4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.             1 Peter 2:4–5

The apostle Peter speaks of what God is doing in building us together as a spiritual house and a holy priesthood. These two images speak to an identity that rises up out of belief and commitment to Jesus Christ. Our identity is then lived out in how we offer spiritual sacrifices in every context in which we live. We gather to encourage one another, admonish one another, sharpen one another, and care for one another. In this very different time, the church must remember that although the way we gather has changed, it does change the source or scope of our identity. What has primarily changed in this season is the way we live it out. While gathering is vital to long term health as a church we have an opportunity to learn to demonstrate our identity in ways that should last long after the crisis passes.

There is no doubt that our standard practices as a church have changed. It has impacted us, but it should never prevent us from being God’s church. Look for opportunities to worship, study the word, and pray with others in different ways in the days ahead.

I can’t wait for us to gather again in person. I miss being with you all and miss the gatherings that we share. There is so much life in the church being together and we can’t replace it. We should never give up on meeting together, but in this season we have to adapt out of love and care for everyone. It is a sacrifice that speaks love in a practical and selfless way. However, even in the absence of our physical gatherings, I am more confident than ever that God will teach us something life-giving for the future church. In this season we are going to learn about how to live more strongly as His church. Unfortunately, sometimes our practices limit God and limit us. Let’s not stop being the church because our practices have to be altered for a while. Let’s instead learn new practices that can help build God’s Kingdom and show the love of Christ more completely that ever.

Since we will not be gathering this weekend in one place, let’s gather as one people in many places. Here’s a few practical things to help us gather in worship.

• Worship through Song (sing along through using a video or audio recording)
  • Song – Everlasting God
  • Song – Great Is Thy Faithfulness
• Worship through the Word
  • On Sunday morning, this week’s message will be available on our website. Simply go to eatoncommunitychurch.org and you will find a link to the message on the home page.
• Worship through Giving
  • Give online through Simple Give at eatoncommunitychurch.org/give
  • Mail your offering to the church office.

May we continue to witness and experience the grace of God in these days.

Take care of yourself and take care of one another!

Pastor Dan

“The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”  (Psalm 34:18)

In these days of the COVID-19 pandemic many of us have seen and are experiencing heartache in unprecedented ways. Just a few of those losses are:

• Adults being temporarily laid off or losing their jobs.
• Singles spending much time alone due to social distancing.
• People experiencing sickness.
• Kids and teens trying to learn in very different settings and routines.
• All of us missing our church family and friends.
• And many more…

While the bible speaks much about loss and grief, we often associate it only with death.  The reality is that in any change, even good change, their is loss and grief. We are all undergoing grief and loss in this time and we shouldn’t underestimate it’s impact on our lives. Each of us grieve differently, even if we grieve the same thing, and we should help one another walk through these changes. As we care for one another don’t underestimate or assume we know how or what people are grieving. Our role is to love and care for them and remind remind them that God has given us emotions to process and heal from loss and grief. Even more importantly we can pray for them and point them to the promises of God. We must place hope and confidence in the words of Jesus when he says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” (John 14:1) Let’s pray that over one another, whether or not we are together or apart. 

As we continue to walk through this as God’s church we’d like to continue to encourage you to look to the promises of God and reach out and pray by phone with one another. Families, make this a new season, full of new practices of prayer with each other. God will provide, you will draw strength and comfort and He will be glorified.

Please remember that if you have any prayer requests that you would like to share with others at ECC, simply email them to prayerchain813@gmail.com

In this time we have set up a prayer team to pray privately with you over the phone. If you are in need of prayer contact the church office by phone or email or fill out the form below. Someone will reach out to you soon.

Prayer Form

Take care of yourself and take care of one another.

Praying with you and for you,

Pastor Dan

Teachers offering to help students and parents with schoolwork while schools are closed.

Individuals offering to go to the store and purchase groceries for a Sr. adult who can’t go out.

Stay at home mom’s offering to provide childcare to families while students are out of school.

A mom and her boys offering to pick up and deliver free meals given out by the Preble County Success Program.

A family offering their internet password to their neighbors to help students complete their online studies.

Countless individuals giving donations to the community organizations helping those off work and school.

Individuals picking up the phone and checking on friends, family, and neighbors to offer any help they might need.

These are just a few of the examples of people at ECC who are serving others in this time with hands devoted to caring. It is our collective value of generous living being demonstrated in relevant and practical ways an in the days ahead there will be more opportunities, with more people, to extend our hands to care for others. In this opportunity it’s important to ask, “How do we best care for others?”

