Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Monday, July 4, is our Independence Day Holiday, celebrating the 246th year of independence from British rule (in 2026 it will be the 250th anniversary, a.k.a the Semiquincentennial). On this Friday before, let’s take time to pray for our country. Please pray with me:
“Our Father, you are our one and only sovereign. Through right living before you, we will live rightly within our governing system. We are Christians, citizens of your Kingdom, before we are citizens of any other country. Help us to live for you first, not in a form of Christian nationalism, but in the form of Kingdom-ordered obedience to God-given authority.
We thank you for our nation. We live in a place of immense freedom. But you have called us not to use our freedom to indulge the sinful nature, but to serve one another in love. We live in a place great opportunity for advancement. But you have called us to recognize that all we have and are comes from your gracious hand, even the ability to advance. We live in a nation of diversity. But our diversity can at times be divisive.
We pray for our nation. It is a democracy tenuously held together in the midst of significant political disagreement. We ask that you will continue to hold this union together, that we may live, move, and have our being. Continue to grant that our government works for the people rather than becoming an end to be served.
Even though it is Independence Day, help us not to aim to live independently from you. Most people want a cosmic being to hold their hand, but not someone to tell them how to live. But you are our Creator. Not only do you go with us, but you go before us, behind us, alongside of us. You have given us good rules to follow – by which we know to love one another as you have loved us.
We pray for those who are serving our country as public servants or in the military. May they see your work and know that you are God. May they turn to you and be saved. May your people rise up and call this nation back to you, since you alone are worthy of all glory. We pray for the celebrations that will take place this weekend. May we rejoice, not through drunkenness and revelry, but through joy that you have blessed us here, in this time and place, that we may be a blessing.
Help our president to know you. Give him, and our Congress, and our Courts greater wisdom, love, and grace for both those with whom they agree and those with whom they don’t agree. May your kingdom prosper in this place so that from our country your kingdom advances in every place.
You deserve all the praise, honor, power, wisdom, might, wealth, glory and blessing forever, world without end, Amen.”
May God have mercy, and please continue to pray for Ukraine. Here is a suggested list of prayers if you are at a loss for words in how to pray: https://send.org/story/hh_pray_for_ukraine. Thank you for kneeling on behalf of the people of Ukraine and Russia, and taking a stand (or a knee in prayer) against the forces of darkness in this present age.
This Week (July 1 – July 7, 2022):
1. Tonight, July 1, 2022, Friday Night Bible Study is not meeting due to the July 4th holiday. Next week, come join us on July 8, from 7:30-9:30 to sing, share, and begin a study in the book of 1 Peter. You can read 1 Peter in preparation.
2. CrossPoint Community Sunday School and YAs Sunday School is on July 3.
a. The Young Adults and Empower will be meeting at 9:45 am (in-person in Room A-202 and online)! We will be finishing the study in the Gospel of John and taking time for Scripture recitation (if we start on time). Info is found on the YAs Teams Chat Channel or the Facebook Messenger chat for the Teams Meeting Link.
b. “Life is a Journey” Sunday School is this Sunday at 9:45 in-person (Room A-216) and online via the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/491248585?pwd=RnpLcnpjQ01nTGZLSmhaZ3l4L3dKQT09
Meeting ID: 491 248 585
Password: 403767
Join by phone: +1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
3. This Sunday, July 3, 2022, at 11:25 am, Minister Jeremy MacDonald will be preaching. Pray for him! Join us for worship at CBCGL! You can also watch the live stream if you wish.
a. Text:
b. Title:
c. Live stream via Youtube: https://www.cbcgl.org/live-stream/
d. We will celebrate Communion together.
4. Each Wednesday, for example, this coming July 6, 2022, at 7:45 pm, you are invited, encouraged, and requested to join our weekly prayer meeting. We’ll spend time praying for Ukraine as well as praying for CrossPoint Community. The link is found below in the section on prayer.
Administration / Events
1. CBCGL’s COVID-19 guidance has been updated. We still are following CDC guidance for travel and participation in activities following travel or exposure to a positive case. We are no longer requiring new guests to complete the waiver form.
a. Also, the taskforce has notified all ministries that we will no longer be taking temperatures but are once again recommending face masks. Please note, you are once again recommended to wear facemasks to church.
2. Lunch service on Sundays is suspended for the summer at CBCGL. See you in the Fall!
3. Did you know that we have updated reports from our missionaries on a regular basis? Please check the missions tab in our bulletin to read through these reports and learn how you can support our missionaries.
4. All other announcements can be found here (in our CrossPoint Community bulletin).
– Particularly, check out the Children’s ministry Tab to sign-up, show-up, serve, and see God at work in the next generation, like at VBS in August.
For Prayer
1. Our time in prayer shows what we think about God! Do you see your need of Him? Or are you trying to live this life without / apart from Him? Please join our Wednesday night prayer meeting (7:45 – 9:15 pm) even if you can’t participate the whole time.
https://zoom.us/j/758587937?pwd=aS9sZUdxcm1janNNM2I2aXJ6Smx2QT09
Meeting ID: 758 587 937
Password: 030086
Join by phone: +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
2. Here is our list of prayer and service requests. The service request tab is for brothers and sisters to ask for assistance or announce any give-away items. It is an attempt from CPC to reach out and take care of those in need among us. You may also enter yours via the provided link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1U64MLIp-EpQ8YKfIpHzBNR_3tceMaOxrchnfbqlkcpU/edit?ts=5e851f21#gid=0
You can also do so via the following link: https://www.cbcgl.org/pray/
In Christ, your servant, SDG,
Rev. Dr. Nathan Willems
Associate Pastor of CrossPoint Community – A Ministry of CBCGL