Confidence in Crisis (By Shane Prewitt)

In speaking to Timothy about his calling as a pastor, Paul reminded him of the confidence he could place in God for future plans.
    
For God gave us a not a fear but of power and love and self-control (2 Timothy 1:7).
    
Through the promise of the Holy Spirit, we can have confidence instead of fear. Knowing that God is always with us will shield our hearts and minds even in times of crisis.
    
Timothy would face times of uncertainty in his pastoral ministry, but Paul wanted him to know that the circumstances around him didn’t need to control him. There was no need to be swallowed by fear if he clearly understood the promises that God had for him.

    

These are certainly uneasy times for all of us. None of us have ever experienced anything quite like this Coronavirus Pandemic that has swept across the world. Now more than ever, we truly understand the biblical teaching that we don’t know what tomorrow is going to bring. In spite of the uncertainty that now surrounds us, we can boldly and confidently rest in the power of our God. He hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but instead has resourced us with His power. Let’s encourage one another in these coming days by His ever-abiding promises and presence.
    
Just like the rest of society, our church body’s regular rhythm has been disrupted. Our services on campus have been temporarily canceled and our church events have been put on hold. In addition, with the “Stay at Home” order from our government officials, our church office has closed at this time. However, though our church building may be shut down, our ministry continues.
    
There are multiple ways for us to stay connected together during this “Stay at Home” mandate.
    
Our worship gatherings have moved to a “Live Stream platform” and can be accessed any day of the week by simply going to the home page of our website (www.phbaptist.org) and clicking on the provided options. Each week there will be new worship services at 11:00am on Sunday mornings in which we can worship together.
    
In addition to our weekly Live Stream services, I am currently doing a Weekly Facebook Live teaching on the Olivet Discourse that can be found on our church’s Facebook page at 7:00pm every Wednesday night.
    
I also want to thank all of you for your continued financial support of our church during this time. With our church office now being closed, we would ask you to simply mail in your offerings to the church and they will be collected every week. We also have secure online giving available on our website, or you can download the GivePlus church app on your mobile device and search for Parma Heights Baptist Church and follow the easy-to-follow instructions.
     
We will be checking our answering machine regularly; if you have an emergency situation, leave your name and number and a member of our staff will call you back as soon as possible. Alternatively, for the fastest response, you can send an e-mail or private message to our staff or our Facebook page.
    
We will continue to monitor the situation and make necessary adjustments as more information is made available. Please adhere to the Governor’s order and “Stay At Home” and stay safe.
    

CONTACT INFORMATION

    

I look forward to seeing all of you again very soon. Let’s be strong in the Lord together and arm ourselves with His power during this precarious time.
    

In Christ,
Pastor Shane Prewitt