This Week at Old South Haven Church

Dear Members and Friends of Old South Haven Church,

We are delighted that we still have Pastor Ralph in the pulpit this week and I invite you to join us on our Zoom Sunday Service.

The details for joining our church service this coming Sunday are below.  Please make sure you use these links and telephone numbers.

There was a problem last week with the information.

The Property and Finance Committee will be meeting this coming Saturday and then the Sub-Committee to Reopen the Church.  Session will meet on July 20th.    If you have any concerns and questions, please get in touch with us.

God Bless!

Linda

Linda Majowka is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Zoom Church Service

Time: Jul 19, 2020 09:45 AM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

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Meeting ID: 242 554 4200

Password: 092003

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                                                                                                                                                 July 15, 2020

Dear Members and Friends of Old South Haven Church,

We are entering a new phase in the history of our community.  It has been called a new normal.  Most of us are not sure what that means.  However, we are aware it will be some time, if ever, before we can go back to the way we lived six months ago, no less five or ten years ago. 

This is not only true for us as individuals, it is also true for the church.  Yes, we are still members of the body of Christ, but as one writer stated we are entering a "New Kind of Christianity".  For those of us who were raised on the idea that "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever" this may sound quite radical.  But from an historical point of view, the church of Jesus Christ has changed with the times.  From being basically a house church in the times of the New Testament, to being a church of large sanctuaries and cathedrals, while at the same time becoming a world-wide movement of various cultures, nationalities and ethnic groups, Christianity has evolved with the times.

At the same time we have, or have struggled to, live lives that follow the teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ.  To live a life that is consistent to the Gospel of love, the Gospel of compassion, the Gospel of mission, the Gospel of reaching out to help all those around us.  It has never been easy, but in recent times there has been a tendency for the church to become more inward looking, more culturally and ethnically centered, particularly in an immigrant nation such as the United States.  Long treatises and studies regarding this phenomenon line the bookshelves of our seminaries and denominational headquarters.  With that said let us look at what can be done here on the south shore of Long Island, more particularly here in the hamlet of Brookhaven.

Allow me to raise only one such area, namely how we relate to the children and youth of our neighborhood.  It is true that with the greying of our churches, we often do not have a ministry to children and youth.  Here is a list of activities that we can find in Presbyterian churches across America.  Pre-school child care, day camps, summer camps, tutoring centers with computers, after school programs, family counselling, trips to museums and beaches and city centers and cultural events, the list goes on and on.

Yet, I have found here on Long Island, many churches that are right across the street from schools, have no interfacing with the schools, its students, its faculty, its leadership.  The phrase, "separation of church and state" has been used in our secular age to justify our lack of involvement with the children who will be the future leaders of our community.

The above may be a bit too much for any church to successfully address.  Yes, it will take time, it will take money, it will take good planning, but it is one way to reach out to our neighbors with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  The above is a pastor's way of sharing some food for thought.

Once again, I invite you to join us this Sunday on Zoom for a time of worship, a time of friendly sharing, and a time to ponder "when can we return to our beloved church sanctuary?"

Peace and stay safe,

Pastor Ralph

You can reach me at 631-475-3322 – office;  631-289-5761 – home – Other folks may answer the phone but they will put you through.