Latest update from Pastor Mark

Update April 28, 2022

Church Family,

As you know, I will begin a sabbatical next Monday, May 2. I will be away from my normal preaching and shepherding responsibilities until July 11. I am grateful to the elders and to this church for extending this opportunity to me. (For more details, you can read this letter from Richard Niemi, the Vice-Chairman of our Elders)

"Sabbatical" basically means a time of rest. I am planning to rest from my normal preaching and shepherding work, so that I have extra time and space to read, and pray, and think, and spend extended time with Jesus and my family. Please pray that God will grow my walk with Jesus and my passion for His gospel and church during this time.

While I am away from our gatherings, I will be praying for the members and the ministries and the other pastor-elders of Fellowship Church. I know you are going to enjoy the Sunday sermon series that is planned from Hebrews 11, as our pastors teach what it looks like to live by faith. Our Pastor Emeritus, Walter Price, will get the series started on May 8 and 15.

I am grateful to God for the way He has been so gracious to our church during my first 8 years here. The unity, joy, growth, and Christ-like love that has marked our life together is remarkable. It should cause us to praise God for His glorious grace. Please pray with me that God will continue to grow us in our faith and commitment to Christ's purposes as we look ahead to the next 8 years.

I will see you on Sunday as we finish our series in the book of Ephesians.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update January 20, 2022

Dear Fellowship Church,

We are already 3 weeks into 2022. As we begin a new year, I want to personally encourage you to participate in 3 things together with the rest of the church.

1. Church Family Meeting - This coming Sunday, January 23rd, at 5:30 pm, we will have our annual Church Family Meeting. This is a really important time for all of the members of the church to gather. We will share some important information about our life together, we will thank God for what He did in 2021, look forward to this next year, and have a time of Q&A. I am really looking forward to talking with you all and praying with you about the future of Fellowship Church. If you are not able to attend in person, a livestream will be available on our website. Childcare will be provided for 0-5 years old.

2. Scripture Memory Program - I am excited about the new Scripture memory program that we are doing together this year. If you haven't already, I would encourage you to get a copy of all the verses (click here) and get started. This will strengthen your faith as you memorize and meditate on God's promises.

3. New Core Courses start Sunday, January 30 - This new round of adult classes give everyone an opportunity to grow in our knowledge and walk with God. These classes happen from 9 am - 9:50 am, at the same time as children and youth Sunday school classes. For a list of upcoming classes and their descriptions, click here. We will have one last session of our missions class this coming Sunday, the 23rd, and will see a live interview with our newest mission partner, Chris Bruno.

Let's continue to be praying for each other, that God would graciously guide and strengthen our church.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update December 16, 2021

Dear Fellowship Church,

As you may have already learned, the California Department of Health issued new guidance that calls all Californians (regardless of vaccination status) to wear face coverings in certain settings. Understanding this new guidance is confusing, because many news outlets are summarizing it by saying masks are required indoors.

However, this new guidance from the health department did not change the recommendations for churches. As you can see at this website, the guidance for places of worship remains the same as it has been since the summer.

We continue to ask each member to do what they believe is wise and what honors God, and to respect each other’s convictions. So there is no change in our policy or practices at this time.

With that said, the new mask guidance is a helpful reminder that that Covid-19 is still with us, and likely will be for the foreseeable future. In addition, it is the normal cold and flu season. Please take wise, loving, and faith-filled precautions to protect your own health and the health of more vulnerable people around you. These precautions should include staying home from church when you are sick (you can participate online).

Please reach out to me or one of the other pastors if you have any questions about this, or if you would like counsel on other situations or struggles you are facing.

Now, here is the most important part: Let’s continue to fill our hearts and conversations and time together with the worship of Christ. As we enter into the celebration of Christ’s birth, let’s keep Him central in our hearts, our minds, and our church. I’m looking forward to Sunday.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update November 5, 2021

Dear Fellowship Church,

I am writing to invite you to two special things that are coming up:

1. Missions Core Course - This coming Sunday we will start a new, 10-week Core Course during our education hour at 9 AM. All adults and youth are invited to come and participate. We will be doing 3 things: (1) Growing in our understanding of what the Bible teaches about God’s mission in the world, and what He has called us to do. I will teach the first two weeks on God’s global glory, and how we are blessed for a purpose. (2) Communicate our church’s long-term strategy for missions, and how you can be a part of it. (3) We will hear from quite a few missionaries, including missionaries we support in England, Spain, Canada, and Turkey.
   

2. Thanksgiving Service – Sunday, November 14th, at 5:30 pm, we will have a Sunday evening gathering focused on giving thanks. We will pray together, worship together, hear testimonies of thanksgiving, and I will spend a few minutes giving some updates on our life as a church. Then plan to stick around afterwards to fellowship together. We are having a dessert potluck, so it would be great if you would bake and bring your favorite dessert to share!

One more thing: don’t forget to turn back your clocks this Saturday night.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update August 12, 2021

Dear Fellowship Church,

I continue to be so grateful to God for you. Thank you for praying for everyone who has been sick, and thank you for being flexible this past week as we needed to postpone a few events.

Here are some important updates, with “Lord willing” being the intro to it all:

This coming Sunday, August 15th – we will have two services (8:30 am and 10:30 am), with nursery and children’s classes at 10:30 am. We announced this on Sunday, but I know many of you were not there. Please help spread the word.

On August 22nd we will move to one service at 10:30 am. We will also start our Education Hour at 9 am, which will include Sunday School classes for children, birth-12th grade, and adult classes which can be found by CLICKING HERE.

We have moved our Church Picnic to October 10th. This is the same Sunday we are celebrating our 60th anniversary as a church. The picnic will begin at noon, right after the worship service. If you plan to attend, just hold on to your burger tickets. If you would like a refund you can call or email the church office (951-845-2693 – office@fellowshiplife.church) on Monday -- we are closed tomorrow due to some building repairs taking place.

A word of encouragement. The pace of change in our lives, in our church, in our society has been so fast the past couple of years. New issues and decisions, which we have never thought deeply about before, are pressed upon us seemingly every month. It is no surprise if some of us can feel a bit unsteady, or anxious, or angry, or frustrated. Let me encourage you once again in two ways:

First, let us remember all of those things that have not changed. God is still sovereign over all things, and working them together for the good of His people (Ephesians 1:11; Romans 8:28). Jesus Christ is still for us (Romans 8:31), and through faith in Him our sins are forgiven, we are children of God, we have been given an eternal inheritance, and His Spirit is dwelling in us (Ephesians 1:3-14). Through faith in Christ we have peace with God and are standing steadfast in His powerful, unchanging grace (Romans 5:1-2). There is a lot more I could say – you can find it all in your Bible. Let us keep looking “not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Second, let us continue to give love and grace to one another. Remember, the things that unite us (Jesus Christ, the cross, our need for Christ and the cross, our faith and love for Jesus, and love and commitment to one another, and our common allegiance to the Lord Jesus) are so much more important than the things that could threaten to divide us (you can make your own list of these things). You have excelled these past 18 months at showing honor to one another, at thinking the best of each other, at considering the needs of others, and at being patient with one another (Philippians 2:1-4). This unity in Christ has glorified our Savior (John 17:22-23). Let’s keep going strong, and dependent on Him.

“It would be a good contest amongst Christians, one to labor to give no offense, and the other to labor to take none.” – Richard Sibbes,The Bruised Reed

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update August 5, 2021

Dear Fellowship Church,

It has been a while since I sent out one of these update emails. In some ways that is good news. It means we haven’t experienced too many changes the past 2 months. But as we near the end of summer, I want to make sure you know about some important events and changes that are coming up.

1. We will CONTINUE posting the livestream of our Sunday service for anyone to watch. On August 15th the time will move to 10:30am, and you will need to click on the “Watch” button at the top right of our website or find the stream on our YouTube channel. You can also just go to https://www.fellowshiplife.church/livestream. In July we told you of our plan to remove it from public view. However, we have reversed our decision. We know health problems continue to require some of you to stay at home, and we want you to be able to access the service in those situations. If you are physically able, we continue to encourage everyone to attend church in person – both for your own spiritual good and for strength of others in the church.
   

2. On August 15th (a week from Sunday) we are planning to move back to one service, which will start at 10:30 am. It is going to be wonderful to reunite so that we can “with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6). You will see on Sunday that we now have more than 800 chairs in the room. We can serve each other by moving toward the front and toward the middle, so the extra 300+ chairs are easier to find.
   

3. Moving to one service will enable us to restart our Education Hour. Classes for all ages will start at 9:00 am beginning on August 15th (not this coming Sunday). As a church we know that in-depth Bible study is vital to the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) and the growth of our relationship with God (Colossians 1:10-11). So I am so excited to be getting these classes going again. You can sign up and see room assignments for Core Courses at this web page. For children’s and youth class info look for an email from Pastor Bryan next week.
   

4. Let’s praise God for the heart of service he has given to the members of our church! More than 110 members volunteered to serve at Vacation Bible School. All of you volunteers made the week incredible for the children who attended. Not only that, so many of you have volunteered to serve in the nursery or children’s classes on Sunday mornings this fall. Our Sunday morning teams are almost fully staffed for the fall. This is an answer to prayer after being on pause for more than a year and a half. Dozens of you have stepped forward to serve our kids and their parents, and to serve Jesus who is the greatest Servant. God is being glorified by your joyful and faith-filled love to each other and to our community. I am grateful to God for you!

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update May 14, 2021

Dear Fellowship Church,

Yesterday the Centers for Disease Control released updated guidelines (click here for the CDC update), stating that fully-vaccinated people do not need to wear masks indoors or outdoors. Vaccinated individuals are not in danger of catching a serious case of Covid-19, nor are they likely to spread the virus.

This is good news. Based on this public guidance from our government, fully vaccinated people should feel very free to come to church without a mask.

In addition, we are not interested in a scenario in which anyone is asked about their vaccination status when they attend church. Covid-19 case rates are very low in Riverside County, vaccinations have been widely available to at risk people for months, and the State of California is no longer mandating practices for churches (they are just recommending). For the past year, we have publicly asked everyone to wear a mask indoors to help prevent sickness, to honor the government, and to help promote unity in the church. Given the recent changes, we no longer need to call for the wearing of masks at church.

Therefore, starting this Sunday (May 16), wearing or not wearing masks is optional at Fellowship Church. If you believe you should or need to wear a mask, please do so. Our chairs will continue to be socially distanced for now. Let’s all continue to exercise wise and gracious caution, knowing that various levels of concern still exist within our church body. If you have Covid symptoms, please watch the live-stream from home. Let's continue to be careful not to judge one another in these matters. This past year I have been so encouraged by your flexibility amidst many changes, and by the unity maintained through your humility and love for one another. Thank you!

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update March 28, 2021

Dear Fellowship Church Members,

Today was an eventful day for our church.

Bryant Street Baptist Church in Yucaipa voted (100% for and 0 against) to call Mike Levitsky as their senior pastor, and Pastor Mike accepted the call. Bryant Street has been without a pastor for many months and have asked Mike to start tomorrow. Let’s be praying for him and Stacy and their boys, Samuel and Simeon, as they make this transition into a new church and a new ministry. On April 11thMike and Stacy will worship with us at Fellowship one more time. We will pray for them during a special sending service. We will share about plans for the youth ministry in the coming days.

Also, during our worship service I announced Conor McNamee as a candidate to become our new Outreach Pastor. This is a new pastoral role that we have been considering for more than a year now. I am so excited that we are adding this pastoral position to our team, but I am even more excited that God appears to be leading Conor and Koren to Fellowship. For more information about Conor and the position, please see www.fellowshiplife.church/outreach-pastor, where you will find a video and a document with lots of information.

On Sunday, April 11th at 1pm, we will have a time of Q&A with Conor online, using Zoom.

