter. He increases His people from strength to strength. He’s the God of progress not regress.
We are practicing social distancing, our sanctuary looks different, we are seated differently, we enter and leave the building differently, we greet one another differently, and we even park our cars differently. We’re not having nursery, Children’s Church, or Sunday School. It is safe to say that our worship services are not what we are used to, but we still have the ability and responsibility to worship and serve our God with all the strength we have. Let’s not fail in doing that. In His darkest and most unsure moment Jesus gave His all for us, now let’s do the same for Him.
I am excited about what God is doing in and through His people here at Appleton. I believe the devil is doing everything in his power to confuse and limit the church through the awkwardness of the times we are living in because he is scared to death of the promise Jesus gave the church – “I will build my church and the very gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matt. 16:18)
We are the unstoppable church. Let’s believe it! Let’s live it!
Pastor Russ McDonald