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Hello Rock Family,

I trust all is well with you and your family. I must say that I miss you already! Hebrews 10:24-26 tells us: "And 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."

I think there is nothing much more awkward for the church than to not be able to meet together. In truth, technically we are not the “church” at all without meeting, since the Greek word for “church” means an assembly or gathering of God’s people. In other words, it’s hard to be the church when we cannot come together. 

But that doesn’t mean we can make every effort to maintain our relational bonds as Christ, by His Holy Spirit, maintains our spiritual unity. Let’s make sure to check in on one another and communicate with each other. Participate in group activities, even though they are only “virtual”. For example, I had a great opportunity to join with four other men via Zoom this morning for a time of prayer and music. You can have surprisingly strong fellowship praying and speaking with each other in this way.  We currently have two prayer opportunities scheduled each week. One is on Sunday’s at 9:30 AM and the other is on Wednesdays at 6:30 AM. And here’s the great part. If you join late or have to leave a little early, it’s no problem. You can enter or leave the “room” at any time with a lot less disruption than to a live prayer meeting! For this reason, we have subscribed to Zoom for the duration of the pandemic and will be encouraging the Community Groups to meet each week in this way as well. We may even add a class for those who would like to delve deeper during this time of pause. Just email the office and let us know if what you would like to participate and we will send you the link to the Zoom meeting. 

Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be an end in sight to this crisis. At this point, the schools in Idaho have been closed until at least April 20th, taking us a full week beyond Easter.  Just a half hour ago, the governor declared a “stay-home” order, keeping everyone home for the next 21 days. But even if all of this be so, our plan is to make whatever Sunday we come back into a celebration of Resurrection Sunday! In the meantime, we will continue to provide messages (and maybe even a little more) via Zoom and our App and Website. But let’s not lose track of one another.

If you need any assistance or prayer, please don’t hesitate to contact us. Soon, you will hear from one of the Rock Elders who will be checking in on your family. That Elder is there to support you and your family in any way he can. You can also post prayer requests and find prayer requests on the App on the Prayer Wall. Use this. You can also send words of comfort and encouragement to one another through the Prayer Wall.

For a while, the ways in which we meet together will change, but our calling to care for one another does not. Bless one another and build each other up in the Lord.

Grace and peace to you all,

Pastor Shawn