Month: April 2020

Dear Discipleship Group Leaders,

    My apologies for getting the sermon discussion guide out later than I planned to today.  I hope you find the attached guide of value for your group virtual meetings this week or for your own reflections or informal use with friends.  Sunday’s message Give Me The Mountain, on the Biblical character of Caleb, is a part of our new sermon series “Heroes In Hard Times.” 

You can find the sermon video at www.christchurchsl.org/sermons or the entire service video at www.christchurchsl.org/livestream. 

Leader Tips:

1. Please let me know if you would like help with doing online virtual meetings by replying to this email
2. Pastor Temple’s daily devotionals are still available on the church Facebook page or at www.chappelltemple.com
3. Please be in prayer for our government leaders at all levels for the best response to the Covid 19 virus spread as shifts begin taking place this week.  Since some of you have requested a copy of my pastoral prayer from Sunday morning, I am attaching it here as well.
4. Prayer requests can be submitted to the pastors and prayer teams for the church athttps://www.christchurchsl.org/prayer-care/.  You can also let me know of pastoral concerns by emailing me to share with the other pastors. 
5. It’s never been easier to invite friends and neighbors to church- just txt or email or post the linkwww.christchurchsl.org/livestream and its never been easier for people to attend church- just click on the link and watch!  This sermon series- Heroes In Hard Times is meant to bring encouragement to people in an uncertain time in our country and world.  The good news of Christ which we share in worship each week, can be a gift to those who are currently disconnected to a church community that they can call their own.  Please encourage your group members to share this link of good news and of our faith community in whatever appropriate ways they are willing to.

Thank you for your continued participation in online worship at Christ Church and being in discipleship ministry as you are able to.  We still have a ways to go, but the time of our reunion in on-campus worship is coming!  Keep the faith and keep pressing on friends!  God is with us!

Your Co-worker in Christ,

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Discipleship Group Leaders,

   Attached is the discussion guide for Sunday’s message Don’t Miss Him based on 1 Peter 1:3-9 for your personal reflections or use by your online or over the phone group meetings this week. 

The sermon is available at www.christchurchsl.org/sermons and if you would like to see the whole service, you can click on the livestream page and the recording will play- see www.christchurchsl.org/livestream.  FYI- the virtual Christ Church choir is worth seeing the whole service link in case you missed it!

     Also, this link is also a great tool for inviting friends or neighbors (or others regardless of where they live) to online church through a text message, email or social media post.  This is a unique time in which it is really easy to invite others and easy them to attend from the comfort and familiar setting of their own homes.

Leader Tips:

1. Please let me know if you would like help getting connected for online video meetings or over the telephone meetings while we are limited from meeting together in a home or room.  Its not as hard as you may be thinking it is.
2. Please share the online prayer request link with your group members so that they can connect their requests with our prayer teams as they would like to.  Seehttps://www.christchurchsl.org/prayer-care/.  The pastors are also informed of the requests posted here by members.
3. We are still learning and responding to the news of how our nation and state would have us take care not to spread the virus.  The mid-week email is the best place to learn updates on church activities, anyone can subscribe here – https://www.christchurchsl.org/1595-2/
4. Pastor Temple’s daily devotionals during this time are available at the church Facebook page or at www.chappelltemple.com
5. For missions opportunities see https://www.christchurchsl.org/covid-19-response/.  Also, right now masks are being made and collected for child protective services and the city of Sugar Land- seehttps://www.christchurchsl.org/event/homemade-masks-needed/?event_date=2020-04-22.  Links to videos about how to make masks are available at the first link- covid-19-response.
6. Please let me know if there are people in your groups who are in need of prayer or a call from a pastor. 

Thank you all for your continued participation and leadership in the discipleship ministries of Christ Church however you and your group prefer to connect with each other.  May the peace and power of the risen Christ be with you, your families and your discipleship communities friends.

Your Co-worker in Christ,

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Discipleship Group Leaders of Christ Church,

    Jesus Christ is alive and with us!  Attached is the discussion guide from our Easter messages Something to Talk About from Luke 24:13-35 and Because He Did, We Canfrom John 20:1-18. 

Sorry it took me a little longer to send out today than I first thought it would.  If your group is meeting online this week, please send the guide in advance with your meeting announcement email as well as a link to the online sermon messages at www.christchurchsl.org/sermons in case your group members missed them. 