In the Old Testament there’s a boy named Samuel who’s words to God can be a guide for us in these days.  1 Samuel 3:8-10 says,

8 A third time the LORD called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the LORD was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening.’ ” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.”

That’s it! That’s where serving begins. It begins by the practice of stopping before God. When we STOP, our call to God is one of seeking and listening. Serving begins with a heart turned toward God in expectation of hearing from Him. When we do this, we serve others best because:

• We understand God knows best for us and others and we seek him first.
• We humbly understand our role as servants, to selflessly care for others.
• We depend on God to lead us through his spirit and not just our preference.

As we move forward in the days ahead, I challenge each of us to STOP before God and offer these words to Him. He will give us great opportunity, even a a time of social distancing, to Share Life, and Share Christ with others as the body of Christ in eternal, life-changing ways.

Here are a few things to help one another during this time:

• Wellness Checks – We are encouraging everyone to touch base with your circles of family, church family, and friends and see how they are doing. I encourage us to do this by phone as it gives a much-needed personal touch in this time. It is a great way to offer to pray for someone or offer to help with any needs. (Please be especially intentional with Sr. Adults, families with young children, or those who have compromised health conditions)
• Do you know of a need?
  • There are many great organizations in our community that are providing assistance during this time. We want to help point people in the right direction or provide help in some other way.
  • Please contact the church office by phone or email if you are aware of someone in the church that has a need.
• Can you help?
  • The best way to help is for all of us to check-in with others and ask if there are needs. But in the cases where we have some other specific needs to be met, we would like to see who could help.
    • Some ways to help:
      • Pickup groceries for someone.
      • Wellness check phone call.
      • Childcare for working parents.
      • Financial assistance for those off work.
      • Or anything else.
    • Please contact the church office by phone or email if you are able to help meet a need that may arise.

I pray that God will help you devote your hands to caring in the days ahead. While we don’t know what each day might bring, we do know that God holds each day in His hand. God will provide, God will sustain, and God will care for those who trust in Him! Let’s invite Him to speak and then listen as His servants.

Take care of yourself and take care of one another!

Pastor Dan

ECC Family,

The psalmist says in Psalm 84, “How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God…Blessed are those who dwell in your house they are ever praising you. Blessed are those whose strength is in you…Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere…For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.”

These words speak of longing for God’s nearness and presence as a passionate worshiper. While it alludes to physical space and the practices of the devoted, it is mostly about relationship with God. It speaks of a hunger and longing to know God, worship God, and serve God. This is a great reminder to us in this very different time when our normal practices of collective worship, gathering, and service have been disrupted by the health crisis in this world. Take heart, because these changes cannot take away our relationship with God. In fact, they should strengthen that relationship. As those believing in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for our sins, we have been given access to the God that gives us assurance, strength, and blessing. We can dwell with him, anywhere! Dwell in Him as we worship him, serve him, and love others in the name of Jesus, wherever he may place you.

I believe this reminder is important as we continue to assess the current health crisis in our country and the world. Daily, updated recommendations, to be a part of the solution, continue to encourage social distancing and restrictions on gatherings. Because of this we have made difficult, yet necessary decisions, on how to care for others and show responsibility in this pandemic. We do not operate out of fear, but out of love for our neighbors. Therefore, the following will apply to Eaton Community Church:

• Our Sunday morning worship gatherings will not take place at ECC on March 22 or March 29. We will be posting a video message plus interactive options for those mornings as we gather as the church, in many places. (More details to come.)
• Our Wednesday night ETCH gatherings will not take place at ECC on March 18, March 24, or April 1. Beginning March 24 we will have online videos, lessons and activities available for families and adults to conduct at home. (More details to come early next week.)
• Beginning tomorrow, Wednesday, March 18 through April 4, our church building will be closed to all visitors, meetings, activities, and gatherings. The church office will be open for phone calls and emails.

We appreciate your understanding of these decisions as we seek to be obedient to the Lord in this time. Remember, we are STILL God’s church. While we must operate differently with routine practices and activities we are still the people of God that are on mission to Share Life, and Share Life in every circumstance.  (I will share in tomorrow’s update some specific ways to care and serve for others in this time.)

As I close today’s update I want to again encourage you to dwell (abide) in Jesus each day. I know these days are trying for us all, so cry out (pray) to the living God in dependence. Remind each other that we serve the “God who is a sun and shield”, providing for us in all ways. Remind each other that we worship a God of grace who “bestows favor and honor” and “no good thing will he withhold” from those who walk in trust with Him. Be the church God created us to be.

