Here is a short video from one of our pastors, Stew, as he talks about life at SCPC this week.
Welcome to today’s Pastors’ Post. Yes, it is December. A time of chaos! A time for carols!!
And a time to reflect on the first Christmas!!!
Firstly, we have been planning for our covid-Carols for some time now. We were clear whatever December brought it was going to be difficult to make contingencies under pressure and with little time to make alterations, so we are so thrilled that across this term our music team at SCPC lead ever so capably by Peita Patch has been forging ahead with some superb songs that will be performed as musical items across our matinee and twilight concert at Lismore High School on December 20.
The songs have been practiced as items in the expectation a restoration to whole church families singing together was difficult to predict due to the government’s continued approach to community singing. The General Manager of the Presbyterian Church of NSW (PCNSW), Jeof Falls, participated in a Religious Communities Forum last Wednesday 25th November and NSW Health confirmed singing would only be endorsed for outdoor events. But as you may have heard, another ease of restrictions is due to be enacted this Monday 7th December. After speaking with some members of the SCPC health consultants team, this easing will allow us to accommodate more adults in the main hall at Lismore High School, but with some buffering, now with the provision for corporate singing, masks will be provided for those who would like to wear them.
The planned shape of our afternoon of carols will be retained in the main hall at Lismore High School with musical items performed by the music team on December 20 for adults (those in high school are invited to attend also). A parallel kids program will occur for those up to and including Year 6. Preschool to Year 2 will have a program run in E Block, and Year 3-6 program will be run in the Multi-Purpose Unit (MPU). This program will be duplicated at our 3pm matinee and 5pm twilight concert.
No postcards will be delivered in 2020. However, pray and plan now about who may be willing to join you for our Carols Concert: “The Song of Christmas”. I am really excited about it. Peita and the team have worked sooooo hard and it will be a real celebration of sorts. I look forward to you, your friends and your family joining us at our 3pm matinee or 5pm twilight concert.
But for those who are very eager to do some traditional carolling, we know of some Gospel Communities (GCs) are coming together for their annual Christmas party so we are working towards creating a carolling pack for your GC with sheet music so you could join together in song with your GCs. As residential addresses have never carried the same restrictions as religious services of worship. GCs joining together in homes to share in song is an opportunity we would like to continue to explore.
And our multiplied sites will be in a position to perform live songs with congregational singing for our final week in our multiplied sites next Sunday 13th December. Again, for those interested, masks will be provided so that’s cause for a little singing celebration next week.
Finally, our Christmas gatherings will be taking place on Friday 25th December at 9am at Southern Cross Goonellabah at Invercauld House, and at 9:45am at the Lismore High School Hall. Then Sunday 27th December we will start our summer series at SCG at 9am, and 9:45am and 6pm at Lismore High in Ecclesiastes “Summer under the Son”.
But let me finish by reading this hope-filled message from Isaiah 7, a message Jotham Booker, our German friend from the 2019 SMBC team, hopes to open with us on the morning of December 20 both at SCG at 9am and SCPC at 9:45am before we join for our carols concerts at 3pm and 5pm.
But let me read to you this famous verse from Isaiah 7 and verse 14:
14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel.
Thanks for tuning into The Pastors’ Post
