A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR MIKE

“church is not cancelled! it has moved online.”

The coronavirus is the greatest crisis Australia has faced since WWII, and the greatest crisis we have ever faced as a church.

For the foreseeable future, all St James Berala and Lighthouse physical church gatherings will cease.  This includes Sunday Services, Discipleship Groups and Youth Group.

why?

we must make sure we respond to this crisis in faith and love, not fear.

The two basic commands of followers of Jesus are to LOVE God and LOVE each other. 

Due to the virus, our physical meetings pose a significant threat to each other and others, which is not loving. So we are suspending all physical public gatherings, and church private gatherings where we can not guarantee safe social distancing.  

The good news is: death has been defeated by Jesus on the cross. Those who follow Jesus are safe in Jesus. There is no need for panic or selfish living. This is a message we must keep repeating to each other, and our community.

how?

we must not give up meeting together - even if we meet virtually. 

  1. Church is not cancelled, it has moved online!

    Now, as always, God comes first. We must live to Glorify God and Serve Him. This is a time to redouble our devotion to him, to come to him in faith and prayer. The current crisis is an opportunity to SERVE God, LOVE each other and LOVE others.

    The mission of our church remains the same: To make and grow followers of Jesus for God’s Honour and Glory.

    Our Sunday Services will be live online:

    > 10:00am: https://stjamesberala.org.au/online 

    > 4:30pm:  https://https://www.lighthouseberala.com/online

  2. Our Discipleship Groups will continue to meet virtually as well.

    Our Discipleship groups are central to how we will love each other, look after each other, and keep helping each other grow as followers of Jesus. Discipleship Groups will take personal responsibility for looking after each other, following each other up, and caring for groups members when they fall sick, or suffer loss.

    Contact your group leader to learn more about virtual discipleship group meetings.

    If you are not in a group already — join now! Just shoot us an email at info@lighthouseberala.com.

  3. Please continue to support our church financially:

    Account name: St James Berala

    BSB: 062 117

    Account Number: 00900052

    Message: SJB or Lighthouse

a final word:

In 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, the Apostle Paul writes:

8 We think you ought to know, dear brothers and sisters, about the trouble we went through in the province of Asia. We were crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure, and we thought we would never live through it. 9 In fact, we expected to die. But as a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God, who raises the dead.

Our nation, our community, and our church has entered a time of great troubles. We are crushed and overwhelmed.  And over the coming weeks and months many of us will get sick, and some of us can expect to die. However - like the Apostle Paul, let us see this an an opportunity to stop relying on ourselves, and to learn to rely only on God, who raises the dead.

Over the coming weeks, I plan to be writing to you twice a week to keep you updated on what is happening.

My prayers are with you. And I pray that, above all, this will be a time that where our reliance on God will grow, and we will deepen our love, care and commitment to each other.

— Mike Doyle

Mike Doyle