The elders are asking the members to give us feedback on what you think about Conor joining the pastoral team. We believe God is leading in this direction and trust that if God is in this, He will confirm it through the congregation.

Blessings on your week.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update March 25, 2021

Dear Fellowship Church,

I am writing to you with a series of invitations….

You are invited to be a part of our Picture Directory. This Sunday is the last opportunity to get your picture taken in the lobby between the services or after the second service. There is also still time to email your picture (and/or your family picture) to fellowshipchurchpictures@gmail.com. The Picture Directory is going to strengthen our fellowship and our prayers for each other. I hope you will be a part of it.

You are invited to our Good Friday service on April 2 at 6:30 pm. Several members will help us dwell on Isaiah 53 through Scripture readings and brief meditations. If you need to participate from home through the livestream at our website, you can request to have the Lord’s Supper elements delivered to your house next week by filling out this form.

You are invited to our Resurrection Sunday services on April 4. This is a great time to invite your neighbors and friends to attend also. So many people around us are longing for hope. Let’s give it to them by sharing Jesus with them. To make sure we have enough space, please consider attending the 8:30 service if you are able. Also consider sitting toward the front of the room, so guests can find seats more easily. On Easter you can drop your children (even 3rd – 6th graders) off for Children’s classes before the services, and birth – 6th grade classes will be available at both the 8:30 and the 10:30 service.

You are invited to pray. This is an exciting time to be following Jesus in this world that desperately needs Him. God is at work in our lives, in our church, and in the lives of our neighbors. As we have been studying the book of Acts each Sunday morning we have seen the power of the Holy Spirit to transform lives through God’s word. Let’s be praying that the next month and year will be a time of incredible gospel growth at Fellowship Church and in our region. “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you” (2 Thessalonians 3:1).

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update February 17, 2021

Dear Fellowship Church,

I have really enjoyed the regular prayer meetings we have added the past 11 months. We have another online prayer meeting tonight at 6pm. I will give a short devotional and we will worship and pray together for 30 minutes. You can join in by going to our church’s website, Facebook page, or YouTube channel.

Rejoicing in Weakness

During our elder meeting yesterday, Pastor Mike gave a devotional to our elder team. He reminded us that weakness and hardship are not bad things. According to God they are some of the best things we can experience, because our weaknesses remind us to rely on Christ and His strength. In 2 Corinthians 12 Paul writes about a time of suffering he had to endure. He pleaded with God three times to remove the “thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me.” God did not take away Paul’s weakness. Instead, He told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, Paul concluded, “I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Friends, are you feeling weak today? Have you been pleading with God to remove your hardships? There is nothing wrong with praying that way. Paul did so three times. But let’s not miss what God is getting done in us. It is in these times of weakness and frustration and suffering that we learn to lean on Christ. And as we lean on Christ we learn that His power is not dependent on ours. In fact, He delights to powerfully work in us and through us in those seasons when we are weakest.

May we learn to rely on Christ, and pray to Christ, and boast in Christ, so that His power and grace will rest on us more than ever before.

Grieving over Sin

Last week RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries) released the results of an investigation into allegations of serious sin against the late Ravi Zacharias. The report makes clear that Zacharias participated in a secret, long-term pattern of destructive sin that involved sexual and spiritual abuse of multiple women. I am not linking to the report. You need to use wisdom as to whether it will be spiritually helpful for you to read the disturbing details.

I do not make it a practice of pointing out stories of high-profile, Christian leaders who commit disqualifying sin. But this situation is different. In October 2019 we invited Ravi to speak at our church on a Sunday. We also advertised the event through mailers that were delivered to homes in the area. Since we publicly platformed Ravi and hosted him at our church, it is important that we speak and clearly state our opposition to the sins Ravi is now known to have committed. His sexual abuse of women and his abuse of his position as a spiritual leader have dishonored Christ and caused serious harm to many people.

While the Bible does call us to publicly rebuke unrepentant sin of spiritual leaders (1 Timothy 5:20), it is not our role to condemn Ravi. God is the Judge, and we can be sure of His righteous justice. It is our role to examine ourselves and then confess and repent of any hidden sins in our own lives. Let us not be deceived; hidden, unconfessed sin will bring destruction to our own souls and to those around us. It is our role to pray for those who have been sinned against as well as those who are doubting their faith because of this news. I also want to make sure you know that the pastors and elders of Fellowship Church are committed, by God’s grace, to living out and holding one another accountable to the character qualifications of elders in 1 Timothy and Titus. I can assure you that we strive to protect against any physical, sexual, or spiritual abuse in our church, and we would deal seriously and transparently with any report of such abuse.

This news will affect people in many different ways. I cannot address every angle in this email. Here are two articles I have found helpful:

“Ravi Zacharias and the Judgment of God”
“In the Wake of Ravi Zacharias’s Sexual Abuse of Women”

Let’s continue to pray for each other as we depend on God’s grace.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update January 27, 2021

Dear Fellowship Church,

I regularly find myself thanking God for you and for the way He is at work in our church family. Here are a few things that are happening in the life of our church I want to make sure everyone knows about.

Church Family Meeting

I hope you will attend our Church Family Meeting this Sunday (January 31st) at 5:30, in-person or online. Childcare will be provided 0-5 years old.

Maybe you are asking yourself, “Why would I want to attend?” I’m glad you asked. Here are three reasons: (1) You are an important part of Fellowship Church, and this is a chance to celebrate what God has done, ask questions, and think and pray together about where God is leading us. (2) We will announce several exciting new developments in our ministry and mission as a church. One of the new initiatives is being named in honor of Pastor Walter and Janet Price – and you will get to be a part of honoring them. (3) Hey, other than outdoor dining, there isn’t much else going on. (that’s a joke)

We want to make it possible for anyone to attend. We will meet in the Worship Center, and also stream it live online (at www.fellowshiplife.church, or our YouTube channel, or our Facebook page). Childcare will be provided up through 5 years of age.

Gentle and Lowly

We are now entering our second week of reading Gentle and Lowly together as a church. I am so encouraged that more than 350 people have books and are participating. The time we spend studying and discussing the heart of Christ is going to bear much fruit in our homes and in our church.

It is not too late to get a book and start reading and discussing with a friend. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our Gentle and Lowly web page. You will find good questions for discussion, as well as videos with pastors and other church members discussing each chapter. Audio of our discussions are also available as an Apple Podcast, which you can find here, or by searching “Gentle and Lowly Fellowship Church” in your Apple podcast app.

Van and Beverly Syverson

At the end of the worship service this past Sunday we announced the retirement of Van Syverson from our Elder Board. We also took a moment to honor them and thank God for their service. Hebrews 13:7 instructs us, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” In order to help us apply this verse, Pastor Jeff recorded a series of short interviews with the Syversons. You can find the interviews by clicking on this link. You will be encouraged as you hear how God has worked in and through them over the years.

Potential flooding

Local emergency services are setting up a command center in our church’s B building in case Friday’s storm causes flooding in the area. As you likely know, 2020’s fires have increased the risk of mudslides and flood damage this winter. Let’s pray this week’s storm and this entire winter will pass without incident. You can also sign-up to help with volunteer needs in the case of flood damage by filling out this form.

Let’s continue to pray for each other and “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2).

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update December 2, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

December has arrived, and along with it we have another opportunity to focus our minds and hearts and lives on the fact of Christmas: God took on flesh, light came into the darkness, God did not give up on us, He is with us, Christ will return, and our future is incredibly bright!

Online Christmas Devotionals

Starting today we will be posting a new Christmas devotional video every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. These devotional videos include music, Scripture reading, and a devotional teaching from the Bible. They are designed to encourage you and bind your heart closer and closer to Christ as Christmas draws near. I also hope that it helps you feel a little more connected to the church. You will see lots of people from Fellowship reading Scripture, leading music, and giving devotions.

You can find them as they are posted on our website by going to: https://www.fellowshiplife.church/advent

Or you can find them at our YouTube Playlist, or Vimeo Playlist, or at our church’s Facebook page. New videos will post by around noon on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, up until December 23rd.

Here is a link to the first one. Today Janet Hawkesworth leads us in singing two songs about our longing for Christ, the Mills family reads the Scripture, and I give the devotional on how Advent is about having hope and joy amidst a world filled with sorrow and suffering.

Other Upcoming Events

Online Prayer Meeting – Tonight (Wednesday) at 6pm. You can participate by going to the church website at 6pm. We will also have an online prayer meeting on December 16th. There is a possibility that tonight's prayer meeting will be cancelled or cut short because Socal Edison has told us they may cut the power at the church building this evening.

Cody Kolkow’s Memorial Service – Saturday, December 5th at 10:30 in the Worship Center. We will be taking the same safety measures that are in place on Sunday mornings.

New Sermon Series – On Sunday morning I will start an Advent series called “A Brief History of the Eternal Christ.” We will spend 3 Sundays plus Christmas eve, worshiping Jesus as we look closely at John 1.

Christmas Eve Service – Outside between the A and B building on December 24th at 4pm.

Blessings on you and your home this Advent season,

Pastor Mark

Update November 18, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

As the holidays approach I am writing to you for two reasons: (1) to remind us that we have much to be thankful for, and (2) to inform you about some steps we are taking related to Covid-19.

Thankful

As Thanksgiving approaches next week, we have much to be thankful for. Christ has come into our world and accomplished what we could not. He has paid for our sins on the cross (Rom. 5:8), He has defeated death on our behalf (1 Cor. 15:20-22), He has given us full and free access to God the Father (Heb. 10:19-22), He has given us His Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14), and is always with us (Matt. 28:20), giving us everything we need to live life in a godly way (2 Peter 1:3-4). He promises an inheritance with Him in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-4) that is greater than anything we can imagine (1 Cor. 2:9). He is in charge of all things and is guiding all the events of this world (Ephesians 1:11), including the particulars of our lives (Matt. 10:29-31), for the good of His people (Rom. 8:28), and according to His gracious purposes (2 Peter 3:8-9).

If you are finding it hard to be thankful, or if you find yourself tempted to discouragement or grumbling, you are not alone. But I encourage you not to stay there. Use the next week to fill your thoughts and prayers with thankfulness. Consider looking up the verse references in my paragraph above. They will put plenty of fuel on the fire of the thankfulness in your heart.

Covid Response

In October after we moved our Sunday services back inside, I wrote the following: “We will continue to closely watch the data regarding Covid-19 in our region and especially Beaumont and Banning, and will make adjustments as needed.”

For the past 4 weeks Covid-19 cases in our area have been increasing. Both the case rate and positivity rate have gone up, and Covid hospitalizations in Riverside County have more than doubled in the past 3 weeks (from 166 to 338). Also, as we have tracked national and international trends, it is clear that as weather grows colder Covid-19 tends to spread more rapidly. I am grateful that the virus has not been spreading in our church body, though I know some members and former members are grieving the loss of family members who died from Covid this week.

Based on recent data, we are making some additional adjustments as a church. For now, we are planning to keep our worship services inside at 8:30 and 10:30, along with nursery and children’s ministry at 10:30 am. Our priority is to maintain the main gathering of the church for Sunday worship for as long as possible and for as many people as possible. With that in mind, we are taking the following steps to help prevent spread within the church body.

• All in-person, church-sponsored small groups will begin their holiday break at Thanksgiving (November 26) and not hold in-person small group meetings again until January 10, at the earliest.

• Tomorrow will be the last “Themed Thursday” (our weekly family ministry) until January.

• We are asking parents not to drop their youth off for youth group until 5:55 pm, and to pick them up promptly at 7:00 each Wednesday, beginning after Thanksgiving. Youth will continue wearing masks, social distancing, and not meeting in small groups.

• We will not have a Fellowship Family Christmas event (no choirs have been meeting or preparing this fall), and have cancelled official church Christmas parties.