Take care of yourself and one another!

Pastor Dan

Out of care and responsibility to our country and community all services and activities for Sunday, March 15, have been cancelled.

Head over to my Facebook page for a brief accompanying video message.

Prayer

While we will not be gathering for worship at our campus, I’m asking each of us to observe a time of collective prayer at 10:00am on Sunday morning in our homes. Let the following verses be our guide in that time of prayer.

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:4-9

These verses carry some important reminders to us as Christ-followers, in this unprecedented time. Discuss the following points as a family or call a friend to share how you want to be faithful to God in this time. Use these prayer points as you STOP with God.

• We walk by faith, not by fear.
  • Not only do we seek God, but we find our strength, comfort, and even joy in all circumstances.
    • Pray for people to come to know Christ and not fear.
  • We have great opportunity to share our peace with others in practical ways.
    • Pray for opportunities to share with someone who may be experiencing uncertainty and chaos and it has led to anxiety and worry.
  • We walk with wisdom, not ignorance.
    • This is a complicated issue and requires us to make individual and collective decisions that show care and concern for others.
      • Pray for leaders in our country, our community, and our church as we make difficult decisions for the care and well-being of all.
    • We can be an encouragement to others who are weary, disappointed, and even heart-broken over the changes going on in our culture. Let the wisdom of the Holy Spirit guide you in this time.
      • Pray for the wisdom of health care workers who are giving much in this time.
    • We walk with humility, not arrogance.
      • We model the love of Christ, not by making statements that become divisive, but by making sacrifices that communicate the love of Christ.
        • Don’t make this an ‘us versus them’, the spiritual vs. the nonspiritual. We are all facing this together. Seek to be God’s church with a humble spirit, not an arrogant entitlement.
        • Be careful what you post on social media. It might seem funny to you, but incredibly insensitive to others. We are all in this together.
      • We will all likely experience additional stress, grief, and disappointment in this time. Let’s be the light of Christ to others by speaking and doing what is right, and good, and true.
        • Pray for a spirit of care and concern, not greed.
        • Pray for opportunities to model the love of Christ.

Above all pray for healing for our country in this health crisis. Our prayers should be prayers of physical healing for those who are sick and spiritual healing for those who don’t know Jesus Christ.

Let’s make it a priority to pray together at 10:00am on Sunday morning.

Further Updates

We will continue to assess the situation and update everyone about activities in the days ahead. Please check the website, LifeShare, and text alerts for the latest information.

Sharing Life, Sharing Christ…Together,

Pastor Dan

Church Family,

ECC leadership is assessing day by day the current health situation facing us. We are confident that during any crisis we have a firm foundation in Jesus Christ. Our faith is in God and His provision and we are determined to walk in faith and not fear. We have an opportunity each day to “Share Life, and Share Christ” in the midst of all circumstances, even those we have never encountered before. Our response, as God’s church, is to seek God’s wisdom in making decisions for our gatherings and to also care for those around us in this church and community. We want to embrace that role with the love of Christ.

Sunday Services

As of right now, we are planning to hold both services on Sunday. With no local cases in our area, we believe the benefit of gathering is an important step to encourage one another in faith and to care for one another. I plan to bring a special message about how to walk with Christ in faith in a time where fear and anxiety grip our culture.

• We understand that this situation is changing regularly, and we will continue to assess it up until Sunday services.
• Any changes in Sunday’s activities will be posted on LifeShare, ECC’s website, and through our text alerts.
• Team meetings and small group gatherings are at the groups own discretion

Please keep in mind the following as we gather:

• First and foremost, pray.
• Please stay home if you or a family member are sick!
• We are implementing a “No Touch” policy at worship, gatherings, and meetings. Greet one another warmly but avoid hugs and handshakes.

Common Preparedness Measures

We are encouraging all members and attenders to follow the guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control  on their website:

• Wash hands regularly with soap and warm water for 20 seconds or more (about the same amount of time it takes to sing Happy Birthday)
• Use hand sanitizer, if soap and water aren’t available.
• Avoid touching your face as much as possible.
• Avoid contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home if you or a family member are sick.
• Cover your mouth with a tissue or the inside of your elbow when you need to cough or sneeze.

We call for you to join leadership in praying for our community and country during this unprecedented time.

Praying with you and for you,

Pastor Dan