Author: Dan Conway

Dear Discipleship Leaders of Christ Church,

   Attached is the discussion guide for this week’s message from the Heroes in Hard Times sermon series, Choosing Who You Will Serve from Joshua 24:1-15. 

You are welcome to use this guide for virtual group meetings you may be having this week or informally for discussions with friends or personal spiritual reflection.  The message is available atwww.christchurchsl.org/sermons and the entire service from Sunday atwww.christchurchsl.org/livestream in case you missed it.

Leader Tips:

1. Want to do virtual meeting with your discipleship group but don’t know how?  Let me know and I will host your first meeting, it is easier than you think!  Don’t worry about the 40 minute time limitation per call, I can set it up to go longer.
2. Our first pastor facilitated “overtime” zoom fellowship time after worship went well Sunday!  It’s a public zoom meeting with the meeting ID shown on the screen of the livestream.  Just plug in the meeting number (new each week) on the zoom screen to see faces of church friends this Sunday, 11:45am-12:15pm.
3. New 5 minute pastor video devotionals will be posted online with an email link sent on Thursdays starting this week by yours truly.
4. Children’s Sunday school is now virtual on Sunday mornings at 9:15am, seesarahs@christchurchsl.org for details.  Youth also are doing several online devotionals, hang outs and shared video games during the week, see erics@christchurchsl.org for details.
5. Pastor Temple’s daily devotions of encouragement during this time of limited people gatherings are continuing throughout the month of June.  See the church facebook page or www.chappelltemple.com.
6. Links to upcoming church events like the Online Night of Worship this Thursday night at 7pm (May 7), and the virtual Vacation Bible School June 15-19  and resources like the subscribing to the church mid-week email are available on the church website homepage-https://www.christchurchsl.org/
7. For details about how church activities will be changing with the Re-open Texas process, stay tuned for the mid-week church wide emails.

  As with Joshua, we live in times to be “strong and courageous” in the Lord.  We face a much less visible enemy in the Covid 19 virus than Joshua faced, yet we serve the very same God who is good and faithful to deliver.  We are His covenant people “standing on the promises” from day to day and week to week.  God is with you in our ministries together. 

“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart” 2 Corinthians 4:1.

May God bless you richly in your times with Him and with each other this week.

Your Co-worker in Christ,

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

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

Dear Discipleship Group Leaders of Christ Church,

    Even as our present need for Stay Home Stay Safe guidelines continues, so too does our Lenten journey with Jesus  in the “Road to Jerusalem” sermon series from the gospel of Luke.  Keep pressing on and joining in friends!   Attached is the discussion or reflection guide for today’s message “The Lost and the Least” on Luke 18:35-19:10, see www.christchurchsl.org/sermons for your group use or personal reflection.    

Discipleship Announcements:

1. The Marks of a Methodist study- 5^th and final session is Tuesday night online at https://www.christchurchsl.org/event/tnt-tuesday-nights-together/.  This is a pastor led study on John Wesley’s “The Character of a Methodist”
2. Daily devotionals of encouragement by Pastor Temple during this troubled time of Covid 19 and Stay Home Stay Safe are available during the week Mon-Fri.  You can read these on the church facebook page or see and/or subscribe directly to Pastor Temple’s blog page at www.chappelltemple.com
3. Attached is a one page prayer guide pdf for our world during this coronavirus pandemic.  I received it from a church member who found it helpful in bringing focused prayerful thought to the various dimensions of our societal concerns and pairing them with scriptures as well.  By the way, the author, Pete Greig is a leader in the 24/7 prayer movement and has written a great book on prayer called How To Pray: A Simple Guide For Normal People.
4. Volunteer/Service Opportunities you can share with your group
   1. If you or your group members are symptom free and would like to volunteer in an approved essential outdoor activity- the Houston Food Bank and FBISD are seeking volunteers at 7:45am on Friday April 3 with the mobile food pantry.  The work is sorting and putting food in the vehicles of people who pull up for help. The Christ Church sign up is here- https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0f4ba8a622a7ff2-mobile
   2. There are donation bins at the Christ Church drive through noon to 2pm, at least until Monday for East Fort Bend Human Needs Food Pantry, the Rainbow room, Fort Bend ISD Grab and Go Meals, and the Shared Dreams Ugly Shoe Drive.  See attached flier for donation descriptions.
   3. There are other opportunities in the attached file Christ church missions activities as well
5. I’ve heard from some of you who are having open online discipleship group meetings.  If there are others, please reply and let me know so that the information can be shared with others who may wish to join you.
6. Be sure you are on the mid-week church email list at – https://www.christchurchsl.org/1595-2/

Please stay as safe as you can friends.  You are loved and prayed for!

Your Co-worker In Christ,

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Discipleship Group Leaders of Christ Church,

    Attached is the discussion guide for this morning’s sermon “Crossing the Border” which is available atwww.christchurchsl.org/sermons.  