• We are not cancelling Christmas. We will have a special Advent sermon series on Sunday mornings beginning December 6, and will be celebrating the incarnation of Christ together every Sunday morning, Lord willing. Our Christmas Eve service will be held outside at 4 pm. In addition, beginning December 1 we plan to post 2 or 3 Advent videos each week to encourage you as you prepare your heart for Christmas.

• Let’s continue to be vigilant on Sunday mornings. Please continue social-distancing, and refrain from hugging and shaking hands at church. We are asking everyone over age 5 (if you are physically able) to wear a mask while gathered with others on the church campus. Please stay home if you have any symptoms of illness.

I believe these are prudent actions. But I also know this has been a year of losses and disappointments, and that these actions may be discouraging or even frustrating to some. We are taking these steps to help protect those who are physically at-risk in our church and community, to hopefully make it possible to continue meeting in person on Sunday mornings, and to provide clear standards for official church meetings for the sake of clarity and unity. Let’s continue to treasure our times together (both in-person or online) each Sunday, let’s continue to “be eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit" (Eph. 4:1-3), and let’s keep praying for and encouraging each other.

We will continue to closely watch the data regarding Covid-19 and will make further adjustments as needed. If you have any questions or just need some prayer or encouragement, feel free to reach out to me or any of the pastors and elders.

I love you, church.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update October 29, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

I wanted to make sure you are aware of a few events that are coming up:

1. Today (Thursday) at 5pm I will be participating in a conversation on the topic of "Patriotism and the Gospel." It will be online only, and I have been invited to this event by Pastor Henry Lundy at Calvary Chapel - Beaumont. I thought some of you might be interested in watching the live stream. To watch, click here at 5pm. I think you can also find it at Calvary Chapel Beaumont's Facebook page.

2. We are hosting several memorial services of members in the next 2+ weeks. Here is a list of when they are:

Jean Bray – Friday, October 30 at 11am in the Worship Center
Beverly Gray – Saturday, November 14th at 10 am in the MPR.

3. On Sunday, November 8th we will celebrate the Lord's Supper together. If you are staying home, and would like to have the bread and cup delivered to you ahead of time, you can sign up by clicking here.

There is more happening around here than just these things, so I recommend you check the bulletin (either paper or online) each week.

I am preaching on Saul's conversion in Acts 9:1-19 Sunday. I am praying that the peace of Christ will rule in your hearts in the coming week.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update: October 22, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

This past Sunday was a very encouraging day for us as a church. While we loved worshiping outside this summer, it was a joy to see so many people return now that we are back indoors. It was also great to be able to restart our nursery and children’s classes. (If you want to have your 0-3 year old in a nursery class, remember that you need to reserve a spot ahead of time.) There were are also quite a few new people who visited this past week.

A few people have asked if we are going to continue meeting inside. The answer is that for now, yes, we are going to continue having 2 indoor worship services at 8:30 and 10:30 am. God’s word teaches us about the importance of our weekly gathering as a church (Hebrews 10:24-25; Acts 10:42-46; Acts 20:7). Gathering for worship is a primary way we glorify God “with one voice” (Romans 15:7), encourage one another (Hebrews 13:3), pray together (1 Timothy 2:1-2; 8), listen to God together (2 Timothy 4:1-2), and enjoy God’s presence among us (Ephesians 2:22). Because of these truths, and more, we continue to prioritize our weekly gathering as a church.

Earlier this month we made the decision to move indoors for the rest of the fall and winter. We made that decision because the weather will make it difficult for us to safely meet outside on a weekly basis. For example, this Sunday morning the forecast is for a temperature under 50 degrees and rain.

As you know, we also prioritize the physical health of everyone who attends Fellowship and the wellbeing of our neighbors. This is why we are streaming the service online for those who need to stay at home for their health. Our care for your health is also why we have put many safety precautions in place, including spacing chairs in the room, disinfecting, and more (see attachment). Thank you for wearing a mask while in the building (if are physically able), refraining from hugs and handshakes, and staying home if you have any symptoms of illness.

We will continue closely watching the data regarding Covid-19 in our region, and will make adjustments as needed. Please feel free to reach out to myself or Pastor Tod if you have any questions.

For now, I would encourage you to prepare for Sunday by reading Acts 8:26-40 and preparing to hear from God's word -- either in person or online. See you soon!

In Christ,

Pastor Mark
   

Attachments:

• Covid_Safety_Plan_updated_10_18_2020.pdf

Update: October 15, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

This week’s letter has one main focus. We are moving indoors and re-starting children’s ministry this coming Sunday. I want to make sure you have all the information you need as we make this transition.

Moving Inside 

Beginning Sunday, October 18th we will have two Sunday worship services indoors at 8:30 am and 10:30 am. You do not need to sign up ahead of time for a service. Nursery and children’s classes for ages 0 through 6th grade will take place during the 10:30 service (see below for more info). We will continue to stream the 8:30 service to both our website and our Facebook page. We are planning to move indoors for the rest of the fall and winter, Lord willing, so that we can continue worshiping together as the weather gets colder and less predictable.

Safety

We are adding a second service so there is plenty of space to socially distance. Chairs for individuals or families will be separated by at least 6 feet, and we are taking many other precautions to help mitigate the risk of spreading Covid-19 and other sicknesses. For a list of steps we are taking for safety, please see the attached document titled “Covid Safety Plan.” Pastor Tod has done an excellent job consulting guidelines from the CDC and state of California as he developed this plan. We will continue to pay attention to new data and best practices and adjust accordingly. If you have questions please don’t hesitate to reach out to Tod or me or any of the pastors.

We are asking each person who attends to serve each other in the following ways:

• If you have any symptoms of Covid-19 please stay home and participate through the online stream of the service.

• Let’s continue to forego hugging and shaking hands while at church.

• We are asking everyone, if you are physically able, to wear a mask while in the building based on CDC and state health guidelines. (There are some who are unable to wear a mask due to things like breathing problems, past trauma, age, or other issues. We are asking those who cannot wear a mask not to sing. We are asking everyone not to pass judgment on one another).

Well done 

I said this on Sunday, but I want to say it again here. Church - you have done so well at cooperating with the safety guidelines we have tried to follow the last few months. Within our church body there are different levels of concern about Covid along with different views on things like masks. Amidst this diversity of opinion, our church has been marked by a spirit of unity and love and putting others first. You all have continued to live out the truth we treasure so highly around here: we are united by our common salvation in Christ and love for Him. Thank you for shining Jesus by serving one another!

Children’s ministry

I am excited we are opening our nursery and children’s classes once again. I am hoping that some of you will be able to return to church as a result. If you want to drop your 1-3 year old off, you will need to reserve your spot ahead of time by clicking here. For older kids you just need to sign in when you arrive. For all the details about safety protocols and checking your children in, see the attached document titled “Fellowship Kids Restart.” There are lots of new details, so you will want to read that closely. We continue to need more nursery volunteers, so please consider helping out if you are able.

As we step into yet another set of changes, let’s continue to pray for God to be glorified as we serve each other, worship Him, and share the gospel with our world.  

In Christ,
 
Pastor Mark

• Fellowship_Kids_Restart.pdf

• Covid_Safety_Plan.pdf

Update: September 25, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

As you may have heard, Riverside County moved into a lower “risk level” on the state of California’s Covid restrictions tiers. This is good news because it means less people in our county are contracting and spreading Covid-19. This is also good news because it means more indoor activities are now permitted in Riverside County. Your favorite restaurant is probably opening indoor dining soon, and we will be moving our ministries and groups inside before we get too deep into the colder weather and shorter days of fall.

We will continue to meet outside at 8:30 am for Sunday worship service for the next three Sundays.This will allow us to enjoy a few more weeks meeting all together in one service. This Sunday is forecast to be an enjoyable 72 degrees during the service.

We are making plans to begin indoor worship services on Sunday, October 18th. We will communicate details about service times and safety guidelines as the 18th draws closer.

We also plan to restart nursery and elementary kids’ classes on October 18th, with safety protocols in place to help protect children and volunteers. We need more volunteers who would be willing to serve on a rotation in one of our classes. Volunteers need to be members Fellowship Church. You can sign up to volunteer by clicking this link.

This Sunday we will finish up our 4-week sermon series, "Rooted," by looking at how we can stay rooted in the love of Christ. I spent most of today finishing up a sermon on Ephesians 3:17-19. I am eager to dive into the riches of these verses with you all on Sunday. Let’s be praying together that God would enable us understand and experience Christ’s love more and more in the days to come.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: September 18, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

In 2001 I read a book by John Piper, titled The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd. I commend it to all of you who are experiencing some affliction, or who tend to battle periods of discouragement, depression, or despair. On page 112 I found what has proved to be one of the most helpful insights for battling discouragement in my own life these past 20 years.

Here it is: “Periodic self-examination is needed and wise and biblical. But for the most part, mental health is the use of the mind to focus on worthy reality outside ourselves.”

So let me ask, are you using your mind “to focus on worthy reality” outside yourself? If you need some ideas, here you go:

• There is no more worthy reality to focus on than the Lord Jesus Christ. We hear from Him and learn of Him in the Bible. Are you rooted in His word?

• This coming Sunday we will look at Hebrews 10:24-25, where we are called to “consider” one another – to think about others in the church and how we can encourage them.

• You can watch baptisms we witnessed in August by clicking here and scrolling down. This Sunday we will see two more people baptized and hear fresh stories of God’s saving grace.

• We will also take the Lord’s Supper together. Plan to join with us or have your elements ready at home, as we remember and proclaim the pinnacle of love and justice: the substitutionary death of Christ.

• Focus on some of the exciting things God is doing in the world. Amazing things are happening through missionaries and church planters we support. Click here to watch an interview I did this week with Andy Johnson, who is planting a new church in a Muslim nation in Central Asia. I have also attached a letter from Vergil Brown, telling us how God launched a new church last week in the heart of Portland, Oregon. Here is an interview with Vergil from back in May – praise God for the progress of the gospel there in Portland.

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things…. and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8)

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: September 11, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

1. A week from Sunday – on September 20th, we plan to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together during our Sunday morning worship service. We will distribute the bread and the cup in a safe way. We have pre-packaged, plastic-wrapped juice and bread that you will pick up from a table before you go to your seats on the lawn.
   
   If you need to worship from home, we are planning to include you in a special way. Next week the deacons plan to deliver the elements to your home so that you can be ready on Sunday to eat and drink from the same supply of juice and bread that the rest of the church will be using.
   
   If you will be worshiping from home on Sunday, September 20th, and would like to have elements delivered to your home, please click here and fill out this form. A deacon will then deliver a pre-packaged cup and bread to your door sometime next week. They will do so in a safe and sanitary way.
    

2. We plan to worship outside together again this Sunday morning at 8:30 am. We are grateful to have such a large grassy area with so much shade. Let's come expecting to hear from God. I will continue the 4-part series, "Rooted: Foundations for a Fruitful Life." I hope you can make it, as we think about how to stay rooted in God's word.  
    

3. Today we meet the 19th anniversary of 9/11 with fresh reminders all around us that we live in a world that is fallen and broken by sin. Natural and moral evil abound. I don't need to recount the specific evidence right now. But it is clear that sin and evil are real. This world really is not our home. And Christians really are called to be salt and light in the midst of darkness and decay. We we can only be who God has called us to be if we are rooted in the goodness and grace of Jesus Christ (Col. 2:6-7), if we stay connected to each other (Heb. 10:24-25), and if we keep our hope in the right place. So Fellowship Church, "preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13).

With love in Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update: September 3, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

It has been a little while since you received one of these letters from me. In some ways that is a good thing. For example, it means we haven’t had any sudden upheavals or changes recently. But there are several things I want to share with you, and so I hope you can take a few minutes to read through this letter.

Looking Back

I was deeply encouraged by our worship gatherings in August. Meeting together in one service, outside in God’s creation has been a joy. My faith was strengthened as I saw 11 people baptized, and heard their stories of how the Holy Spirit saved them. I kept thinking, “this is what it is all about!”

