IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT MAPLE HILL SERVICES…
I have just met with our elders and we have discussed the problems in dealing with the Coronavirus and the government’s request to cancel meetings of more than ten people. They have asked me to pass on this information. Our elders and your preacher are in agreement that we must assemble on the Lord’s Day. All Satan would need to destroy the Maple Hill church is to get us to quit assembling. At the same time we also understand the importance of yielding to civil authorities (Romans 13) where possible. We are a pro-life people and the request from the government is not out of hatred of Christianity or to stop us from worshiping our God, but rather from pro-life concerns. We certainly understand that concern in this present situation. If there is some way to take heed to both of these mandates, that would seem to me to be the ideal.
We think we have found a suitable way to do both. The elders have decided to cancel Wednesday Bible Study, Sunday Evening Assemblies, and Bible Classes on Sunday mornings temporarily. Thus, there will be no Bible Study tomorrow night. We will certainly be returning to our regular schedule just as soon as it is wise to do so. The meals on Wednesday nights will likewise be put on hold (Linda has been notified).
With the new annex facility, we have the ability to assemble 20 people and still be in compliance because ten can meet in the auditorium and ten in the annex at one time and still be part of one assembly by means of the wired-speaker that connects the two rooms. Your preacher will be preaching four times this coming Sunday. We will be having four complete worship services. On Thursday you will be contacted and given an opportunity to indicate which service you prefer to attend (9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and for those unable to come earlier, there will be a 6:30 p.m. service.
Of course this arrangement is not what we would prefer at all. At the same time it is an arrangement which can work for us temporarily. We all need to be responsible and careful to cooperate in the battle against the spread of this deadly virus to the best of our ability. I and our elders ask for your cooperation to make it through this period as best we can.
We also are working on plans to share some video teaching on Wednesday nights through our website. More on that later.