SPECIAL CHANGE
In order to be more efficient and not post news in multiple places, Church News will now be posted to the Live Worship Gathering page. Go there now!
PREVIOUS UPDATES
April 14, 2020
Thanks to all who made our Easter online gathering so special! Musicians, speakers, attendees! What a talented and loving church family we are part of!
WEDNESDAY NIGHT – AWANA online. Join us here
Fun starts Wednesday at 6:30pm just like normal!
Join Us By Video on a Computer or Device
https://zoom.us/j/858331955
Join Us by Voice on a Cell Phone
+16465588656,,858331955#
Join Us by Voice on a Landline
+1 646 558 8656 then use Meeting ID: 858 331 955
THURSDAY NIGHT – Prayer Time 7pm We will use Zoom to meet with each other digitally and pray over the needs of the church family. Join us for prayer here: https://zoom.us/j/527170603
SUNDAY MORNING – Worship Gathering at 10:15am Read ahead, we will be in John 12:27-33
Join us for our Digital Friendship Greeting powered by Zoom right after the worship gathering ends. Catch up with your church family, share prayer needs, talk about how your growing through the Word and through this time. Join us here:
April 9, 2020
Happy Maunday!
Say hi to your church family this Easter! Its Easter, so say something like “He is risen!” or “He is risen indeed” or “Happy Easter Whitehall Church!” or “we love you Whitehall Church” or just use your imagination! Ideally it’s your whole family all in one shot together. We want all submissions by Friday night.
Help with CALL to WORSHIP, SCRIPTURE READING, ANNOUNCEMENTS – Normally during our worship gatherings, we get various people to lead us in these ways so that many more people are involved in the worship. It’s been a really great addition over the last couple years! With worship going online for the short term future, we’d like to get a slate of people to record themselves serving in these ways so that we can include them in the online worship. Contact Elder Don Detgen if you want to serve in any of these ways… call or text 908-303-4441.
THURSDAY NIGHT – Prayer Time 7pm We will use Zoom to meet with each other digitally and pray over the needs of the church family.
Join Us By Video on a Computer or Device
https://zoom.us/j/527170603
Join Us by Voice on a Cell Phone
+16465588656,,527170603#
Join Us by Voice on a Landline
646-558-8656 then use Meeting ID: 527 170 603
No video devotional this week, because tomorrow night is Good Friday! Join us for worship at 7pm.
GOOD FRIDAY WORSHIP – 7pm. Join us at the Live Video page at https://whitehall.church/live-worship-gathering/ Let’s worship Jesus for His loving act of sacrifice on the cross!
EASTER SUNDAY WORSHIP – 10:15am. Join us to worship our risen Savior! Get in at the Live Video page at https://whitehall.church/live-worship-gathering/ Because of Easter, no digital friendship greeting afterwards. We hope you have a great family celebration this Easter despite the circumstances!
April 1, 2020
SINGERS – Mark is organizing a choir to sing “together” for Easter. They are going to sing “Christ Arose”. Instructions are here, whether you are part of the choir or not, submit your recording to Mark and you’ll be in for this special Easter piece.
CALL to WORSHIP, SCRIPTURE READING, ANNOUNCEMENTS – Normally during our worship gatherings, we get various people to lead us in these ways so that many more people are involved in the worship. It’s been a really great addition over the last couple years! With worship going online for the short term future, we’d like to get a slate of people to record themselves serving in these ways so that we can include them in the online worship. Contact Pastor Tim if you want to serve in any of these ways… call or text 610-739-8008.
The Lord really has blessed our church through your faithful financial support this past month. Thank you so much for your demonstrated commitment to what the Lord is doing through us at Whitehall Church! One might have expected giving to be significantly lower due to the lack of gatherings, but our March was actually higher than the previous month. Many of you sent checks in the mail, many others gave online. Thank you all so much for your generosity! Checks can still be mailed to the church (Whitehall BFC, 3300 Seventh Street, Whitehall, PA 18052) or you can easily give online at www.Whitehall.Church/give
WEDNESDAY NIGHT – AWANA online. Join us here
Fun starts Wednesday at 6:30pm just like normal!