I want to publicly express my gratitude to God for the way so many of you have served our church these past Sundays. People like Chad Martin, Paul Wilfley, Mark Smith, Chris Scrima, and Jaden Scrima have arrived so early to set up the sound system and make it so people can hear the preaching and music from the very back – and at home. Our video has been streamed into many of your homes because of the hard work of people like Lauren Scrima, Trevin and Jessica Farson, Cory Blechinger, Silas Farson, Keegan Hartley, Evan Scrima, and Angeli Hernandez. I am encouraged each week as I see Ray and Lynette Shobe helping us get our bulletins, and when I see the army of volunteers (led by Pastor Tod) setting up easy-ups or chairs – this group includes Jon, Art, Hope, Stacy and Robin, Tayla, Mark, Christina, Lilly, Brian, Francesca, Chasity, Paul Michael, and many more.

If we have eyes to see, Christ’s love for His church is on display each Sunday through all of these members who are using their Spirit-given gifts to serve all of us. We have certainly had a share of disruptions and inconveniences lately. But something I read this week rings true, “The church embodies the life and goodness of Jesus himself as it is constituted by the presence of his Spirit…. The final defining reality of our lives and our church is the potent goodness of Jesus Christ.”

Looking forward

Thank you to all those who filled out the survey we sent to church members a few weeks ago. The information you gave is really helpful as the elder team seeks to pray for and care for Fellowship Church. Please continue to pray for me and the whole elder team as we prayerfully make decisions about how to function faithfully as a church in the months to come.

New Sermon Series

This coming Sunday I will start a new sermon series, titled “Rooted: Foundations for a Fruitful Life.” Over the past 6 months all of us have experienced disruption to our routines and relationships at the same time we have experienced new forms of trial and stress. This is a potentially dangerous combination. Many of the things that helped keep us close to Christ have changed at a time when we desperately need to be feeding on Christ and drawing strength from Him. For the next 4 Sundays we will think biblically and intentionally about ways we can get our lives and hearts firmly rooted in Jesus Christ. We will look at being rooted in the word of Christ, the body of Christ, and the hope of Christ. If you can’t come in person, you can watch the service online at www.fellowshiplife.church.

Groups and classes starting

One of the most important ways we experience Christ’s life-giving grace is through relationships with other Christians. I know relationships have been unusually hard the past 6 months. That means we need to be more intentional than ever. With that in mind, we have a variety of groups and classes starting or re-starting in the coming weeks. You can see group options and sign-up by clicking on this link. Getting involved in one of these groups or classes is a great way to build Christ-centered friendships. There are women’s Bible studies (which start in late September); Richard Niemi is teaching a 10-week Bible study through the book of Galatians that starts next Wednesday; Bryan Lupo is leading a men’s group; you can join the Joy Class (an online senior adult group); and there are several ongoing senior adult and multi-generational small groups to join. There are in-person and online-only options.

One of the options is an online class that is starting Tuesday evening. Chase Porter (a professor at California Baptist University) has recorded 10 lectures, where he teaches through John Bunyan’s classic book: Pilgrim’s Progress. You have the opportunity to learn about the book each week, and then meet on Zoom to discuss that section of the book with Chase. You can sign up for the Pilgrim’s Progress class by clicking here.

I am praying that each of you will experience the goodness of following Christ in relationship with others this fall.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: July 30, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

I am writing to tell you that we are moving our outdoor worship service to 8:30 am, beginning this coming Sunday, August 2nd. Lord willing, this will be our service time for all Sundays in August and September. These are the hottest months of the year, and it is several degrees cooler at 8:30. Starting earlier also enables us to provide shade for more people throughout the entire service. This will make it so there is more shaded space for people to participate.

We have a lot of exciting things happening during our services in August: Lord willing we will see many baptisms, we will welcome and send off mission partners, we will hear from 2 new elder candidates, we will introduce new members, and we will continue to sing and pray and hear God’s word together.

For those streaming the service from home, you can watch the services live at 8:30 am at www.fellowshiplife.church.

Please help spread the word by contacting your friends, or consider sharing our Facebook post with the service time announcement.

Thank you, Fellowship Church, for the way you are honoring God through your love, joy, peace, and patience amidst the many changes we are experiencing.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update: July 23, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

I have missed you. For the past 2 weeks I have been on vacation with my family. We spent most of every day outside, enjoying God’s creation. As I spent time dwelling on what God has made and sustains, I have been reminded of God’s strength, wisdom, creativity, beauty, and constancy. He truly is our Rock, our Light, and our Salvation (Psalm 18:1, Psalm 27:1). I plan to pick up my twice-weekly devotionals starting tomorrow, as I finish walking through A Gospel Primer. You can find those by clicking here.

I am so excited to worship with you all again this Sunday. We will be looking at our unstoppable God in Acts 5:12-42. I hope you will be able to participate, either online or in person.

This Sunday we will again have one, in-person, outdoor service at 9:00 AM. We will also continue to live-stream and post video of our worship service on our website (www.fellowshiplife.church) and on Facebook. It was such a joy to participate online last Sunday, and I look forward to participating in person this week.

You do NOT need to sign up to attend in person. The service will happen on the south side of the “W” building, near the playground, where there is the most shade. We will set up chairs for people, as you arrive, which will allow us to socially distance and use the space most efficiently. For the safety of others, please continue to wear a mask to and from your seat, while singing, and whenever you’re unable to socially distance.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: July 14, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,
 
On Monday, Governor Newsom released new guidelines for several businesses including churches. The guidelines state that worship services can no longer meet in-person indoors at this time. After talking through different options, we are planning to move our Sunday morning worship service outdoors starting this Sunday. You can see more details of this below, along with details for other events including the Prayer Meeting, Youth Group, and Themed Thursday.
 
Sunday Morning Worship Service 
This Sunday, we will have one in-person, outdoor service at 9:00 AM. This service will also be live-streamed for everyone who will continue to participate from home. You do NOT need to sign up to attend in person. The service will happen on the south side of the “W” building, near the playground, where there is the most shade. We will set up chairs for people, as you arrive, which will allow us to socially distance and use the space most efficiently. For the safety of others, please continue to wear a mask to and from your seat, or whenever you’re unable to socially distance, unless you’re hindered from wearing a mask for health reasons.
 
NEED: We need 10-12 easy up tents to use for some of the seating area. If you are willing to let the church borrow your easy up, please call (951-845-2693) or email the church office by Friday at Noon.
 
Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting 
Our prayer meeting will be ONLINE ONLY at 6 PM. You can participate in the prayer meeting by going to our Facebook page or to the website.
 
Youth Group
The youth group will continue to meet outside on Wednesday nights from 6-7 PM. Students and their parents are invited to attend this gathering. Feel free to bring your own lawn chairs or blankets to sit on. Pastor Mike is teaching through the fascinating book of Daniel. For the safety of others, please continue to wear a mask to and from your seat, or whenever you’re unable to socially distance, unless you’re hindered from wearing a mask for health reasons.
 
Themed Thursday
Themed Thursday will move outdoors and meet on the grass outside of the playground area. NEW MEETING TIME: 9:00 AM (so we can enjoy the most shade). Families will again stay together and are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and/or a blanket to sit on. Please sign up here so we can have supplies ready for your family. For the safety of others, please continue to wear a mask to and from your seat, or whenever you’re unable to socially distance, unless you’re hindered from wearing a mask for health reasons.
 
As we continue to make different adjustments during this season, we are grateful that God is walking through this season with us. He is not hindered or limited by human circumstances and we trust that He will continue to lead and provide for our church. We are also so thankful for your flexibility, patience and prayer as we strive to follow Jesus together.
 
In Christ,
The Pastoral Team

Update: July 4, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

Yesterday I saw on the news that Governor Newsom updated the state’s guidelines for religious services. The update added a sentence, “Places of worship must therefore discontinue singing and chanting activities.” Some of you are now wondering if we will stop singing together during our church gatherings.

For now, Fellowship Church is planning to continue our current practice of congregational music and will not discourage you from singing along, as long as you are wearing a mask. If you are not able to wear a mask for health reasons, please do not sing out loud. Let me explain some of the reasons for this decision:

1. No human government has ultimate authority over a local church. Each Christian and church is to “be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). But the Bible makes it clear that our submission to authorities is not absolute (see Acts 4:19 and Acts 5:39). When government orders conflict with God’s clear commands, I believe there must be a compelling reason before I would call on our church to stop doing what God has clearly commanded.

2. In the Bible God commands that we sing to Him and one another. There are 39 direct imperatives calling us to sing, and many more implied commands. God commands us to teach each other the “word of Christ” by “singing psalms and spiritual songs,” and to “address one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16; Eph. 5:19). Beginning in Exodus 15, singing is an important part of the life of God’s covenant people. So for more than 3,000 years, singing (and being expected to sing) has been central to what it means to be God’s people.

3. The Governor's mandate against singing was released right before the July 4th weekend, and was released with little accompanying information or data. We need more time to investigate and explore exactly what the Governor's office is concerned about before I would call the church to stop a practice so central to our relationship with God and each other.

4. Your physical and spiritual health continues to be a primary concern in all decisions we are making as a church. Based on research done by several members of our pastoral team over the past 3 months, I continue to think our current practice of congregational singing does not create a relatively higher risk of transmission. Our current practice is singing 3 songs, with masks on, with 12 feet of distance between family units, with our room filled to just 10% capacity. We have been mitigating the risk of singing through twice the recommended social distancing and the wearing of masks.

5. The Governor’s office is continuing to permit singing and chanting at both indoor and outdoor political protests. The California government’s Covid-19 FAQ page (accessed 10:25 am, 7/4/2020) uses similar language to the church guidelines, but then adds that singing and chanting can continue with masks. Here is what it says: “In particular, activities like chanting, shouting, singing, and group recitation negate the risk-reduction achieved through 6 feet of physical distancing. For this reason, people engaging in these activities should wear face coverings at all times.” Because of this, I am not certain that our current practice of masked singing is even what the Governor’s order is concerned about.

6. We will continue to investigate and evaluate the safety of our practices and the recommendations and data from governmental authorities in the coming weeks. We will make future adjustments when needed in order to honor God and care for the spiritual and physical health of our church and community. 

I want you to have this information and some of the reasoning behind what we will be doing before tomorrow. Please feel free to follow your own conscience in whether you will attend in person and whether you will sing along. We all have been faced with many hard decisions as of late. As your pastor I want to remind you of our need to continue extending grace to those who come to different conclusions than us.
 
In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: July 1, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

To sign up for a Sunday service on July 5, click here. Please continue to reserve your seats for Sunday services. I know it may feel tedious, or may be hard to remember to reserve your seats each week. But by doing so, you help us plan and make sure there is space for everyone who wants to come. We post the link to the Sunday sign up at the website by Tuesday of each week. This week we are planning an 8am, a 9:30 am, and an 11:00 am service. The overflow room will also be open at 9:30 am. If you sign up for the overflow room, please head to the room behind the stage for that service.

As pastors we have spent a lot of time lately planning planning for ministry in the Fall. We normally launch several ministries in August and September. With the uncertainties related to the Corona-virus, making firm plans is more challenging than normal. Please pray God would give us all wisdom and that He would do a great work in and through our church in the coming months.

One event I am excited about will happen, Lord willing, on August 9th. We plan to have our Sunday service outside on the church grounds -- probably in the evening. Currently, outdoor church services are not limited to 100. If it is still permitted in August, meeting outside will allow us to meet in one service in a safe, socially-distanced way. I am most looking forward to celebrating the baptism of several people during that service. If you or someone you know would like to get baptized, please have them talk to one of the pastors -- or fill out a connection card at church or the response form on our website. Like all things in our lives right now, the outside service is not certain to happen, but I thought you might want to at least pencil this special service on your calendar. We will share more information as the date draws near.

