Life of the Church
SUNDAY MAY 17, 2020
Announcements
Congratulations, Grad Students!
James Carbaugh, MBA from Harvard Business School
Madeline Cawley, MM in Flute Performance from New England Conservatory
Nathaniel Efthimiou, DMA in Orchestral Conducting from Boston University
Sarah Fashakin, Masters in Public Health from Boston University
David Fraats, Physician Assistant from Mass General Hospital
Adam Herndon, Doctorate of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary (2018)
SoYoung Kim, PhD in Chemistry, MIT
Jooseppi Luna, MS in Computer Science from UMass Lowell
Hillary Leffue, J.D. from Boston University
Elijah Soko, J.D. from Northeastern University
Summar Sparks, J.D. from Boston University
Jennifer Wang, Masters in Violin Performance from Boston University (2019)
Jin Yu, PhD in Material Science from Boston University
Online Giving
Giving towards the Ministries & Operations (M&O) budget is currently lagging behind last year by 1%, though the 2020 budget assumes a 14% increase in gifts from last year. For Missions the situation is somewhat better with giving ahead of last year by 8%, but with an assumption of 10% growth this year. Please remember that all gifts to Missions must be specifically identified as a Missions gift. The Deacons Fund balance continues to be robust.
Thursday Night Outreach (TNO) Expanded Hours
Park Street Church’s Thursday night response to the needs that face our vulnerable neighbors on the streets of Boston is TNO. They are continuing their work throughout the COVID-19 crisis. In response to increased needs they are now serving on Saturdays from 12:00–2:00 PM in addition to serving on Thursday nights.
To serve responsibly, they are operating with volunteer rotation schedules. If you are interested in joining, you are welcome!
Covid-19 Response Teams
Park Street Church has several Project Managers leading a growing number of teams responding to the needs of our community partners. In fact, a new team is being formed this week to respond to the needs of our sister church, First Congregational Church of Revere. The need for their food pantry has jumped from 60–70 families weekly to 400 families last week.
Right now we are recruiting team members to join these teams! More information on specific teams and needs can be found at the link below.
"Perspectives" Missions Course
Boston Fellows Program
Community
Tea & Story
MONDAYS, 1:30–2:00 PM. Sign in 10 minutes early just to chat.
God has made us for story—to be part of his and to hear each other’s. One woman shares a time when God was very present to her, also shares a Bible verse that relates, then we have a brief time of silence, then we are placed in random breakout groups, each of which has a leader, and we share from a few presented questions (not pressure to share). Then we go back to the main room and have a brief closing. We aim to be vigilant about keeping to 1/2 hour.
Global Missions During the Pandemic
Resources
Small Group Resources
We believe that no one should be alone during these times of increased anxiety and physical isolation. If you find yourself on this journey without a support system, we desire to connect you with people who can walk beside you through virtual community. Please fill out this form at the link below and let us know how we can contact you.
Park Street Church staff and leaders are working to equip our small groups with resources to help them stay connected to each other’s spiritual, physical and social needs. If you have specific questions about your small group, please contact Pat Chen. Learn how to setup remote meetings.
Prayer & Praise
Pray for the Congregation
- Sing praises of his name, the Lord among the nations (Psa. 18:49);
- Know your identity in Christ and live as children of Light (Ephesians 5:8);
- Carry each other’s burdens and embrace personal responsibility (Gal. 6:2,5);
- Seek revelation of God’s glory amidst personal trial and suffering (2 Cor. 4:17).
Pray for the People
- Praise and thanksgiving for the birth of Daniel Zechariah Dukes, son of Patrick and Lauren;
- For missionaries near and far, working more fervently and creatively now than before, sharing Christ with many individually through technology;
- For church elders and staff leaders, Godly wisdom in conversations of how to reopen the church when the lockdown eases;
- For parents who are homeschooling children, God’s love, grace and patient understanding between stressed out spouses;
- For each person, opportunities to withdraw from the pressured experience of pandemic life, to seek and experience renewal;
- For the furloughed or unemployed, help from above to alleviate financial, emotional and spiritual suffering;
- For business owners and families, perseverance and hope while awaiting customers and help to pay employees and expenses;
- For food industry workers; good health and resilience to handle anxiety as food service adapts during pandemic;
- For families unable to visit loved ones in hospitals, effective communication with health and spiritual care teams;
- For residents of extended care facilities, God’s protection, hope, courage and healing;
- For those suffering from Covid-19, effective care and God’s healing and comforting presence;
- For those grieving loss of various kinds, comfort of God’s presence and sustaining hope for all yet to come;
- For those struggling with fear and anxiety, gratitude for God’s forgiveness, love and mercy; and trust in the promise God is close to the brokenhearted;
- For healthcare professionals, divine help and hope to meet extraordinary physical, emotional and spiritual needs;
- For researchers responsible for combating Covid-19, divine inspiration, guidance and focus to sustain the work.
Pray About the Pandemic
- Cessation to the spread of the SARS-Cov2 virus;
- Wisdom, humility and effective leadership of elected federal, state and local officials;
- Collaboration of nations to meet unprecedented supply demands and coordination to mitigate human suffering.