Pastor’s Statement June 6, 2020

 

Greetings to all our members and friends,

 

I am your new Pastor as of June 1, 2020. My name is Scott Wise. While June 1, 2020 was my first day on the job, I have been working very closely with New Bethel’s reopening task force and the session members to begin the process of allowing members to worship once again in the house of the Lord.

 

The New Bethel Presbyterian task force has begun the process of reopening the church for Sunday services. Our target date for reopening is June 14, 2020, at 11:00 a.m. So begins the account of the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. The task force members have concluded that it may not be possible for the members of our congregation to be “all together in one place” this year. While restrictions are being lifted, the ongoing threat of the Covid-19 global pandemic continues.

 

The New Bethel task force realizes that we need to return to the church in a way that is measured and mindful of the needs of the most vulnerable among us. While some may begin to attend our public worship, we know that some will need to continue to worship at home for some time. The good news is we can do both by using our website as a platform for our stay-at-home members by broadcasting the service live on YouTube. The good news from the gospels is: “And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). You will be receiving more communications from the task force in the coming days that will provide more in-depth details about resuming worship at New Bethel. I am sure you have several questions about how the new services will be handled. This is a very intense time in our lives. You will receive more details in the days to come by mail, email, or through our website that we hope provides clarity. Please keep in mind that we will learn from the first weeks and change to improve as we go forward for the betterment of all. Your feedback will help us to improve.

 

I want to express to each of you, how driven with energy and enthusiasm the task force is. It is refreshing to see God’s energy flowing through thoughts and ideas. The calling and mission of New Bethel Presbyterian Church and its members are the driving forces for our task force team members. I hope you will rejoice like I am that our day with the Lord in his house is near once again.

 

In Christ’s name,

Scott Wise