Be a Blessing | Stories from the Home Front 3

Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” While no one could have predicted that we would be sheltering at home to avoid a virus only a few months into 2020, it didn’t surprise the Lord. He is using and moving in His church to bring hope and impact lives for the Kingdom, and we love sharing stories of what God is doing.

A Time to Share the Gospel

A member attends church without her husband. During the shelter-at-home order, he decided to watch the service and even sang the first song with her.

Due to challenges in his company, Nate was furloughed from his job. During the conversation, his boss asked how Nate could remain so positive during the current situation. Being furloughed  gave Nate the opportunity to share the gospel with his boss who doesn’t know the Lord and tell him about the reason for his hope and peace.

A Time to Invite

Our college students have been eagerly connecting during the shelter-at-home orders. One of the students has taken the opportunity to share our iCampus broadcasts with her friends in the Philippines!

Karen has a friend who is Catholic and attends weekly mass with her husband and three-year-old son. She expressed to Karen that it is challenging for them to attend because her son does not like childcare, and there is no spiritual component to his time at church. When shelter-in-place went into effect, Karen started including her friend in the weekly Kids Cove emails, encouraging her to connect on social media and through the virtual events. For the past several weeks, she has texted Karen every Sunday morning to share how much her son is enjoying worshipping with the content the children’s team has provided for worship and teaching. She told Karen that her family would love to visit First Dallas when all returns to normal!

A Time to Connect

Last year, Bob began experiencing health issues that prohibited him and his wife from attending church since then. This past week, they were thrilled to virtually be able to attend Sunday School and even participate in the Lord’s Supper from home. They are both grateful that as temporary current homebound members, they are still able to participate in these two aspects of church and community.

Two of our Special Friends live with a lady in an adult foster care home. Our church was able to send them video content with worship songs and a lesson for Sunday. The lady shared that our Special Friends members were so happy to see the video and communicated that it has impacted her to have our church checking on them and caring for them, even when community agencies who typically work with them five days a week have not checked in or have been unable to.

A Time to Minister

Vonnie volunteered to call some people who have attended our church but are not plugged into a Sunday School class. She ended up making 100 calls this week just to check in on people. Occasionally, she got someone on the line that was a wrong number, but instead of hanging up, she still introduced herself and offered to pray with the person on the other end of the line. Vonnie made sure that every person she spoke with knew who she was, why she was calling, who she represents, and invited them to Sunday School and church. She faithfully ministered with each phone call.

A Time to Pray

Our Pastor’s Prayer Partners gathered for a powerful time of prayer over Zoom. Being together, albeit remote, was a reminder of how important it is that we stay united as one in Christ. The devil loves the fact that the doors at 1707 San Jacinto are closed, and he had high hopes that it would disrupt our prayers. But he was landed a heavy blow! The Pastor’s Prayer Partners encouraged each other (and all believers) to continue praying with everything they have. Christ will lead us to victory over these current circumstances, and we’ll occupy 1707 San Jacinto again very soon.