From Pastors Frank Sr and Jr:
We are obligated to obey governing authorities as long as it doesn’t contradict God’s Word. (Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.)
For this reason we as a church are following the mandated guidelines and not having gatherings over 10. However this does not take away from our responsibility to minister to the flock. God has appointed Pastor Frank Jr., and myself to be the shepherds of the flock that meets at Berean Calvary Chapel to help keep the flock together. (Matt 9:36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.)
Monday evening, and Tuesday morning I heard from the Lord to not distance myself from the flock but to shepherd them in different ways. I believe the flock needs more comfort and guidance than ever before. This is a time for all believers to be sobered in realizing how fast our world can change, and the importance and necessity of making the adjustments necessary to be effective in ministering to a confused world.
This is not a time to hide away in the cave of our personal security, but a time to minister in different ways until this ban is lifted. We need to see this development as an opportunity, not a road block. I believe this has sobered many people and might cause them to look for answers, and the only real answer is Jesus. This is not a surprise to God, in fact He foretold of times like this, and it is just one more reason we must lift up our heads.
Actions We’re Taking:
We will continue our live broadcast on Facebook and the BCC website for Sunday morning services at 9 and 11 as usual and the audio broadcast and podcast will also be available after each service is ended. In addition to this, we’ll be trying something new for Wednesday night Bible studies. We will be hosting an interactive webinar of sorts to facilitate our usual back-and-forth discussions of the Bible study topics and the Bible study handouts will be available here as usual.
Instructions for navigating to the live broadcast, the audio broadcast as well as how to join the Bible study discussion are below:
Video Broadcast:
The video broadcast is available from the Berean Calvary Chapel Facebook page here or from the Videos page on the Berean Calvary Chapel website here.
Audio Broadcast:
The audio broadcast will be available from the Berean Calvary Chapel website here. The podcast is also available here.
Bible Study:
Accessing the Bible study is a bit more complicated and will involve downloading an app on your smart phone or laptop. The virtual meeting will be hosted by Pastor Frank Sr on Wednesday night at 7:00 PM here. Once you click the link to the left, you will be directed to the Zoom Cloud Meeting website and will be prompted to download their app. From a computer internet browser (Chrome, Internet Explorer, Edge, Firefox, etc.), it should automatically start downloading what you need, just follow the on-screen prompts to install the software. From a mobile device, you will be directed to the App store for your device automatically. From there, just install the Zoom app and you should be automatically directed to the discussion. If not, just return to this page and click the link again and it will redirect you to the discussion in the Zoom app automatically. The installation of the app will only be necessary for the first time you connect. After that, app will open and join the meeting automatically. If you have difficulty joining from the link above, go to https://zoom.us and click the “Join” button at the top of and page and enter meeting ID 679 764 6313 when prompted then follow the on-screen instructions.
Tithes and Offerings:
We are in working toward making it possible to electronically send in your tithes and offerings, but until we get that working, please mail checks payable to Berean Calvary Chapel to:
Berean Calvary Chapel
1 Calvary Rd
Kirkville, NY 13082
When we get an electronic method well-tested and working, we’ll post an update.
We anticipate that there will be a number of technical difficulties that will be encountered as we go through this transition to virtual meetings and electronic money transfers, etc and appreciate your patience as we continue to work out the bugs and look forward to seeing you there.
-Praise the Lord!