Dear Members and Friends of IBCZ,
Ecclesiastes 1:9 reminds us that “there is nothing new under the sun.” Certainly, that is true when we take in the entirety of human history. But while nothing may be new historically, things are new to us. We find ourselves facing circumstances for the first time. That, of course, is the situation we are in right now with our altered way of life due to the coronavirus.
While I’m sure this has meant some challenges for all of us, it also presents us with new opportunities, the chance to do past things in new ways, and the chance to trust God in deeper ways. This is true for us individually and as a church. The past two weeks, as you know, we have recorded the sermons so you can listen online. This week, we will try to live stream the service. It will include more than just the sermon, but not quite a full service (a few songs, a reading). Just go to the ibcz.ch website, and a link will be available to connect at 10:30 Sunday morning. (By the way, this is when we change to Daylight Savings Time, so be sure to set your clocks ahead one hour Saturday night if they don’t do so automatically.) We will still make a recording for people to watch later if that works better for them.
Several of our Home Groups are meeting in a new way. They are connecting over the internet so everyone can participate, using Amazon Chime or Lifesize Cloud. (See the accompanying article from the Ruschlikon Home Group.) We are doing the same with the Prayer Meeting. If you would like to participate in the Prayer Meeting, all you have to do is click on this link https://chime.aws/3830304637 from your computer. If you prefer to join by phone, please dial +41 22 518 77 58 and then key in the following meeting ID: 3830 30 4637#. Using the computer is better as we can do video as well.
So, while our church life has been changed, the ministry of the church continues. With the help of technology, every group can continue to meet, meaning we can continue to learn together, pray for each other, and encourage one another.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Bob