You are invited to attend tonight's prayer service, either in person or on our website. Whether you can make it or not, let's be praying for each other.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: June 26, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

We have made three small changes for this coming Sunday that you need to be aware of:

1. We have cancelled Church Nights in the Park. Last week I told you we planned to gather socially at a park on Sunday evenings this summer. At the time I announced that restrictions for outside gatherings had loosened significantly. Then, late last week the Governor of California announced a new mandate for people to wear masks. After reading the details of the new mandate, we do not believe we can have a large social gathering in the park and follow the mandate. Or at least, if we did follow the mandate it wouldn't be much fun. So, we are cancelling the park nights.

What motivated us to schedule the park nights in the first place was our desire to facilitate the building and maintaining of Christ-centered friendships within the church body. We need each other's friendship and encouragement -- now as much as ever. So while we cannot add park nights right now, let me encourage you to keep reaching out and connecting with other people in the church. So maybe that looks like sticking around outside after church to say hi to someone you haven't seen in a few months. Or maybe it looks like inviting a friend over to sit at a distance in your back yard and catch up. Or maybe it looks like praying for one person each day and calling them to ask how they are doing.

2. This Sunday we will be utilizing our overflow room (the choir/youth room behind the auditorium) during the 9:30 am service. We know this is the most popular service time, and that the main room fills up fast. Now you can sign up to worship in the overflow room at 9:30 am -- we have a good screen and good sound in there. The chairs are distanced. You will be able to take the Lord's Supper and sing along with others. You can reserve your seats for the overflow room by clicking here. There are also still seats available in the 8:00 service.

3. For those worshiping from home, we will be streaming the 9:30 am service this week, instead of the 8:00 service. So the service will be available live on our website at 9:30 am, or you can view the recording any time after that.

Finally, I am so much looking forward to communing with Christ and with all of you this Sunday as we celebrate the Lord's Supper together. I am especially thinking of and praying for all of you who are worshiping from home. If you did not have bread and juice delivered to you this week, you can still participate with us from home if you would like. Just prepare some of your own juice and get a cracker or some bread and join in with us. I am praying that each of you will experience the presence and assurance of the Lord as we draw near to Him this Sunday.

Love in Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: June 17, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

I write to you today with some important updates and some encouraging news.  

Update on Sunday gatherings
Click here to sign up for one of the worship services this coming Sunday, June 21st. If this is your first time attending, please scroll to the bottom after clicking on the link to see the guidelines for attending. The environment is very safe. This will be our fourth Sunday meeting this way, and each week I have been so encouraged to hear the voices of those around me and to greet so many of you.

For those who are continuing to worship from home, we are taking steps to improve the online service. Two new cameras have been installed, which will improve the quality of the video. We will also begin using new sound technology in the next few weeks, which will increase both the quality and the consistency of the audio you hear at home.  

Celebrating the Lord’s Supper together
I am happy to announce we are planning to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together as a church on Sunday, June 28th (that is a week and a half away). We will distribute the bread and the cup in a safe way. We have purchased pre-packaged, plastic-wrapped juice and bread that you will pick up from a table on your way into service.

We have held off on observing the Lord’s Supper the past 3 months for one main reason: Jesus told us to take the Lord’s Supper when we come together. God designed the Lord’s Supper, in part, as a visible expression of our union as one body in Christ. We believe that is why 1 Corinthians 11 repeatedly states we are to eat and drink “when you come together.” We have been providentially hindered from coming together, and so we have been waiting to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

However, we are now moving forward with observing the Lord’s Supper on June 28th for the following reasons. It appears we may be scattered among several services and among many homes for many weeks or months to come. We think it may be unwise to abstain from the Lord’s Supper for such a long time. In addition to establishing the Lord’s Supper for the sake of our unity, He also established it for the sake of our faith. We easily forget His grace and so Jesus instructed us to eat and drink together "in remembrance of" Him. So for the sake of our faith we are moving forward with the Lord's Supper in less than ideal circumstances. 

The Lord’s Supper for those at home
Our goal is to do whatever we can to help us experience unity as a church as we participate in the Lord’s Supper. So if you need to worship from home, we are planning to include you in a special way. Normally on a Sunday morning, every believer in the room receives the bread and the cup from someone who is serving them. We are planning to do something similar for each individual or family that needs to worship from home. Next week the pastors and interns and deacons plan to deliver the elements to your home so that you can be ready on Sunday to eat and drink from the same supply of juice and bread that the rest of the church will be using. This will also give us an opportunity to see many of you in person for the first time in a while.

Here is what we need you to do. If you will be worshiping from home on Sunday, June 28th, and would like to participate in the Lord’s Supper, please click here and fill out this form. One of us will then deliver a pre-packaged cup and bread to your door sometime next week. We will do so in a safe and sanitary way, and won’t ask to come inside.

Blessed to be a blessing
The elders have been so encouraged by the way God has continued to provide financially for the ministry and mission of Fellowship Church. Thank you for your faithful giving these past few months. Year to date, gifts to the general offering have surpassed what we had budgeted. We have even been able to make some special gifts because of the generosity of the members Fellowship Church. Here are several gifts that I think you will be encouraged to hear about.

• In the midst of the quarantine, a family in our church gave a one-time gift of $100,000 toward paying down the principal on our building’s mortgage. This is a major blessing from God as we continue to try to pay off our mortgage as soon as possible.

• In April we sent $5,000 from our missions designated fund to a network of churches in Uganda to help them feed 128 families who were starving because they had been forced to stay in their homes during the Coronavirus.

• In May we sent $10,000 to Iglesia Casa de Luz (Lighthouse Church), a Spanish speaking church in Banning, where Pastor Erick Bonilla pastors. We have been friends with this church for several years. We discovered that the Coronavirus lockdowns put many of their members out of work and reduced their giving dramatically. They had been unable to pay their staff salaries for more than 2 months.

• In June we sent a $4,000 gift from missions designated to Iglesia Evangélica de la Gracia (Grace Evangelical Church) in Barcelona, Spain. This gift was to help them with a down payment, so they can purchase their church building. Pastor Jesse has ministered at this like-minded church, and we were excited to be able to support them.

• In May the elders approved spending more than $20,000 for the purchase of new video and audio equipment for the W building. This will enable us to improve the video and audio quality of our online services in the coming weeks.

• All of these are special one-time gifts, over and above the regular, planned spending and giving we do as a church to advance the gospel, support our mission partners, train future leaders, pay more than 20 full and part-time staff, maintain our buildings, and continue our ministries.

Summer park nights
One last thing. The guidelines for our county and for churches were recently modified to allow more freedom in outdoor gatherings. So we are planning informal park gatherings, beginning Sunday, June 28th, at 6pm. We will meet at Wildwood Canon Park (36699 Wildwood Canyon Rd, Yucaipa, CA 92399). The entire church family is invited to bring your own chairs and enjoy spending time together. We are encouraging everyone to follow government recommendations of 6-foot distancing, we are asking that nobody bring food to share, and we will have a couple of hand-sanitizing stations there for people to use.

Let’s continue praying for each other and asking God to empower us to glorify Him in all the different situations we find ourselves this month.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update: June 1, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

Yesterday, we held our first in-person worship services in a long time. About 300 people came (100 in each of the 3 services).

Reflections on yesterday
I was encouraged. I was encouraged to see many that I have missed. I so much enjoyed hearing other voices sing. For having only 100 people in the room and wearing masks, the congregation was surprisingly loud. I was encouraged to hear from so many how happy it made you to be back with part of the church.

It felt super safe. Pastor Tod did a great job studying the recommendations from the national CDC and the California Health Department, and developing a plan in which everyone could feel safe. The many volunteers made the morning run smoothly.

It is a little uncomfortable singing with masks on. I experienced it as I sang hard in all 3 services - though I began to figure it out. I heard from several of you who had a similar experience. Even though it was different, it felt so good to sing along with many of you.

I am grateful to God, but longing for more. I know many of you still need to stay at home for the sake of your health or the health of someone you love. I do not want you to feel bad for not being there, but I do want you to know you are missed. Parts of the body are beginning to gather in person, but I am praying for the day when the entire church assembles again.

Adjustments for next week
Overall, things went smoothly this Sunday. We are making 3 adjustments for this next week:

1. People over 3 years old should wear a mask inside the building. However, next week you are invited to remove your mask during the sermon (after singing) if you wish. Our seats are distant enough that masks are not recommended when we are not singing. Also, remember that you don’t have to wear a mask at all if a health condition prevents it.

2. If you would like to fellowship after the service, we are asking people to move your conversations to the south side of the building (under the big trees). This will reduce cross-traffic between services.

3. We learned that our cleaning team can disinfect the chairs quickly, so we are moving services closer together: 8am, 9:30 am, and 11 am. We are also adding a fourth service at 12:15 pm.

We will continue to make adjustments as we go. Thank you for being patient and flexible.

Register for Sunday service and Wednesday prayer meeting

Please click here to reserve your seats for one of the Sunday services on June 7. We need everyone who is coming to reserve seats, so that we have enough space and stay under 100 in attendance.

If you would like to attend Wednesday’s prayer meeting in person, please register by clicking here. The prayer meeting will still be streamed online at the website and on Facebook. We are going to spend most of the evening praying for the crisis our nation is in.

My prayer for you
These are hard and confusing times. We are now walking through a national crisis involving racism, murder, anger, rioting, fear, violence, and looting. The depravity we witnessed in the murder of George Floyd is now followed by cities ravaged by sins of all kinds. Many of our neighbors are filled with anger and fear -- we need to keep praying for them. Our government officials are facing this crisis amidst the fatigue of a 12-week health and economic crisis that is still ongoing -- we need to keep praying for them. Law enforcement officers are facing extremely stressful and dangerous situations – we need to pray for them, including the officers in our church. These are dark days. I know you are facing these days in different ways and with different temptations. I so wish I could sit down and spend an hour talking with each of you individually. I can’t. But I know the Holy Spirit is with you. I know that the darkness will not win. And I know the darkness cannot stop God’s light from shining through. So here is my daily prayer for Fellowship Church, including each one of you:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13) Let's keep praying for each other, and doing the good God has put before us.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: May 26, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

I have some good news! Lord willing, we will have in-person worship services this Sunday, May 31st. It is important that you read this entire email so that you have all the information you need. Yesterday the California Department of Health released guidelines for religious gatherings that will be in place for the next 3 Sundays. We have carefully read the guidelines and have a plan as we regather starting this coming Sunday.

Reserve seats for a service
The health guidelines limit group size to 100 people. Normally we have around 600 people in the room on a Sunday morning. In order to accommodate everyone who wants to worship in person, we will hold multiple services. As of right now we have scheduled services at 8am, 10am, and noon. We will add more services as needed. Doors will open 15 minutes before each service.

Please click here to reserve your seats for one of the Sunday services. We need everyone who is coming to reserve seats, so that we have enough space and stay under 100 in attendance. Please do so soon, so that we can add additional services if needed. Pastor Jesse is communicating with the Spanish Ministry, which plans to begin meeting again as well.

Please refrain from attending if you are showing any symptoms of COVID-19, such as a cough, fever, difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, recent loss of smell or taste, or if you or someone you live with has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

What will the services be like? 
We will do the same things we do every time we gather: we will sing together (probably 3 or 4 songs), we will pray together, and we will open up God’s word and hear from Him. But the experience will feel different in some ways.

No donuts or coffee…. Yet.

The service will be shorter than normal: about 45 minutes long, with a 20 minute sermon. The shorter length will enable us to have more services, will provide more time to clean and sanitize between services, and will serve families with children.

We will not have nursery or children’s church for any of the services. Parents, we would love it if you would bring your children/toddlers/babies and participate in worship together.

