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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2020)
Wednesday, June 17, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon 23 Commentary... Longing for our eternal home By Lisa May Columnist This is the second of two columns on the disruption of church services during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a previous column, we looked at the definition and goals of the church in the New Testament. In New Testament lan- guage, the church is not a building, but an assembly of people. Many of the goals of this assembly can be met in small groups, sometimes even more successfully than in a larger church gathering. So why do we need church buildings at all? Can9t we accomplish all the goals of gathering together through Zoom meetings and small groups? Although Jesus modeled small group ministry as He instructed the 12 disciples, He taught large assemblies as well. There is a very clear model for com- munity in the Bible, with goals that cannot always be met unless a larger group is gathered in person. One such goal is to bear one another9s burdens. As Mikee Stutzman, Ministry Coordinator at Vast Church in Sisters, pointed out, <it9s hard to share each other9s burdens through a screen.= Gary Radmacher is an elder at Sisters Community Church (SCC). He is cur- rently staying longer than expected for ministry in Africa due to travel restric- tions initiated because of the pandemic (see related story, page 3). When asked about the negative impact of bans on church gatherings, Gary said, <Life is all about rela- tionships, and since com- munication is essential to maintaining and growing relationships, and since the majority of communication is nonverbal, being in the physical presence of other people is a must for success- ful relationships to occur. So, what I9ve missed most is the face-to-face communica- tion that I get to have with people in my church family.= Many members of the church have relationships that extend wider than the small group setting can accommodate. Those wider church family relation- ships need time and care as well. Sometimes those wider church relationships spur us to growth. Wendy Bachmeier, who handles publications and the online presence at SCC explained, <when interacting with other people I find out not every- body thinks the same thing I do or believes the same thing I do. Practicing for- giveness, repentance and grace is needed for us to grow as people, even when it9s not easy. We can9t really love to the full extent unless we9re with other people and see God9s love put in to action.= The church is also called to serve others. There have been many unique oppor- tunities to serve the Sisters community during the pan- demic and countless people, including those outside the church, have risen to the occasion. Bachmeier also has a role as emergency needs coordinator at SCC. She congratulated the com- munity of Sisters saying, <neighbors are taking care of neighbors and looking in on older folks. The church hasn9t been needed as much as we thought we would be 4 the community is taking care of each other.= But some regular oppor- tunities to serve have been shut down. A n d r e w D e K e y s e r, a worship leader at Vast Church, explained that what he has missed in recent months is <different oppor- tunities to serve, including leading worship.= Singing together in wor- ship seems to be one of the things most missed by the church in Sisters. It is a supernatural event when God9s people sing praises to His name in unison. One example of this is the Unity Service that has been coor- dinated by several churches in Sisters for the last sev- eral years, taking place in August on the ball fields at Sisters Middle School. Singing God9s praise among the entire body of believers from all of time is promised for us in eternity. So it could be said that the longing to return to full-size worship gatherings is analogous to the longing for our eternal home. Disruptions to normal SUDOKU SOLUTION for puzzle on page 19 70095 Sorrell Drive | Sisters, OR | MLS#220101956 Single-level, 4-bedroom, 3-bath, 2,034 sq. ft . home on 0.86 acres nestled among ponderosa pines with mountain views. Vaulted ceilings, pine floors in main living areas, greatroom with breakfast bar. Fenced yard, circular driveway. $499,000. Suzanne Carvlin , Broker & Realtor Licensed in the State of Oregon Comments? Email editor@nuggetnews.com 818.216.8542 | Suzanne@HomeinSisters.com Each off ice is independently owned and operated. cascadesothebysrealty.com PHOTO BY LISA MAY Vast Church continues to gather in smaller groups in backyards throughout Sisters. routines can be used by God for His good purposes. Whether we continue to pause regular worship ser- vices, or even as we begin to return to church buildings, let us all take this oppor- tunity to refresh our think- ing on God9s goals for the church. 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