Leader Tips:

1. About Zoom- Some have brought to our attention security concerns about using the zoom platform.  Some of the concerns can be managed by the one calling the zoom meeting in group.  We can keep the meeting group sizes small enough where we can see and notice people joining the call on the screen and control access during the call.  Another way is to use the “password” feature when setting up the call and sharing the password with our group members.  Of course, if you are familiar with or have access to an alternative online meeting platform such as Microsoft meetings, you are welcome to use it as well. 
2. Follow the latest news on Christ Church activities and announcements in the mid-week Wednesday morning church-wide email.  If you haven’t subscribed already, see  https://www.christchurchsl.org/1595-2/
3. Pastor Temple’s daily devotionals of encouraging words from scripture are continuing throughout this time of Stay Home Stay Safe in our area.   They are available on the church facebook page, and by email subscription – seewww.chappelltemple.com.  

Happy Easter everyone!  Have a blessed resurrection week!

Your Co-laborer In Christ, 

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Discipleship Group Leaders of Christ Church,

     Holy Week has begun!  The discussion guide for today’s message A Rockstar Entrance on Luke 19:28-42 is attached for your personal reflection or for use in an online meeting with your group. 

If your group has not already done so, you may wish to try a video conference call this week, if not for a regular meeting, then perhaps just for a time of friendly face to face visitation.  In this time of physical distancing, it is really encouraging to see familiar friendly faces! 

     We have been using the “zoom” online platform for our video conferencing meetings at church and it seems to have a fairly easy and intuitive user interface.  Getting a free user name and password will enable you to respond to conference call invitation hyperlinks sent to you and to initiate your own video conference calls as well for up to 40 minutes at a time.   Beyond 40 minutes requires a paid subscription, but you can always just do 2 calls in a row if you would like to chat longer. 

     Speaking of zoom, the Maundy Thursday livestream service will be broadcast on the website as usual at 7pm, but will also be broadcast on a very large Zoom video conference call so that the people can see one another taking communion together.  Yes, there is an option to disable your camera on your own computer if you do not want to be seen, but hopefully most will want to see and be seen by others in this special service.  More details about this will be coming in the regular Wednesday morning mid-week church email.  But you may want to try out zoom for yourself now- see https://zoom.us/.  

Other Church Announcements:

1. If you missed the sermon this morning, you can view it at www.christchurchsl.org/sermons.  Also, if you would like to see the return of Daniel the Tiger from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood to Christ Church in today’s children’s lesson, you can see the whole worship service by clicking here and scrolling down to the April 5^th service-  http://christchurch.yourstreamlive.com/.
2. The livestream services of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are both at 7pm this week, and Easter Sunday services are at 7am (pre-recorded) and 10:30am at www.christchurchsl.org/livestream
3. Pastor Temple’s daily online mid-week devotions of encouragement are continuing throughout this time of Stay Home- Stay Safe.  You can view them on the church Facebook page or see his blog directly at www.chappelltemple.com
4. Easter lilies are on sale for $10 each, pick up is Saturday on the patio in front of the sanctuary 10am-5pm.  You can purchase them online by clickinghere.
5. Here is the list of studies and meetings happening online at Christ Church while the building is closed – https://www.christchurchsl.org/meetings-during-building-closure/.  Please email me if you would like to have your group added to the list! 
6. Missions opportunities updates at Christ Church-
   1. Here is the link to make an appointment for the Blood Drive on April 15- www.christchurch.houstonmethodistbloodcenter.org
   2. Letters for Inmates – The inmates at the Carol Vance Prison can no longer receive any visits from family or hear the reinforcing Good Word from volunteers.  If you are interested in communicating with an inmate, just email Betty at bbw1m@aol.com and she will send you the name and instructions for letters or digital encouragement. 
   3. Meals on Wheels will distribute only on Wednesdays, but will deliver an entire week’s worth of meals.
   4. Email reneet@christchurchsl.org with any other questions you have about missions
7. Have a prayer request?  Our prayer team can receive your requests at https://www.christchurchsl.org/prayer-care/.

Please reply to this email if you would like some help getting your group connected online or if there are members in your group that have concerns you feel the pastors should be aware of.   You can also reach me at 281-690-4776.  I am praying for you in this ministry of teaching and encouragement that we share in together. 

The Lord is with us and is mighty to save.  I find comfort in the words of Christ he shared in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  This is the week in which He fought and won the victory for us.  Hang on and press on through the shadows friends, the dawn of Easter is coming!

Still in One Peace,

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church