The W building will not be filled with the buzz of conversations and fellowship as before. Normally this is one of my favorite parts of being at church. But to mitigate the possibility of transmitting a virus, we are asking everyone to go to their seats when they enter the building, and to keep their socially distanced conversations and catching up outdoors.

Will it be safe?
While the glory of God is our highest aim and while your spiritual health and growth is our primary concern, we love you and want to protect your physical health as well as the health of our community.  

With only 100 people in a room that can hold more than 1000, there will be plenty of physical distance between you and other households. You will be able to walk to your seat and exit without touching anything.

Everyone over the age of 3 is required to wear a mask inside the building, except while leading from the platform.

All common touch points, including chairs, will be sanitized between each service. We will send out a detailed list of precautions we are taking later this week. But we are striving to be wise and cautious as we begin to regather. 

What about those who stay home? 
We understand that some will stay home because you are at higher risk during this pandemic, or because you believe it is unwise to begin gathering with others at this point. We want you to be able to participate in worship from your home. We plan to livestream the 8am service at our website (www.fellowshiplife.church), and then the service recording will be posted at the website for the rest of the day.   

If you plan to stay home please still fill out the form and click on the option “I plan to participate online.” As pastors, we would love to be able to pray for those who need to continue sheltering at home in the coming weeks.

What about other ministries? 
As I said above, children’s ministries are still on hold.

We are planning to open up our Wednesday evening prayer meeting (6 pm) to 100 people starting next week, June 3rd (not this week). We will send a link to reserve your spot later this week. The prayer meeting will still be live-streamed online.

The Youth Group is planning to gather again, Lord willing, next Wednesday, June 3rd (not this week), outside on the lawn from 6 – 7 pm.

Pastor Jeff is communicating with small group leaders about next steps for small groups. So it may take a week or two, but you will likely hear from your small group leader soon.

As I’m sure you know by now, flexibility will continue to be important as things change and as we figure out what is best for the church in the weeks to come. I am excited to be taking these next steps, and look forward to seeing many of you this weekend.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update: May 22, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,
I hope and pray that you are experiencing God’s sustaining grace and presence.

On Tuesday afternoon we had an elder meeting. We prayed and discussed several things, including our overall strategy for re-gathering as a church. At our church’s online prayer meeting Wednesday evening, I took 10 minutes to summarize our thinking and plan for regathering. You can view my summary by clicking here.

We are not planning to regather on May 31st. We believe it is wise to wait until we receive guidelines from state and local government before resuming in-person meetings. While we know faithfulness to Christ sometimes requires civil disobedience, the elders are in unanimous agreement that right now is not one of those times. We think that continuing to follow government health guidelines right now is best for our witness to our neighbors (see 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and 1 Peter 2:13-17), and good for the health of our church and community. In addition, we are encouraged by recent indications that the state of California may begin loosening guidelines for church gatherings during the first half of June.

Our task as elders is to listen to God’s word and to faithfully submit to what He says in His word. Leaders in other churches must do the same. Though churches and Christians may come to different conclusions, I am grateful that our unity is grounded in the Lordship and gospel of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 4:1-6). So let’s be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

It is possible that small group gatherings will take place before we start holding services in the Worship Center again. We are not sure. But we are making plans and taking steps so that we will be ready to gather on Sundays in our Worship Center as soon as we are able. Pastor Tod is leading the facility staff in a detailed plan to make our gatherings as safe as possible. With that said, we recognize there are some members who will not feel comfortable attending at first. With them in mind, we are purchasing new camera equipment and technology, which will enable us to livestream our worship services. Our goal is that those who need to stay at home will be able to participate online at the same time we are gathered in the church building.

But like I said above, to see my full summary watch the video found here. We will communicate more details once we have them and once we have identified a date for regathering.

Resources for your growth
During the past 2 months the other pastors and I have focused on the two main things God has called pastors to focus on: praying and the ministry of the word. During this long separation from each other, we need to be intentional if we are going to continue being fed by God’s word. I hope you will continue joining us for Sunday morning services online. In addition, you can keep up on our daily devotionals by clicking on this link. Lacking the weekly, God-ordained rhythm of Sunday gatherings, it would be easy to drift away from other important spiritual habits. Please take steps to engage with God through the Bible and prayer. To find most of our resources in one place, visit our Online Ministry Page.

In addition to online resources, we have a resource center filled with real, physical books. These are books that we recommend for your spiritual growth. You can click here to see a list of everything at our Resource Center. If you would like to purchase and read one of the books on the list, email brianna@fellowshiplife.church, or call the church office, and she will arrange to get the book to you. Also, please note that our church office is now open Mondays – Fridays, 8 am – noon.

“Let us not grow weary”

If you are like me, you might be feeling a bit weary after 10 weeks living in a very unusual way. I want to encourage us – I actually want to let God encourage us – to keep doing good and not give up. In Galatians 6:9-10 the Holy Spirit exhorts us, “Let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Parents, you may not see much fruit right now, but our investment of love and instruction and discipline will bear fruit, if we do not give up. Small group leaders and members – I know that Zoom small groups, or another round of phone calls could start to feel burdensome. But don’t grow weary of doing good. In due season, all of our care and listening and leading will bear fruit, if we do not give up. Friends, I know you want to serve in the ways you are used to serving, and it may feel like you aren’t able to do much good. But God is never quarantined, and He hears every prayer of faith. Keep praying, and in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

“So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10).

With much love in Christ,
Pastor Mark
 

Update: May 12, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

As I have talked with some of you the past week or two, it is clear that a question on all of our minds is:

“When will we gather again?” 
One thing we know is that we are eager to be able to worship together again. The past two months, I believe, have reinforced the truth of God’s word. It is not good for man to be alone (Genesis 2:18). We need encouragement every day (Hebrews 3:13), and so it is vital that we meet and encourage each other regularly (Hebrews 10:24-25).  One of the main means God has given us for being filled with the Spirit is “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:18-19).

I am grateful that God is sustaining us in this time when many important means of grace have been temporarily withheld. But this is far from ideal, and we should not expect to feel the same.

I say all of this for a couple of reasons. First, I think it is important to acknowledge that we are lacking something right now. You are likely feeling the effects in your soul. That feeling is understandable. If you are depressed or lonely or angry, please reach out to someone – a friend or a pastor. Second, one of the common results of trial and loss is to increase our gratitude for what we lost when it is restored to us. When we return to gathered worship, and in-person small groups, and long talks over coffee and the Bible, and personal visits, and in-person prayer meetings – my prayer is that we will cherish and treasure those opportunities like never before.

But back to our original question: “when will we gather again?” This is a question that is on the forefront of our minds as pastors and elders. We are making plans for how we will gather when we are able. We are praying about when and how this should take place. Our elder team is meeting next Tuesdsay, May 19th, to discuss the way forward. After that meeting I will have more information for you. We might not have a specific date set, but we should have an overall plan to share with the church. For now, I would encourage you to do 3 things:

1. Pray for the elders. We are not making these decisions in a vacuum. There is much for us as to consider, including Romans 13 and our responsibility to governing authorities, Hebrews 10:24-25 and our responsibility to encourage one another and gather to do so, the God glorifying goal of living quiet and peaceful lives for the sake of the gospel’s spread (1 Timothy 2:1-5), Old Testament models (people like Daniel and Nehemiah) of how to live as faithful witnesses in a secular/pagan society, and much more. In addition, we need to weigh how best to care for the whole church's physical and spiritual health, as well as our overall unity and witness to the community. With that said, I am filled with faith that God will lead us to God-honoring decisions and steps in the days ahead as you pray along with us.
    

2. Adjust your expectations for when we regather. As I’m sure you already know, church will not look exactly the same when we gather again. Chairs will likely be spread out, handshakes and hugs will likely be discouraged, we may be wearing masks, and more. I believe it will be a joyful reunion, but things probably won’t get back to “normal” for quite a while. It would probably be helpful for us to begin adjusting our expectations now, so we aren’t disappointed when that day comes.
    

3. As always, let’s be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit” by “bearing with another in love” (Ephesians 4:2-3). It is not surprising that people will have different opinions about how bad this virus is, and how governments, churches, and individuals should respond. These differences, though not surprising, could cause conflict and disunity if we let them. Let’s remember that our unity is in Jesus Christ, not in having uniform convictions on Pandemic response. If we remember that, I think it will be easy for us to continue in the same God-honoring kindness and respect that has marked our church the past 2 months.

Please continue to take the opportunity to benefit from weekly and daily ministries of the church.

• You can keep up on all latest, including from our youth, children’s, music, and women’s ministries, at our Online Ministry Page.

• Women – please check out the updated Women’s Ministry page for access to free Bible studies, and other suggested resources. We may also make additional devotionals available in the near future.

• Join the Prayer Meeting on Wednesdays at 6pm, by going to https://www.facebook.com/FellowshipChurchBeaumont/

• You can keep up on daily devotionals from the pastors by clicking on this link. To see the latest devotional, scroll to the bottom.

• As always, if you would like prayer or need help you can call the church office or email office@fellowshiplife.church.

Blessings on you and your home.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: may 6, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,
 
This past Sunday we started a new sermon series in the book of Acts. I hope you have had the opportunity to watch and participate in the service at our website. Every time we start a new book or series I am looking forward to it. But this time, it feels a little different. I am full of anticipation and excitement about what God will say to us, and what He will do among us and through us in the coming weeks. As I have immersed myself in the first chapter of Acts, I am struck by two things:
 

1. God’s goodness to us. Jesus came to die for us and conquer sin and death (1:1). Then Jesus prepared the foundation of the church, appointing the Apostles and teaching them what was needed (Acts 1:2-3). He then sent the Holy Spirit so that He could be with us (1:5), so we could experience an intimate relationship with God, and so He could empower us to live lives that matter in this world (1:8). To have forgiveness through Christ’s death, eternal life through His resurrection, a family in His church, and intimacy with God through His Holy Spirit – I am overwhelmed at God’s goodness to us. You may be tempted to doubt God’s goodness because of how things have been going in your life or our world lately. But remember, what we do have through Christ and because of His presence with us, is infinitely greater than anything we don’t have right now.
    

2. I am also struck by God’s determination to spread His grace and goodness through us. In Acts 1:8 Jesus said, “you will be my witnesses.” What have we witnessed? The love of God and the grace of Jesus Christ in the Bible and in our own lives. At God’s right hand is fullness of joy and at His right are pleasures evermore (Psalm 16:8). We are those who have tasted that joy and experienced some of those pleasures. Therefore, we are the ones He sends out to bear witness to His goodness and grace. And He gives us His Holy Spirit – Himself – to empower us to point people to His goodness. As we are filled up by Him, He empowers us to tell people about Him.

 
I recognize we don’t always feel very full. And we sometimes are timid about telling of His grace. I get that. But what I have been struck by is not how good we are at all of this, but by how good God is and how determined He is to make His goodness known. Because of God’s goodness and God’s determination I believe God is fully willing to transform us in the coming days. So…..
 
Let’s draw near to God through prayer and meditation on the Bible.  
 
And let’s pray for God to make us witnesses. I encourage you to pray for opportunities to share about Jesus, for boldness in your witness, and for specific people that God has put in your life. These are prayers God will answer.
 
Acts Series
Even though we aren’t gathering in person, you can still invite people to “attend” the worship service. In fact, it might be easier than ever right now, since people can watch the service from their homes. Just send them an invite through text or email with our church’s web address: www.fellowshiplife.church. Every sermon in this series, Lord willing, will include a clear explanation of the gospel.
 
If you want to get an Acts journal to take notes and journal along, you can order an Acts Journal by clicking on this link.

You can find the commentary I referenced in my first sermon by going here.
 
Daily Devotionals
To find a list of all our devotionals, click on this link, and scroll to the bottom for the latest.

