Weekly Worship From Home
We’ve had lots of great feedback on the “At Home Liturgy” that went out in an email last week! If you missed it, it is still available for you to use at home with your family, housemates, etc… here is a link: 3/15/20 At Home Liturgy

Communication
We are working hard to help our congregation stay connected.  This week we are happy to announce:We have also added (this) blog attached to our Gold Avenue Church website!
Here is the web address if you aren’t already here: http://goldavenuechurch.org/blog/
The blog will be our main, streamlined source of information, communication, and resources. Be sure to save it to your favorites in your preferred internet browser! We will link to our FB account and include pieces in our All Church Emails as well. This should help you locate any previous church communications and worship liturgies, along with many new resources that we will be adding.

We want to keep you well informed.  So, each week we will plan to send out two emails. A weekly update sometime during the week and a Sunday service email with the “At Home Liturgy” for the current week. You’ll be able to access these on the blog as well.

Care and Connection
A new way that we can connect is by Zoom, an online meeting space.  Gold Avenue Church now has a Zoom account, so most meetings are able to continue as scheduled virtually using this technology. Staff will be scheduling these meetings and will send out the meeting links ahead of time, if you’re in a meeting, you simply click on the link and follow the prompts. 

Prayer
We tested meeting virtually on Wednesday with Noon Prayer and it worked out really well! Look below for the link to the Noon Prayer Zoom call and you can join us, if you’re able, from 12-1pm on Wednesday by phone or internet. 

Wednesday Noon Prayer

Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/672132863

Meeting ID: 672 132 863

One tap mobile
+19292056099,,672132863# US (New York)

Equipping
The Empowered for Witness course concluded a week ago.  The many evaluation forms were overwhelmingly affirming.  We had pastors and members from 48 churches from all around the area attending.  We even had a gentleman drive over weekly from Wisconsin to attend.  The next session of Empowered for Witness is scheduled to start with a makeup session called Foundations on 4/22 and Empowered for Witness 102, starting on 4/23, the Lord willing.  Would you please be in prayer for wisdom, as we think about whether we can continue as planned or need to change to a different format?  Thank you!


The Admin Elders met Wednesday night and have extended our current building closure and group gathering suspension through Tuesday, March 31st.  
They will reassess at that time, trying to make the most wise and loving decision for our congregation and community. If you have questions about this, please see our original post communicating why this is the direction we’ve felt the Lord leading to: Special COVID-19 Announcement

Tithes and Offering

The building may be closed but the Kingdom work continues! At this time of uncertainty, we are doing all that we can to serve, support, and assist our church family and community. One way that you can join in this is by continuing to give through your tithes and offerings. 

Ways to give:

1. Text: COMING SOON! Stay tuned for more details. 
2. Online via goldavenuechurch.org
3. Mailing checks payable to:
Gold Avenue Church
49 Gold Avenue NW Grand Rapids, MI 49504

Be sure to keep checking back on the blog regularly as we have plans to be posting lots of encouraging stories, activities, resources and much more. Our church leadership is here to serve and we’re keeping busy trying to adapt to this situation. Stay tuned for more!


Gold Avenue Church Family, with confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Kent County, in order to mitigate the spread of the disease and to uphold the safety of our entire church family, all church building activities from now until March 27 are cancelled.  This includes:  Sunday Worship, Gold Rush, Noon Prayer on Wednesday, Prayer Walking, Prayer Ministry Appointments, Team Meetings, outside building rentals of any kind, and other group activities at our church building are suspended until March 27, at which time we will re-evaluate and communicate clearly.

This decision is not one we take lightly and is not one we make out of fear. On the contrary, “As followers of Jesus Christ, living in this world – which some seek to control and others view with despair – we declare with joy and trust, ‘Our world belongs to God!’”  We also recognize that we have a responsibility to one another and that there are practical steps such as social distancing, handwashing, and sanitizing shared surfaces that we can take to equip us to live out that care and concern – including, in extraordinary circumstances, not gathering with each other.  God’s Word says in 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (NLT)

We recognize that there may be special needs during this time and are here for you to serve and to continue to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ.  You can reach out to us using the following contact info, or you can connect with us on our Facebook Page.

Economic Help – Deacons

Spiritual Help – Care Elders

Questions about the closure or COVID-19 response – Admin Elders

Church Phone – (616) 454-8833

We will continue to be the body of Christ in the midst of these uncertain times, and the ministry of Jesus will not cease. Please click on the link below to view our order of worship that we planned to use Sunday March 15.  We encourage you to go through it with your family, taking part in the prayer times, worship songs, testimony time, sermon, and blessings.

Click here to view this Sunday’s At Home Liturgy

We believe the Lord will guide each member of our church to put the love of Christ into action. We are witnesses to the King and His Kingdom wherever we are.   

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NLT) 

We have an opportunity during this time in history where much of the world is feeling the currents of chaos to proclaim the King’s reign and hope through our words and deeds.  Praise, worship, and prayer are the spiritual weapons God has given to us to fight this battle. We have peace because we are part of the unshakable Kingdom. God cannot be pulled off His throne, nor does anything surprise Him. He is Lord!

We trust in Him and we join in prayer together for His mercy, His grace, His Kingdom to advance, for His will to be done, and His glory to fill the earth!