So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But Thomas said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.” (John 20:25)
Greetings, all! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
Keep the faith, folks! This stay-at-home order might be inspiring some doubts to creep into your minds. We can relate to Thomas, wanting to see everything first-hand to ensure that we know what’s going on. We hear that we are now in “phase two” of vaccine rollouts, but aren’t seeing the results as quickly as we would like. We hear that ICU numbers are at their highest, but we don’t see the case numbers yet in our communities.
However, this is the reality we are in, and so we must face it with the faith and peace that Jesus Christ inspires. I know I sound like a broken record at this point, but we need to be reminded again and again the reason why we are going through all these hoops – to care for the most vulnerable in our communities.
With the most recent orders, we are returning to pre-recorded online services for the time being. This might not be the news some want to hear, but we can still have meaningful worship in this setting also. We had some wonderful worship experiences with Holy Week and Easter. But Easter isn’t over yet. We have a whole season to revel in the hope and faith inspired by the Risen Christ and our call as His followers. Keep the faith, and keep connected!
Upcoming Events:
- Thank you to all of those who contributed towards our joint mission collection for the Huron Women’s Shelter. It is wonderful to see how many people are eager to support those who are especially vulnerable in our community. There are no immediate plans to take up other collections during this stay-at-home order, but your generosity is always appreciated.
- Our Zoom Fellowship Times continue on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 10:30-11:30. Folks can join in electronically or by phone. If you do not have the links or codes, be sure to reach out to Alex.
- Previous lesson and craft packages of our Youth Ministry from the past several weeks are still available for families to pick up or get delivered to them. Reach out to Alex for more details.
- Many thanks to our Lay Pastoral teams who are checking in with congregants and friends, and making sure that they are connected to the happenings of our congregations. If you know of someone who might enjoy a call, or who may need pastoral care from Alex, be sure to reach out!
- The first virtual gathering of the Regional UCW will be held on Saturday April 24th, starting at 10 a.m. The guest speaker is Rev. Robin McGauley, whom many of you will know. For more information, see the memo sent out via email, or contact Joan Clark.
Upcoming Dates:
Sunday, April 11th – Second Sunday of Easter service available on Youtube.
Sunday, April 11th – Zoom Sunday School session from 3:30-4:30. Packages can be picked up outside of either church building. Contact Alex for more information.
Tuesday, April 13th – Zoom Fellowship session from 10:30-11:30. Please check your email for the Zoom link or phone passcode, or email Alex for details.
Tuesday, April 13th – Lay Pastoral Care Team webinar at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This event is hosted by Kathy Douglas, on behalf of the Western Ontario Waterways Regional Council. If you would like to attend, contact Alex.
Wednesday, April 14th – Zoom Fellowship session from 10:30-11:30. Please check your email for the Zoom link or phone passcode, or email Alex for details.
Wednesday, April 14th – North Huron United Churches ministry cluster meeting at 12 noon.
Sunday, April 18th – Third Sunday of Easter service available on Youtube.
Saturday, April 24th – Zoom Regional Meeting for UCW at 10 a.m.; contact Joan Clark for more information.
Blessings and Christ’s Peace be with you all!
Alex Jebson
Student Minister – Blyth and Brussels United Churches
Email: minister.brusselsandblythuc@gmail.com
Blyth Office Number: 519-523-4224
Brussels Office Number: 519-887-6259
Emergency Pastoral Number: call/text 705-344-3385
Feature Photo by Tony Eight Media on Unsplash
Brussels & Blyth United Churches 