All of us are having to respond to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. There is real uncertainty and confusion to deal with, but also a real sense of anxiety and fear around the virus. How bad will it get? The truth is we do not know for sure. But here is a reminder of the church we want to be:
“A people who have been and are being transformed by the good news of Jesus, who seek to live for Jesus and make Jesus known to others in and around Bicester.”
And as such, we have four key values that flow out from this which shape the way that we operate as a church. In a time like this it’s crucial that we remember who we are and how these 4 values shape the way we would like to respond in the face of this outbreak.
Dependance on God
At a time like this it is more easy to recognise our complete dependence on God in all things, and yet potentially more difficult to reconcile his control with our situation. It is a time where we are painfully conscious of the fragility of human life, in ways that are close to home for many of us. It is a time where being anxious is the normal human reaction. We want to follow the instruction of (1 Peter 5:7): Cast all your anxiety on Him, because he cares for you. We want to commit to praying that we’d have a deep trust in God and see what He is teaching us at this time as we try and see what good He is allowing to happen in the midst of this crisis. He still loves us and cares for us, even when his plans and definition of “good” seem completely opposite to ours at the moment. (Romans 8:28)
Prioritising God’s word
We believe that the good news of Jesus is God’s rescue plan to bring us back to God and has the power to transform lives. We don’t want to forget that, especially in what might feel like a crisis! We’re committed to continuing to listen to what God has to say to us whilst the regular activity of having God’s word preached and studying it together is slightly disrupted. We’re making alternative arrangements detailed elsewhere in order that together we might hold tightly to the truth found in the pages of the Bible (2 Tim 3v14-17)
Caring for Church Family
We’re very conscious this is a time where it becomes more difficult practically, and yet; as necessary as ever to journey together, and love and serve one another. Amongst the different feelings of isolation, entrapment and chaos, in our church family we’ll have many different needs. We want to be a family that is quick to love and serve, which means committing to both offering help and speaking up to ask for help.
Reaching People in Bicester and Beyond
Throughout all of history Christians have often been distinctive in how they have been willing to help the sick even in the midst of plagues and pandemics. They were able to do this because they had no fear of death - they understood the words of Paul when he says “to live is Christ, to die is gain.” (Phil 1:21) At this time when our friends, family and neighbours who wouldn’t say they follow Jesus are likely to be deeply unsettled, we may well be given opportunities to love sacrificially as we demonstrate God’s love, and also give a reason for the hope that we have. (1 Peter 3:15) We want to commit to looking for and taking these opportunities that God gives us as a church.
Find up to date details of the practicalities of us continuing to gather together digitally here.