Church 101 Sign Ups
We are planning to hold an online Church 101 class on May 12th, from 6 – 8:15 pm. This is designed especially for people who are new to Fellowship Church, and it is a part of our membership process. You can sign up for the class at this link. Please pass the word to people who are new to the church who may not know about. This would also be a great thing for our current members to attend online – especially if you haven’t gone to Church 101 in a few years. If you sign up, we will send you a link to participate in the class.

In Christ,
 
Pastor Mark

Update: April 29, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

I hope this email is received by you as you are walking with Jesus and experiencing His grace and power. In this email I will first mention some details on some things, and then share what I am most excited about right now.  

When will we gather again?
This is a question I have heard from more of you lately, and it is a question the pastors and elders have been discussing with increasing frequency lately. The shortest answer is, “we don’t know.” But here is a longer answer: we want to be ready to meet together as soon as we can. We fully expect that our first Sunday back together won’t be like our last time together. We will likely have to maintain increased social-distancing, and  wear cloth masks. It is likely we will need to have a lot less people in a room than we are used to. We may need to meet in multiple rooms at the same time, and have multiple services in order to accommodate everyone in a way that follows the public health guidelines. So while we pray for God to open the door for us to gather soon, we are preparing. We are also considering how children’s ministry, small groups, and other ministries (including VBS) will be affected. We want to be ready in every way possible to worship together when it is wise to do so. And I want you to know we are giving attention to these things, and will communicate with you as our plans become solidified and as a date draws near.

Daily Devotionals
I hope you are logging on and participating in our daily devotional Bible studies that I and the other pastors are posting each week day. With no Core Courses, and no women’s or men’s meetings occurring, this is one way that we can minister the word in a regular way. To find a list of all the devotionals, click on this link, and scroll to the bottom for the latest.

A Gospel Primer
In my daily devotions, on Mondays, Wednesday, and Friday, I am walking through Milton Vincent’s book, A Gospel Primer for Christians. If you want to purchase a book or an e-book, you can find it by clicking this link.

Church 101 and you?
We are planning to hold an online Church 101 class on May 12th, from 6 – 8:00 pm. As you know, this class is a required part of our membership process. But this would also be a great thing for our current members to attend online – especially if you haven’t gone to Church 101 in a few years. Pastor Jeff and I teach it, and it would be a great refresher for all of us on what God has called Fellowship Church to be and do. You can sign up for the class at this link. If you sign up, we will send you a link to participate in the class.

The thing I’m most excited about!
This Sunday, Lord willing, I will start preaching through the book of Acts. I have been drawn to this book regularly over the last few months. I was planning to start preaching through it even before the pandemic. As we have spent 6 weeks mainly in our homes and secluded from the rest of the world, I have become even more eager to preach from Acts. In this book, God calls His church to be His witnesses and to go! “Go?” you might ask. We can’t go, right? Well, I think God is still able to give us opportunities to witness for him during this physical distancing. I am also praying that God will use the book of Acts to have us raring to GO as His witnesses, once we are released from our homes.

If you want to get an Acts journal to take notes and journal along (like many did with Proverbs), you can order an Acts Journal by clicking on this link.

May the Lord bless you and shine His face upon you, so that you can be a blessing to others.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: April 21, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

I hope this email finds you enjoying the grace and peace of Jesus in your home. I suppose it goes without saying that I miss seeing you and worshiping with you, but I will say it anyway: I miss seeing you. I miss a lot of things. But I have found it doesn’t help my soul all that much to list all the things I miss. So instead, I am going to list some of the things I am thankful for.

• I am thankful for all the ways I see our church members serving and helping: I see and hear of you stocking the food pantry with food, delivering food to each other, sewing and donating face masks to people inside and outside the church, calling and encouraging each other, praying, helping to keep hospitals functioning, driving trucks full of deliveries, caring for the employees you supervise or employ, teaching your students online, resourcing parents who are teaching their kids, giving to the church and to people in need, organizing and/or participating in drive-by birthday parties, leading and participating in online small groups, praying faithfully, delivering sermon DVD’s, delivering toilet paper, sharing the gospel with friends and neighbors, and much more.

• I am thankful for the technology we have and the way it is enabling us to sing “together” and receive God’s word. I am thankful for Zoom, which allows some of our small groups to meet, and Facebook Live which enables us to pray together as a church, and for YouTube live which enables our youth to connect.

• I am thankful for Trevin Farson who is running our video and livestreaming and a lot more. I am thankful for Chris Scrima and Chad Martin who are running sound, and for Angeli Hernandez and Paul Wilfley who are helping with the computer slides for the worship service.

• I am thankful for our mission partners who are continuing to find innovative ways to share the gospel and make disciples in this time. The Shehata’s in Spain and the Sheckler’s in England and the McNamee’s in Cherry Valley (but ministering to people in Ukraine) are being used by God and are so encouraging to me.

• I am thankful that even when we are alone, the Lord promises to stand by us (2 Timothy 4:17; Matthew 28:20). I have been holding on to this promise as I talk on the phone with members who are in the hospital, and who can’t receive visitors.

• I am thankful that it is springtime, and that the sun is coming out.

• I am thankful for all the encouragement I have received from this wonderful church.

• I am thankful for our pastors and staff, who continue to serve and build up the church in innovative ways. I am thankful for Maria who is answering the church phone on her cell phone each day, and for Brianna who is organizing all of our church prayer and mail (and they are both doing plenty more), and for Jessica Farson who is leading the Food Pantry since I asked Diane to stay home with Gary for the sake of their health.

• I am thankful for our small group leaders who continue to pray and care for their groups.

• I am thankful for our deacons and their wives who are praying and caring for many of our church’s widows and shut-ins. I am also thankful for our caregiver ministry.

• I am thankful for the Bible that is always alive with God’s power, but that has seemed to come alive in special ways during these trials.

• I am thankful that I have a church like Fellowship Church, that I deeply miss and long to be together with, when we are unable to meet.

• I am thankful for you.

Daily Devotionals
Last week we only posted 3 daily devotionals, but are planning to post each weekday from now on. You can find all the devotional videos on this page. On Tuesdays and Thursdays other pastors will post devotionals. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays I have begun walking through Milton Vincent’s book, A Gospel Primer. I hope you will join me. And if you want to read along in the book, you can order a paperback copy or an e-version on Amazon.

Praying for Muslims
Two of our mission partners (the Sheckler’s and Shehata’s) spend most of their time sharing the gospel with Muslims, and discipling former Muslims. Friday marks the beginning of Ramadan in the Muslim world. It is the 9th month of the Islamic lunar calendar and is considered the holiest month of the year for Muslims. Ramadan is one of the 5 Pillars of the Islamic faith, which requires all Muslims who are physically able to fast each day of the month, from sunrise to sunset.

This is a good time for us to spend focused time each day praying for Muslims, that they will experience God’s grace. For a brief article with ideas on how to pray, go here. For a daily prayer guide see https://www.30daysprayer.com/. You can either purchase a hard-copy guide, or visit the page each day for new prayer themes.

Prayer Meeting
Don’t forget to join us for our weekly prayer meeting this Wednesday at 6pm on our church’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FellowshipChurchBeaumont/. Lord willing, this week we will hear from Marshall and Jill Lewis in Canada, and we will also get an update on the Spanish-language ministry from Pastor Jesse.

Singing with the Church
One of the things I miss the most about not gathering on Sundays is the singing. As I stand in the empty room while we record the worship service, I look around room and imagine you standing where you normally stand to sing. That experience can’t be replicated, but Pastor Jeff and our music team is producing a couple of Spotify lists, so you can sing the gospel-rich songs we normally sing together on Sundays:

Sunday song list – This list is updated each Thursday for the coming week.
Fellowship’s Song List – This list has most all the songs we sing on Sundays.

Meeting Needs
As always, but especially in this season, if you are experiencing financial stress or hardship, please reach out to us. The church is here for you to pray, and counsel, and to help meet financial needs in our church family through our Benevolence Fund. You can contact any pastor you would like – Pastor Tod oversees our benevolence ministry (tod@fellowshiplife.church).

Also – we continue to serve our community by providing food through our Food Pantry. If you would like, you can donate eggs, canned goods, or pancake mix, by dropping it off at the Food Pantry (east side of A building) 9:00 – 11:30 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays.

If you need help or prayer in any way, please call the church (951-845-2693) or email office@fellowshiplife.church.

Blessings on you and your house,
 
Pastor Mark

Update: April 7, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

We are now well into our fourth week of physical isolation as a church. I continue to be encouraged as I hear how you are loving one another. Our church values deep, Christ-centered relationships. We are committed to loving and serving one another because the Bible calls us to these things, and because Christ died in order to unite us with God AND with each other (see Ephesians 2:14-22). Your commitment to Christ, which expresses itself in a commitment to each other, has been so evident over the past 3 weeks. I am praying that God will continue to be glorified among us as we care for each other in intentional, practical, and sacrificial ways.

Good Friday and Communion
These past weeks have also been marked by longing. We are longing for many of the things that we have temporarily lost, including the blessing of meeting together. This week we will not gather in person for our Good Friday service. We will post a short service online on Friday, and I encourage you to participate as we remember the death of Christ on our behalf. For the first Good Friday in many years, we will not take the Lord’s Supper. Communion reminds us of the death of Christ and points us forward to the wedding supper of the Lamb. But the Lord’s Supper is also designed by God to help us visualize our unity as the body of Christ. As the Apostle Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 10:17, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” I believe this is why in 1 Corinthians 11 Paul says churches are to take the Supper “when you come together.” In fact, this phrase shows up 5 times between 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. Since we are providentially hindered from coming together for now, we will wait on Communion as well. As we wait, let us long for the Sunday we gather to celebrate the Lord's Supper again. But let us long even more for The Day when we will feast in the physical presence of our Savior.

Easter Sunday and Invitations
These weeks have also been marked by loving witness for Jesus. God has been bringing us many opportunities to share the reason for the hope we have. This coming Sunday is Resurrection Sunday. I can't imagine a better day to share our hope in Christ. Let’s be praying that many will watch the worship service, will hear the gospel, and will trust in Jesus. You can use the e-invite I have attached to this email to invite your friends, or you can share the invitation we have posted on our Facebook page.

Resources for Holy Week
Here are a few resources to help you dwell on Christ’s death and resurrection this week:

• “Holy Week in Real Time” breaks down what was happening each day of Holy Week.

• I am posting a devotional each day that focuses on the last week of Jesus’ life. You can find them on Fellowship’s Facebook page, or YouTube page.

• Join us for our Good Friday service, which will be posted at our website and Facebook page at 6pm on Friday evening.

• Listen to this new song, that we will be singing on Good Friday and Easter Sunday: “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death.”

• Here is a song I asked Wes Schaeffer to record to help us dwell on the cross of Christ this week: “There Is a Fountain”

• Get ready to sing along on Easter Sunday, by listening to this Spotify playlist of this Sunday’s songs.

Weekly Rhythm

I hope you are picking up on our weekly rhythm of online ministry.

• Online Prayer Meeting at 6pm on Wednesdays – Go to our church’s Facebook page. This week we will hear from the K. Family (Kevin and Keri Sheckler) in England.

• Sunday worship service is posted at www.fellowshiplife.church.

• For other resources, including our Youth and Children’s ministries, daily devotionals and more, see our Online Ministry Center.

Need Help? Want to Help?
As always, if you need help with something or prayer for anything, please reach out by calling the church office or emailing office@fellowshiplife.church. And finally, if you are willing to serve, please email us so that we can add your name to the list. We continue to need people to help other members shop and to staff our Food Pantry.

