A Brief Note on COVID First the bad
news: Coronavirus is continuing to spread. The
unemployed numbers are still too high. Business as
usual is still slow to recover. There’s continued
political and racial turmoil. Our church was closed
to on-campus worship for several months. Any one of
these issues could be viewed as a recipe for
disaster when it comes to ministry. And here we are
. . . experiencing all them at the same time.
For most people, we can’t wait for 2020 to end.
Truth is, we’ve placed so much hope in next year, I
question if it can ever live up to our expectations.
This may not be the most optimistic opening to a
newsletter you’ve ever had, but hold on, give me a
minute.
When our children were small and I would read them
books on Winnie the Pooh, if Tigger and Eeyore were
in the story, I would always ask: “Should we be more
like Eeyore or more like Tigger?” Most times, they
saw the value in being upbeat and positive like
Tigger. I do as well!
So, the good news then: this isn’t our first crisis!
I repeat, this is not our first crisis financially,
as a country or as a church. We have been through
many. And we have always recovered. We have always
rebounded. We have always come out better on the
other side. COVID-19 has done a lot of damage, but
it is not however the end of the world; nor the end
of our ministry, nor the end of our calling. In the
middle of crises, churches that stay the course,
stay optimistic, and continue to spread the good
news of the gospel of Jesus do the best and came
through the healthiest. We plan to do just that—stay
calm, do what we can do for now, be hopeful and
carry on! With that, here are our plans for December
and January.
Christmas at LCC December: Christmas at Lincoln
Christian Church will look a little different this
year. No choirs! No big Celebrate! Christmas
program. No in house Christmas Eve service! However,
the church will be decorated to inspire joy. Our
Sunday morning services will also be Christmassy
with all the usual carols as we begin our Christmas
sermon series on December 6.
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There will however, be two NEW ways
to enjoy Christmas Eve this year: 1) Online Biblical
Christmas Story. There will be a special program
produced online by our senior staff taking you and
your family through an indepth look at the Christmas
story. Much of this will be filmed outdoors on
location at a local farmstead. Can you tell I’m
excited?! We hope this online video experience can
help us, young and old alike, appreciate the birth
story more fully. This program will be available to
access anytime on Christmas Eve for you to celebrate
within the comfort of your own homes. 2) Carols &
Cocoa for Christmas Eve. We would still like to do
something in-person on Christmas Eve and we have
thought of something a bit new, but still nostalgic.
Weather permitting, we are going to host an outdoor
carols, candlelighting, and hot chocolate
celebration in the LCC parking lot. It will take
place at 5:00pm, again, weather permitting, and
might be the one uplifting moment we need the most
this Christmas. Better still, our neighbors at Full
Gospel Evangelistic Center will join us! We hope to
close the street between our churches to utilize
both parking lots. We think what we need as a church
and as a community is a chance to come together for
Christmas Eve. There is something beautiful about
tradition and regaining just a little of that
traditional feel this holiday season will keep us
discovering the specialness of Christmas. Being
outdoors and gathering in family units will allow us
to maintain COVID protocol to experience this
together!
Ron Otto, preaching minister at Lincoln Christian
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