Join Us By Video on a Computer or Device
https://zoom.us/j/372387813
Join Us by Voice on a Cell Phone
+16465588656,,372387813#
Join Us by Voice on a Landline
+1 646 558 8656 then use Meeting ID: 372 387 813
THURSDAY NIGHT – Prayer Time 7pm We will use Zoom to meet with each other digitally and pray over the needs of the church family. Join us for prayer here: https://zoom.us/j/527170603
Here is a Bible Study, not devotional, from Pastor Tim on the anointing of Jesus by Mary. He compares the event as recorded in each of the four Gospels. This is not intended to be a quick pick-me-up, its an in-depth Bible Study to take the place of a midweek Life Group that we wish we could be in, but alas.
March 27, 2020
Today, the only thing is a new 8-minute devo from Pastor Tim on where to attach your hope in all times, but especially in these times.
March 26, 2020
Let’s keeping praying for the health of our nation and our world! Pray for our medical professionals and government leaders. Pray for your church family – our health and witness.
Pastor Tim leads us through a devotion on not losing hope. Be sure to check that out below. Here are some other announcements:
All events at the church building have been cancelled through Monday, April 6. Here is what you can do in the meantime:
Sunday, March 29 at 10:15am join us on the church website for the worship gathering. Pastor Tim will be leading us through the story of Jesus’ anointing by Mary Magdalene from John 12:1-8. The direct link to the worship gathering is https://whitehall.church/live-worship-gathering Just 5 minutes after worship concludes, join us for Digital Friendship Greeting… we will be using Zoom to talk as a church family and catch up… you’ll have to provide your own coffee and refreshments. Join the conversation here: https://zoom.us/j/742177316 or by phone 646-558-8656 and use Meeting ID: 742 177 316
Wednesday, April 1 at 6:30pm AWANA ONLINE will happen for the second week. Last time, Joel Titmas led the kids in a devotion from the gospels. Kids had a chance to see each other and talk a bit. We will do it all again this coming Wednesday. Parents and Kids can join the meet-up here: https://zoom.us/j/858331955
Thursday, April 2 at 7pm Join us for online Prayer Meeting. We will use Zoom to meet with eachother digitally and pray over the needs of the church family. Join us for prayer here: https://zoom.us/j/527170603
Sunday, April 5 at 10:15am is our celebration of Palm Sunday in the worship gathering. We will also celebrate the Lord’s Supper together, so prepare some elements for your family ahead of time. Pastor Tim will lead us through the Triumphal Entry story as we continue in John 12:9-19. Again, we will close with a digital friendship greeting after the gathering concludes.
Looking ahead, Easter is Sunday, April 12. The loftiest hope and prayer is that we can reunite on this most glorious of days, the Day the Lord has made (let us rejoice and be glad in it!)… which is all poetic language for “we hope we can gather at church for worship”. While that is a hope, we are also planning for ways to make this a special day if we cannot assemble. One idea is drive-in church in our cars in the parking lot with the gathering on FM radio or some other broadcast method. We are making plans that the day will be memorable and unique from other days.
PARENTS: if you are looking for some way to spiritually nourish your child during the quarantine, try MrPhil.TV which is from Phil Vischer the creator of Veggie Tales. Everything he has created for kids in the last 15 years is all on his new website. Best of all, you can try the site for free for 14-days (sounds like your kids will be constructively occupied for the remainder of school break!)
Here’s Pastor Tim on HOPE:
March 19, 2020
Happy Spring!
We’ve got three pieces of information for you.
First, let’s all pray FRIDAY NIGHT AT 7pm wherever you are. Pray that:
- God would preserve lives against this disease.
