CoaH Brighton and the Coronavirus
Family and friends,
Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers! We certainly need them during this time. Since Boston has the third highest number of Coronavirus cases in the nation, our state has been a little slower in reopening. We are currently in Phase 1 of reopening as our city and state move cautiously forward. Because of this slower reopening, our church has been unable to physically gather for three months. We certainly miss our corporate worship time and look forward to wisely and cautiously taking steps towards meeting again!
Here are some ways you can continue to pray:
1. Weekly Live Stream Services
City on a Hill Church Brighton continues to meet weekly via livestream services on Facebook Live at 10am! We are reminded in this time that though the church may not be able to physically meet, God is still working greatly throughout Boston. Our live stream services are reaching those that would not have otherwise walked through our usual church meeting place. One CoaH Brighton family in particular has been able to invite at least five of their non-Christian neighbors to join them in an outdoor common space to watch our live stream together (while also social distancing safely). The gospel is still spreading in our city even now!
A major prayer request for CoaH Brighton right now is an available meeting space. Our state governor has allowed for churches to meet publicly again and, while we will need to move forward cautiously for the sake of our community and the comfort level of those in our church, our current worship space is still unavailable. Our church usually rents our local high school’s auditorium to meet, however, the Boston Public School system is currently not opening their buildings to any outside use. We, therefore, are on the search for a temporary (or possibly more long-term) meeting place in the midst of this reopening. We have reached out to a dozen or more places and are praying that one of these locations will work for our church when the time comes to meet again.
Pray for:
· C, J, JM, A, and the many others who are joining us weekly for our online services and don’t yet know Jesus.
· CoaH Brighton as we continue through our study of Philippians in a series entitled, “Joy in the Journey”.
2. Twice a Week Missional Communities
CoaH Brighton has six Community Groups that still meet on a weekly basis via Zoom. Our groups meet on Sundays immediately after the sermon to discuss the morning’s Scripture and have their usual mid-week gathering to work through an additional passage of Scripture. Without the physical gathering for both Sunday mornings and CGs, we found it was important to create these two specific connection/care points within our church at this time. Currently, our Community Groups are battling some heavy topics such as racial reconciliation, the character of God, depression, and financial strain.
On the other hand, the reach of our Community Groups is spanning time zones and states across the nation as some from our congregation have traveled home or are visiting family. Our groups are also still seeking to serve in our community, whether through food distribution sites within our area or by providing means to others in need. My own Community Group has had the unique opportunity to engage with two non-Christians, one from Hong Kong and another from Germany, that would have otherwise not attended our Community Group in person but are able to join us on Zoom. They each have heard the gospel a dozen times at least and are faithful to gather with my Community Group two times every week.
Pray for:
· Our Community Group Leaders as they invest hours into caring, loving, and supporting each person in their respective groups.
· Spiritual development and depth of relationships to continue growing
· Wisdom and discernment on how to move towards meeting for in-person small groups
3. Weekday Prayer Gatherings
Every weekday our church hosts an online hangout and prayer gathering for those connected to our community and church. These daily gatherings have been an amazing opportunity to check in and pray with one another. Prayer has been a beautiful avenue, especially during COVID-19, to dive deeper into God’s goodness amidst difficulty, how to mourn with those who mourn, to actively seek joy in the mundane, and so much more.
Pray for:
· K, who is battling depression and anxiety
· S, who is struggling with God’s trustworthiness
· J, a non-Christian seeking to understand the claims of Jesus and its life implications
4. Weekly CoaH Course on Systematic Theology
Zoom has created a unique opportunity for our church network to teach a variety of courses to our congregations. The CoaH Network as a whole will be leading three CoaH courses throughout the summer: Systematic Theology, Applying the Gospel, and Christianity & Anti-Racism. Over the next two months, I will personally be teaching the CoaH Course on Systematic Theology, a course focused on the foundational doctrines found in Scripture about the Christian faith, including doctrines concerning heaven/hell, who God is, and Bible trustworthiness. Our Systematic Theology CoaH Course has over 30 people registered and attending, including some non-Christians. This Sunday we will be focusing on the doctrines of prayer and angels/demons.
Pray for:
· A, who seeks to understand and determine the claims of the inerrancy of Scripture
· The salvation of J, a non-Christian desiring to understand the doctrines of the Christian faith
· Humility and grace in the teaching and learning of these core doctrines
A Note from Emily:
Hello prayer partners! I wanted to take a moment to also include a special prayer request for this month. Would you pray specifically for Aaron as he pastors, shepherds, and leads during this unique time? Aaron is handling a great deal of pastoral care calls, theological questions that are plaguing some of our attendees right now, preaching every week, leading a course on Systematic Theology, and all while still creating the processes and systems to grow our church in holiness, effectiveness, and sustainability. It is a lot on one person’s plate! While he greatly excels at his job, please specifically pray for encouragement, stamina, and clarity in leading CoaH Brighton. God certainly gave our church the right man to lead CoaH. Thank you for praying over my husband as he pours out everyday for the name of Jesus to be made known in Boston and beyond.