Our prayers continue for you all and our community in these unusual times which require social distancing and connecting as a congregation in creative ways.  We are grateful for you and for so many (over 500) who joined us for our online only combined worship service this morning at 10:30am.   You all are also welcome to join us online Tuesday night for the live stream of the Tuesday Nights Together, session #4 of The Marks of a Methodist.  https://www.christchurchsl.org/event/tnt-tuesday-nights-together/?event_date=2020-03-24

    If you need help making an online small group meeting happen, please reply to this email so that I can connect you with someone to help you set that up.   Also, please try to connect with your group members as you are able and let me know of those who the pastors and staff may wish to reach out to

Your Co-worker in Christ,

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Discipleship Group Leaders of Christ Church,

    I have been out on vacation this week and am still learning about how our church community is choosing to remain connected in light of concerns about the coronavirus.  For now, I am sending and attaching here the usual discussion guide of today’s message “Not Fear But Power” from our combined 10:30am online worship service. 

You are welcome to use it as your group best determines or for your personal reflection.  I will email you all again later in the week with more announcements and/or suggestions of how to stay connected in our walk of discipleship as a community during this time.

Your Co-worker in Christ,

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Discipleship Group Leaders of Christ Church,

   The discussion guide for the sermon Tri-City Blues, Luke 10:1-20 is attached for your group or personal use this week. 

The sermon messages are available athttps://www.christchurchsl.org/sermons/ in case you missed them.

Leader Tips & Announcements This Week:

1. Please be in prayer for the family of Debbie Read who passed away in hospice care in the home today.  Debbie has taught the Tuesday morning women’s Bible study and has influenced the faith of many women at Christ Church over the years.  No news yet about a funeral service has been shared.
2. Prayer Retreat w/ Pastor Michelle 10am March 12 to noon March 13 at Villa De Matel in Houston.  Email michelleh@christchurchsl.org for details.
3. Tuesday Nights Together (TNT) fellowship meal, pastor’s study and table discussions starts this Tuesday, 5:30-7pm.  We will be studying the historic writing of John Wesley called “The Character of a Methodist.”  Printed copies of this work, along with space to write in your notes from the talks will be provided each week.  Come discover more about our Wesleyan Christian heritage,
4. Don’t forget your passport for your Lenten journey!  The Christ Church passport books for our spiritual journey in the season of Lent in tracing the steps of Jesus on the road to Jerusalem are available on the tables just outside the worship areas.  Each week has its own reflections and prayer points to enhance your understanding of the weekly sermon texts and messages. 
5. The chapel is open for Lenten prayer time during normal building hours at Christ Church- Mon- Thurs 7:30am-7:30pm, Fri 7:30am-2pm & Sun 7:30am-4pm.  Prayer resources are available in the chapel.

Your Co-laborer in Christ,

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church

Dear Discipleship Group Leaders and Teachers of Christ Church,

     I am sending out this week’s sermon discussion guide email to more than just the small group leaders this week, just to touch base with all our group leaders during this season of Lent.  Even if your group does not normally use the sermon discussion guides for your group curriculum, you may find it helpful or useful for personal use or informal conversations with other friends from church.  See attached. 

Remember, the sermon videos, in case you missed them are available at www.christchurchsl.org/sermons.

Leader Tips & Announcements This Week:

1. Tuesday Nights Together (TNT) fellowship meal, pastor’s study and table discussions starts this Tuesday, 5:30-7pm.  We will be studying the historic writing of John Wesley called “The Character of a Methodist.”  Printed copies of this work, along with space to write in your notes from the talks will be provided each week.  Come discover more about our Wesleyan Christian heritage, 
2. Don’t forget your passport for your Lenten journey!  The Christ Church passport books for our spiritual journey in the season of Lent in tracing the steps of Jesus on the road to Jerusalem are available on the tables just outside the worship areas.  Each week has its own reflections and prayer points to enhance your understanding of the weekly sermon texts and messages. 
3. Looking for a service opportunity for your group?  The Habitat For Humanity mission is looking for sponsors for meals and snacks for volunteers.  See attached fliers for open dates.
4. The chapel is open for Lenten prayer time during normal building hours at Christ Church- Mon- Thurs 7:30am-7:30pm, Fri 7:30am-2pm & Sun 7:30am-4pm.  Prayer resources are available in the chapel.
5. Prayer Retreat w/ Pastor Michelle 10am March 12 to noon March 13 at Villa De Matel in Houston.  Email michelleh@christchurchsl.org for details.
6. Did you miss Pastor Temple’s last Pastor’s study- Bible For Beginners and Everyone Else: Becoming a More Confident Bible Reader?  No worries, this Bible training resource of 5 sessions and power point presentations for each one is available for viewing/download at https://www.christchurchsl.org/messages/bible-for-beginners-part-1/.
7. Need help with resources for future studies?  Please call or email me so I can help, dan@christchurchsl.org or 281-690-4776.

Happy Lent everyone!

Dan Conway

Pastor of Discipleship & Outreach

Christ Church