Update: Friday, March 20 12:15pm

Greetings Relevant Family,

This has been a tense week in Lehigh Valley and around the world. The spread of the Coronavirus has brought all nations to a halt. It is in the midst of this, we have a hope and assurance that Jesus Christ is still reigning on His throne.

ADAPTING

As a result of the advisory from the government on avoiding public gatherings, this would affect the weekly meetings at Relevant Church and the following changes will be implemented with immediate effect:

ALL SUNDAY SERVICES WILL BE STREAMED LIVE ON FACEBOOK AND ZOOM.

How to join a Zoom Meeting. Online Tutorial: (click the link to learn)

https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=hIkCmbvAHQQ&feature=youtu.be

We will Facebook live-stream a time of worship on Sundays at 10:00am. You can watch the service on the following link as soon as we are live: https://www.facebook.com/RelevantChurchofAllentown/?ref=br_rs

We would encourage discipleship groups, bible studies, etc. to take advantage of technology and meet virtually (Skype, Hangouts, Zoom, Facebook Live, etc.)

We know there will be continued prayer needs. Leaders will continue to pray for requests that come in and share these requests with you. You can submit a prayer request by writing to us at Darren@RelevantAtown.com, Facebook Messenger, or through text (207) 312-1472. Take a moment and join our Facebook prayer page: The Prayer Box. This is a great way to keep up-to-date with each other's prayer concerns. You can join The Prayer Box by clicking the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/300080769872/

We are available at any time to address counselling needs in the church. Please know that we are available and present for you. Please don’t hesitate to call, email, or message us at any time.

Tithes and offerings may be sent online using the below details:

Text to Give Text: (610) 991-7971 to set up your text offering.

This is a simple, easy solution if you'd like to give on the go! Simply text your offering to (610) 991-7971. If you're giving for the first time, you will receive a text with a link to easily and securely register your payment information.

Online Giving: Click here to set up online giving

This safe and flexible option is the easiest way for you to give at Relevant Church! This method allows you to schedule a recurring or one-time gift from your checking account or savings account. Here you can easily manage your giving amount.

Mail: Mail your offering to: Relevant Church, 1080 Flexer Avenue, Allentown, PA. 18103.

You can mail your offering and we will apply your gift.

How to give online or through text. Online giving tutorial: (click the link to learn) https://support.breezechms.com/hc/en-us/articles/360035430954

PRAY

At this point we don’t know what the full extent and duration of the infection could be, so would you all join us in praying for our neighborhoods, states, nation and the nations around the globe daily on the below points:

God would prevent the infection from spreading further
God would heal those that are currently tested positive
God would use this season of infection to point people to their deeper heart infection which is much more universal & eternal in its consequences
God would enable us to be creative in ways to show our love for each other & compassion to a hurting world outside

LIVING HOPE

I’d like to remind you that within these times of fear, pain & isolation isn’t an end in itself. Because we have our Lord Jesus, we know that these difficult times will point our hearts to our Lord. Our heart’s cry should be, “Jesus, we need You & we can’t do anything without You”. Let that living-hope drive the coming days and weeks to be lived out in your lives.

I will be constantly communicating and keeping you posted on how things might look different for us as a church. We know that there could be some who aren’t presently connected on social media, so it’ll be really helpful if you could assist us by sending these details to individuals. We want to make sure that everyone’s updated as much as possible.

We are in this together. Let’s bring glory to our Lord Jesus Christ and continue to lead people to Him.

In God’s Grip,

Pastor Darren

Update: Tuesday, March 17. 1:29PM

Relevant Church will not be gathering for worship for the next two weeks (3.22 & 3.29) at our 1080 Flexer Avenue location. Instead, we will gather online through livestream and videos posted on both our Facebook and Youtube pages. To find our Facebook page, simply log into Facebook and type in the search box: "RelevantChurchofAllentown." To find our Youtube page, go to Youtube.com and type in the search box: "RelevantAllentown." Our service will be posted on Sunday mornings at 10am.

Throughout the week, we will be posting a variety of helpful videos designed to encourage you during this uncertain season. Our desire is to offer community in creative ways. Remember, you are not alone.

Feel free to contact us with specific prayer concerns as well as areas of assistance. You can join our prayer sharing page on Facebook. Simply log into Facebook and type in the search box: "The Prayer Box." Request to join and our Administrator will add you.

We are in this together. Let's keep looking to the Lord as we navigate through this unique time.

HOPE

I am not qualified to give you medical advice, that’s not my profession. I am a pastor, so I want to offer you gospel advice in times of crisis.

In times like this, when anxiety begins to take over my life, I find it helpful to rest in the words of Jesus. In Matthew 6:33-34, Jesus calls on us to pray and seek him when fear and worry starts to creep into our lives. As Christ-followers, we understand that worry has no home in our lives because we know the One who has defeated sin and death (1 Cor. 15:55-57).

My advice for you in this time of trouble is to pray rather than panic. Prayer leads to hope and peace. Panic leads you away from those wonderful things. Perhaps you’ve been glued to your phone since this pandemic began. I get it, there’s a lot of information being shared out there and it is important to stay up-to-date on the situation. There’s nothing wrong with staying informed. My question for you is: Are you looking at your phone more than God’s Word? It is so much easier and convenient to tap our screens than it is to click pause and seek God and His wisdom. I want to encourage you to open your phone less and open your Bible more. Pray more often than open your phone. We are believers. During times of trouble our hope and peace is only found in the Lord, not the news. Look to the Lord.

Prayer is essential to the life of a believer. This is why I have listed a few areas for us to seek the Lord together. Please join with me in praying for these items:

Ask God, in His mercy, to slow down the spread of the virus in the world (Is. 59:1-2)

Pray that relevant and surrounding churches will be able to display the deep faith and trust in our Lord. May we also show that love to our community (Matt. 22:37-39).

Pray for those who are in the medical profession, first responders, and leaders who have to make decisions during this pandemic. Ask God to give them wisdom, strength, and compassion.

OPPORTUNITY

In times like this, the world is desperately in need of hope and guidance. As Christians have an opportunity in front of us to show them that we can face difficulties with courage. Our ability to face these troubles with courage comes from our faith and trust in the Lord.

Use this time as an opportunity to share the Gospel. Ask your neighbors if you can pray for them. Seek out creative ways to help them during this crisis. People are scared. Let’s offer them hope and peace through Jesus Christ. In everything we do, make much of Jesus.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS

We feel that communication is essential in these times. Our aim is to communicate additional precautions and adjustments needed to be taken. This is a fluid situation that can change day by day. Please continue to visit our website and social media pages for updated information.

In God’s Grip,

Pastor Darren Livie

Relevant Church

Relevant Church

Love Jesus. Love People. Help People Love Jesus. #ForLehighValley

Love Jesus. Love People. Help People Love Jesus.
#ForLehighValley