- God would direct medical professionals and government leaders during this crisis.
- God would empower His church to be a positive and loving force to others.
- God would eradicate this virus.
So set a reminder and pause to pray tomorrow (Friday) at 7pm.
Next is a video devotion from Pastor Tim:
The third piece is if you are in the higher risk category for COVID-19 and you don’t want to go to the store, we have some folks who are happy to do you shopping for you. Call or text Pastor Tim to get connected with our shoppers. You can reach him at 610-739-8008.
If there is anything the church can help you with during this time, contact Pastor Tim and we will do what we can for you!
Blessings,
Pastor Tim and the Elders
March 17, 2020
We want to stay connected and forward-looking during this time of stress and waiting. Hope is a powerful cure to fear. Let’s look forward together:
One of the best ways that we all can keep being THE CHURCH is to stay in touch with each other. Though we can’t gather for a short time, we can still encourage each other by calling someone, texting, emailing, or sending a message on social media. Reach out to each other. Think especially of someone that might by alone during these days and lift their spirits!
Easter is coming up Sunday, April 12. You can help decorate the worship center by ordering flowers. We’ve been announcing that the form AND payment are due this coming Sunday, March 22. Obviously that would be difficult. If you want to order flowers, you can click the button below to fill out the online form. We will order the flowers and you can pay for your flowers once we all get back together.
We are looking for compassionate servants to join our Meal Ministry. This new ministry prepares meals for families in the church going through a temporary hardship such as a hospital stay. Let us know you can serve by clicking the button here:
We are planning a church-wide social for Saturday, April 25. It is a Open-Mic Coffeehouse. Pastor Tim is serving coffees, espressos, and teas. Performers will share their music or other talents up front. There will be games and plenty of snacks. Plan to join us for a fun night as a church family! If you want to perform, let Mark Hargrove know what you want to do by clicking the button here:
Baptism – We’d love to be part of your journey of faith by helping you to become baptized. Jesus taught that all His followers should publicly declare their trust of Him by being baptized. It’s your turn! Let Pastor Tim know that you are interested by filling out the Connection Card with the button below.
Membership – Another step in your journey of faith is joining the church as a member. In this way, your leaders formally commit to shepherding you and you formally allow your soul to be shepherded… your testimony of faith in Christ is confirmed by your leaders… and you commitment to your church family is rooted and grounded. Membership Class begins Sunday, April 19 and will be each Sunday after worship for four Sundays. Pack a lunch and join us in the library. Let Pastor Tim know you plan to attend by filling out the Connection Card here:
We’ve been working behind the scenes to prepare finishing the basement below the worship center. We’ve assembled the elders, deacons, and ministry team leaders to discuss the usage of that space for ministry and they came up with a layout for classrooms and storage rooms with a common large area in the center. Mark Hargrove, as facilities manager, has begun dialoguing with the Township, an architect, and mechanical engineer.
Finances: We have about $18,000 in savings to begin the work on this project. For the remainder of 2020, any offerings designated “Building” on your offering envelope will go to the basement construction. Gifts given to “Building” before now have been going towards mortgage principal reduction. We plan to do the labor with volunteers from the church.
Pray with us for the success of this new ministry space!
Ministry goes on during these strange days. Continue to financially support your church by giving online or by mail. You can mail a check to: Whitehall BFC, 3300 Seventh Street, Whitehall, PA 18052. Use the button here to give online… its incredibly easy!
As a reminder, our current plan is to observe the following practices to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus:
- All church-wide events are cancelled until Saturday, March 28, 2020. There will be a time of worship, prayer, and Scripture on the church website and facebook at 10:15am these two Sundays.
- Church-wide events include worship, Sunday Schools, children and youth events like AWANA, life groups, prayer meeting, Hunger Initiative meal ministry, and all other functions.
- Some teams may desire to gather volunteers for work projects, but the elders encourage each volunteer to use their own discretion and only if feeling fully healthy.