All,
On my desk I have a blank piece of paper that has the words, “Things I Need To Communicate” written at the top.
The list has gotten long...way too long, so buckle up for a rather random list of things that I want to pass along to you today.
Thursday night was an incredibly meaningful evening as we gathered outside the home of Dennis and Mary Pat Smith for a time of worship and prayer.
As many of you know, Mary Pat is nearing the end of her earthly journey and our prayers are with the Smith family during these days. Note: To follow Mary Pat’s journey you can follow her Caring Bridge at
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/marypatsmith
On Wednesday of this week we held a memorial service for Tom Farnsworth.
Tom came to faith in Christ through the ministry of the Hayward Wesleyan Church and has been part of the church for many years. Prayers for Juli and the family are appreciated.
As you may have heard, Governor Evers has issued a Statewide Mask Mandate.
This order requires anyone age five and older to wear a face covering when: The individual is indoors or in an enclosed space, other than at a private residence; and; Another person or persons who are not members of an individual's household or living unit are present in the same room or enclosed space. The order also strongly recommends face coverings in all other settings, including outdoors, when it is not possible to maintain physical distancing.
What does this mean for our weekend services?
Simply put, we're asking that if you are gathering in person for services on Sunday we ask that you honor this order and wear a mask. If you are gathering in person for our Saturday service that is held outdoors, we strongly encourage a mask to be worn.
By the way...
If you haven’t been part of S'mores and Scripture on Thursday nights at 6:30pm, I strongly encourage you to check it out. Good worship. Good study. Good fellowship.
Your generosity during these days matters much.
We are trusting God to continue to provide as we walk through this season. There are several options for giving!
MAIL
: You can mail checks to-- P.O. Box 507, Hayward, WI 54843
GIVE ELECTRONICALLY
: This is a great option - we offer a couple different ways to do it. We're also excited about a TEXTING option! Setting it up is super-easy, and once done, you can give in 10 seconds or less just by sending a quick text.
On the topic of generosity...
because of your generous giving we have set up a fund for the sole purpose of responding in proactive ways to help bring healing and hope in these days.
Through this fund we have been able to bless some families that have experienced challenge in this season.
We also have been able to bless the Women’s Home in Hayward.
We also recently learned of the passing of a Wesleyan pastor by the name of Rev. Gloria Angel, pastor of Iglesia Alfa y Omega in Louisville, Kentucky who passed away unexpectedly after a heart attack caused by COVID-19 complications. Your faithful giving allowed us to send a check to support Rev. Angel’s family in their time of loss.
We have a number of things in the works for how we want to respond in these days hint...a picnic?)...be watching...and if you know of someone who is facing a need in this season due to COVID-19 please let us know!
This weekend is significant...
This morning I finished my message for this coming Sunday and I don't know how else to say it...I really believe that our time together this weekend may be as important a message as I have ever preached at Hayward Wesleyan Church. Whether you gather in person or online I invite you to make gathering this weekend a priority.
We continue forward...
As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to rise in this area, please know that our staff is hard at work, pursuing God and His leading for us as a church.We are praying for you and your families, knowing that each of you are facing unique challenges. And we thank you for your prayers and understanding as we continue to navigate this challenging season!
A final thought...do not grow weary.
Galatians 6:9 ESV reminds us, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Let us not grow weary. We will reap. Don't give up. Regardless of how you may feel, there is more in you. God has more to do through you and our church. When the world gets darker, our light shines brighter. Keep reflecting the love of Jesus to this lost and broken world. Don't give up.
Warmly,
Pastor Chad McCallum
Lead Pastor of Hayward Wesleyan Church