In Christ,

Pastor Mark

Update: March 31, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

We have now entered week 3 of this unprecedented period of social isolation. It appears this will last through the month of April. That means we will not be able to gather as a church for several weeks, including on Resurrection Sunday. This is a trial for us as individuals and for us as a church. Our gathering together is an important means God uses to build us up. Gathering reminds us we are not alone, and God uses our gatherings to spur us on through the physical presence and verbal encouragement of our brothers and sisters in Christ. With this important means of grace missing in our lives, I want to encourage you: you are not alone. We are in this together, even as we are apart. God is with you, yes, but your church family is also with you in spirit (see Colossians 2:5 and 1 Cor. 5:3).  

Here is some encouragement:

1. Over the past 3 Sundays, our online services have been viewed an average of 650 times per week. This means that even though we aren’t together, most every member in the church (plus a lot more people) are studying God’s word together, singing the same songs, and praying for each other. You are not alone.
    

2. You all are caring for each other so well. I have heard of dozens of instances of phone calls being made, shopping being done, Zoom calls being figured out, milk and toilet paper being shared, and more. You are not alone. And if you feel alone, then reach out and there are people eager to help or talk. You are not alone.
    

3. Since we are in our third week of social distancing, and have at least 3 more weeks to go, we need endurance. I have been meditating on James 1:12 – “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” Remain steadfast. God is going to give you a glorious, unending, imperishable, unfading, beautiful, eternal life. For those in Christ, we have an infinite quality and quantity of things to look forward to. God will bless you, but you are blessed now as you endure and remain steadfast in this trial. You are not alone.

Here is a way to help: 
We are planning to put together a video for our online Resurrection Sunday service. We need some of you to help us by recording and emailing us a brief video of you or you and your spouse or family. Here is what we need:

- You can record the video on your computer or smartphone. Make sure your phone is horizontal, not vertical.

- Start the video by introducing yourself or yourselves. Say, "I am ______," Or "We are ______."  So I would say, "I am Mark Rogers," or "We are the Rogers Family." Or “We are Mark and Stephanie Rogers.”

- Then answer the following questions with a very brief (ideally one sentence) answer.

1. What do you miss about gathering with Fellowship Church?
2. Why are you grateful for the resurrection of Christ?
3. What is a way God has been taking care of you during this period of social distance?

Once you have recorded the video, please email it to office@fellowshiplife.church. We need videos emailed to us by the end of Thursday this week. If you don’t know how to do this, don’t worry about it.

Ongoing resources:

If you aren’t able to access the online worship service please let us know. Or if you know of someone in the church who doesn’t have online access to the service and this email, please let us know. Email office@fellowshiplife.church. Some people are working on expanding access to the whole church body.

I am continuing to post daily devotionals online. You can find all of them by going to this webpage.

You can keep up with all of our online resources here.

And you can view our online prayer meeting Wednesday at 6pm, here. This week we will hear from and pray for Conor and Koren McNamee, our mission partners who serve in Ukraine.

Grace and peace to you,
Pastor Mark

Update: March 24, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

I pray that you are experiencing God’s grace and strength in all the particular ways you need this week. I am writing to give you a few updates as a church family. As you know, we have not met to worship together the past two Sundays. Our Sunday services and other in-person ministries are cancelled until further notice.

Office closed but phones open

Our church office is now closed to walk-in traffic, due to California’s latest restrictions. Our phones are still open, the pastors are working, and we are checking the mail daily. If you need anything or have any questions, call 951-845-2693.

Resources for your encouragement

The last two weeks have been filled with surprises and adjustments. Now is a good time for us to think through some new routines and goals in order to grow in Christ and serve others.

As a church we are working to develop resources to encourage you and help you grow in the Lord. You can find the latest resources at https://www.fellowshiplife.church/fellowship-online. This page includes the latest videos from multiple ministries, updates, and recommended readings.

Yesterday I began posting daily devotional videos, as I walk through James 1 this week. You can catch up on all the videos by going to this website. You also may want to consider memorizing James 1 (or part of it) with me.

If you are looking for helpful articles, books, or podcasts to set your mind on God’s truth, here are a couple of recommendations:

Crossway Books – This outstanding publisher has made several of their e-books available for free (all are 75% off), along with a bunch of free and timely articles and interviews.

Ligonier Ministries – This excellent ministry has made all of their teaching series available to stream for free until March 31. Watching R. C. Sproul teach on The Holiness of God, or Stephen Lawson teach on the Attributes of God, or Mark Dever teach on Marks of a Healthy Church, would be a great use of your time.  

Helping each other

So many of our members have volunteered to help out. So if you would like someone to go grocery shopping or run an errand for you there are lots of people who would like to help. There really is no need for anyone in bad health or who should be staying in their home to go out. Just email office@fellowshiplife.church, or call the church office at 951-845-2693. We will put you in touch with someone who is eager to help right away.
If you need help with using your computer or phone to watch a service or see the prayer meeting, please email us and a member who knows about these things (not me) will call you to help.

Need Toilet Paper? (aren’t you glad you kept reading!)

If you are a senior adult and need toilet paper, we can deliver some for free to your house “while supplies last.” Again, just email office@fellowshiplife.church.

Pray

We will have our weekly online prayer meeting Wednesday at 6pm. To participate go to https://www.facebook.com/FellowshipChurchBeaumont/.

Give
You can continue supporting our mission as a church by giving in one of these ways:

• Online: click the “GIVE” button on our website, or click on this link

• Text: “fellowshipgive" to 77977.

• Mail: Fellowship Church, 650 Oak Valley Parkway, Beaumont, CA 92223

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me personally or contact the office if you need prayer, become sick, or need counsel or encouragement.

In Christ,
Pastor Mark

Update: March 17, 2020

Dear Church,

I am praying that you are experiencing God’s nearness and peace as we all adjust to a lot of change. I so missed gathering with you all on Sunday morning. At the same time, I was deeply encouraged to be worshiping along with you through our online service. So far, more than 460 homes have engaged with the online worship service in English, and more than 100 homes have participated in the Spanish service. We plan to post English and Spanish services online by 10:30 am each Sunday until we can meet in person again. Based on new mandates from the County Health Officer, we have cancelled all in-person services and gatherings until further notice.

This week the pastors have been thinking through how to shepherd the church and help the church continue our mission and ministry amidst these new circumstances. Please take a few minutes to read this letter. There is something that each of us can do. I am confident that God will provide what we need to accomplish His will for us in this season.

PRAY
Let’s be praying for each other. In addition to the prayer being coordinated by small groups we are going to encourage and coordinate prayer in 2 ways.

First, please email any prayer needs you have to office@fellowshiplife.church (don’t type .com, or .org. The ending is .church). We will be sending out a prayer list to the entire membership once or twice per week. When you receive the list, please spend time praying for the needs listed.  

Second, this Wednesday at 6pm we will have an Online Prayer Meeting. If you are wondering, “what is an online prayer meeting,” then get on our church Facebook page at 6pm on Wednesday (https://www.facebook.com/FellowshipChurchBeaumont/) and find out. Using Facebook Live, I and another pastor or two will lead us through 30-40 minutes of praying for our nation, our world, and each other. Just grab your Bible and jump on Facebook Wednesday night (March 18), and let’s pray together. You don't have to have a Facebook account to watch Facebook Live (you can click on "not now," if it tries to get you to set up an account).

NEED HELP OR CARE?
Many are staying home all the time now in order to protect their health. If you need someone to grocery shop or run other errands for you, please let us know by calling the church office (951-845-2693) or emailing office@fellowshiplife.church. I know some might be uncomfortable asking for help, but please don’t be. As a church family, we love to help each other out. Plus many of our younger members are looking for ways to serve. Call the church office, or email office@fellowshiplife.church.

We recognize that the pains and struggles of life don't stop. Our pastors are still working and available to talk and pray and counsel. We are available to meet in person or by phone. And if you get sick, we're here for you. Please let us know.

WANT TO HELP?
If you want to serve by shopping for someone else in the church, please email office@fellowshiplife.church. We are looking for members who are under 60 and healthy (no coughs or colds).

Our Food Pantry is open for business, and we have served twice as many families as normal this week. However, most of our volunteers are over 65, and I have asked all of them to stay home for the next few weeks. That means we need new volunteers who are under 60. If you and your family would like to serve, you guessed it, call the church office or email office@fellowshiplife.church. We need people to serve on any weekday from 9:00 am – 12:00. 

STAY CONNECTED
Contact people in the church that you know. Let’s be extra intentional to reach out to those who live alone or who don’t know Christ. In addition, I encourage you to regularly check our church’s websiteand Facebook page, since we will be adding things regularly.

GIVE
The church can continue faithfully giving in the following ways:

· Online: click the “GIVE” button on our website, or click on this link

· Text: “fellowshipgive" to 77977.

· Mail: Fellowship Church, 650 Oak Valley Parkway, Beaumont, CA 92223

· Office: drop off your check church during office hours.

NEW OFFICE HOURS
The office itself will be open Monday - Friday from 9 am to noon. (this may change if a “shelter-in-place” order is enacted by Riverside County). In addition, our church phones will be open from 1 to 4pm, Monday – Thursday.

On evenings and weekends, you can call and leave a voicemail (we will be checking voicemail on weekends). If you need help immediately, you can call any of the pastors. Our personal phone numbers are in the church directory.  

I know that is a lot of information. Please don't hesitation to contact me if you have any questions or need any help. Now, may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope (Romans 15:13).

Love in Christ,

Pastor Mark
For the Elders of Fellowship Church

Update: March 13, 2020

Dear Fellowship Church,

Much has happened in our world since last Sunday, and even over the past 24 hours. I am writing to give you an update on church gatherings, and to give some biblical encouragement.

As you may know, the Governor of California has issued guidelines for public meetings aimed at slowing the spread of the virus. The guidelines call for large gatherings (more than 250 people) to be cancelled, and also call for those most at risk from this virus (people over 60 or who have chronic health conditions) to stay away from gatherings of more than 10 people.

After much discussion and prayer the elders have decided that our church should not meet in person for our worship services (both English and Spanish) the next two Sundays.

We will be posting this Sunday’s service on our website so that you can participate from home. The service will go up on the website (www.fellowshiplife.church) no later than 10:30 am on Sunday. Audio CD’s will be available to those who request them. Our hope is that the online service will encourage you and help us stay united and grounded in the good news of Christ. We know there are some in our church who do not access the internet. We will try to call them, but you can help by calling friends you know who may not receive this information online.

In addition, we are cancelling all church events for the next two weeks. This includes the Men’s Retreat, Small groups, Young in Heart events, Choir, Women’s Bible Study, children’s ministry programs, and everything else. All of these events include people who are in the “at-risk” category.

We are not making this decision out of fear. We are doing this in order to honor God through supporting our government leaders (Romans 13:1-2). We are expressing our trust in God, in part, by submitting to the direction of those God has placed in authority over us.

We are also motivated by love for you and our community. We do not want to spread the illness to those in our church body who are most at risk, and we want to do our part in slowing the spread of this virus in our area.

Just because we will not have face-to-face meetings for a time does not mean we can not be the church that Christ has called us to be. Let me encourage you in 3 ways:

1.     Let’s Pray. Our God is on the throne, He has the power to stop this virus and/or use it for immense good in the world. And God hears our prayers. So let’s be praying for those who are sick and those who are fearful. Let’s pray that God will be glorified and that His mercy will touch those around us – and those among all nations in the coming days.

2.     Let’s love. Jesus said that the world will know we are Christians by the way we love one another. So use our phones to reach out and care for each other. Even though we can’t meet for a time, we can care for each other. If you become sick or if you need help, please let your small group know, or contact the church office by phone (951-845-2693) or email: office@fellowshiplife.church (notice the unique ending of the email address: “.church”). As pastors, we are here for you. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if there is any way we can be praying for you. We especially want to know if you are sick or if you feel alone or scared or need help.

3.     Let’s share the good news of Jesus. There is a lot of bad news right now. But as Christians, we are a good news people in a bad news world. So, brothers and sisters, hope in God. And “be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).   

Grace and peace to you,

Pastor Mark