We have begun to regather for worship on Sunday. Your RSVP is required.
You can find more information about our regathering plan on this webpage.
Hear these comforting words from Scripture:
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:4-7
Please find below a series of letters from our Senior Minister, Keith Paulus. Click on the links below to hear some words of encouragement from him.
- Pastoral Letter dated March 13, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated March 19, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated March 24, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated April 1, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated April 22, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated May 14, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated May 22, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated May 29, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated June 1, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated June 2, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated June 12, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated June 19, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated July 3, 2020
- Pastoral Letter dated July 17, 2020
The following is from Hope for New York:
Many of you are asking how you can help during this time. In this season, how do we love and serve our neighbors well when we are asked to socially distance ourselves? We believe there are three critical ways you can engage: Pray, Serve and Give.
- Pray. Pray for our affiliates. Here are the specific prayer requests they’ve shared as they navigate this unprecedented crisis.
- Serve. Volunteer with our affiliates providing essential services. We have created a COVID-19 Urgent Needs page that will be updated regularly. With a steep decline in volunteers, they need your help only if you are able.
- Give. Give to Hope for New York. HFNY partners with 60+ organizations who serve our most vulnerable communities. We will support them with emergency/supplemental grants as they anticipate serving even more people with less resources.
- Send cards and letters to nursing home residents at UES Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. Residents are not allowed any visitors at the moment, and thus are isolated from friends and family members. When your cards are made, bought or decorated and so forth (no need to personalize except for your name), please send them directly to the nursing home. Address below: (The postage may be reimbursed by HFNY so please save your receipt)
UES Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
211 East 79th Street, 3rd Floor, New York NY 10065
Attn: Ms. Mimi Otani in care of Activities Dept. Ms. Irina Kvint
We are so grateful for the many generous ways you have partnered with us as a volunteer, donor, church and affiliate. We ask that you prayerfully consider how you can engage in the weeks and months to come.
Other Ways To Serve:
The US Surgeon General noted the need for blood donations at this time and the call was repeated today. This is another way anyone who feels comfortable at this time can help.
Other ways we can help financially:
- Helping out our local restaurants by going now (even if they are only doing delivery/take out) and buying a gift certificate - buy it directly and use it later. Yes, there is a risk they may go under, but consider it a donation and a way to help a local business and their employees at a time of need;
- Ramping up our giving to organizations (refer to the Mercy & Compassion Fund section below).
Christ Church NYC ("CCNYC") has a Mercy and Compassion Fund that we will be using at this time. If you know anyone from CCNYC who needs financial help, please ask them to contact Keith Paulus or the wardens and it will be handled confidentially. Also, if anyone in your home group wants to help other members of our congregation, please donate to CCNYC and mark it for "Mercy & Compassion".
However, if you want funds to go elsewhere, CCNYC is not the right place to disburse those funds promptly where they are most needed. Instead, please use an organization dedicated to the specific areas you want to help - HFNY has a list of some on their urgent needs page.
- Please join Keith Paulus and and other leaders every night at 8:30PM for a time of prayer. Consider engaging in family prayer together at this time. Set the alarm on your phone to go off at that time and then gather around to pray for our church, our city, and our world.
- Please join Keith Paulus at noon every day from Monday to Saturday for a short Bible reading and a time of prayer together for our congregation, our city, our country, and the world around us. This will last about 20 minutes (max 30 minutes). This will be hosted on Zoom. If you are interested, please email Keith for the Zoom Meeting details.
- Check out our blog page on "How To Pray In A Pandemic", with suggested prayer points, scriptures that can be turned into prayer and helpful Psalms that can be prayed.
- Grab a copy of our church Monthly Prayer Diary. If you would like a copy, please email Katrina Tai.
Please find below short devotionals written by Mark Hastings, one of the elders at Christ Church NYC, to help us stay grounded in God's Word during this unprecedented time. If you would like to subscribe to this, please subscribe here.
- April 2, 2020: The Encouragement of Providence (Romans 8:28)
- April 4, 2020: Our Security (Psalm 125)
- April 7, 2020: The Resurrection - Testimony & Significance (John 20:1-18)
- April 14, 2020: Patience - A Neglected Virtue? (1 Corinthians 13:4)
- April 20, 2020: Psalm 16 (written by Stuart Clay)
- April 23, 2020: Communication and Community
- April 28, 2020: A Plea for Praying The Psalms
- May 5, 2020: Death...and Life
- May 13, 2020: Seeking the Lost (Luke 15)
- May 20, 2020: Seeking the Lost - A Lesson from Missions History
- May 27, 2020: A Word About Marriage
- June 3, 2020: John's Gospel, The First Sign (John 2:1-11)
- June 10, 2020: John's Gospel, The Second Sign (John 4:43-54)
- June 17, 2020: John's Gospel, The Third Sign (John 5:1-15)
- June 24, 2020: John's Gospel, The Fourth Sign (John 6:1-15)
- July 1, 2020: John's Gospel, The Fifth Sign (John 9)
- July 8, 2020: John's Gospel, The Sixth Sign (John 11)
Below are some resources which you may find helpful as we use this time as a season of reflection, repentance, and rest:
- Ligonier Ministries Teaching Series (audio and video) is now free to download (perhaps start with “Surprised by Suffering”).
- Crossway provides free resources as we stay at home during COVID-19.
- The Gospel Coalition has a page on their website dedicated to COVID-19.
- 9Marks suggests 25 Hymns to Sing in Troubled Times.
- Banner of Truth has a suggested list of books on God's providence.
- Westminster Bookstore provides 15 chapters of their favorite books (free to download) to read in times of anxiety.
- Article on Genesis 15 and God’s promise to protect our eternal salvation.
- Three Christian physicians provide helpful thoughts on health, hospitality, and lament in the context of the coronavirus pandemic.
- Article titled "What Are You Afraid Of?" by Michael Horton
- Ligonier Guide to Family Worship.
- The Getty Kids Hymnal available on YouTube and Spotify.
- Risen Motherhood provides Bible Study cards to guide scripture study with children.
- Crossway has released a free pdf book "Big Picture Bible Crafts"
- Listen to Joel Beeke on leading family worship.
- 7 Tips When Talking To Kids About Coronavirus.
- Bible App for Kids has bible story videos and activities.
- Our children will be learning a new song, "Jesus Strong and Kind", this month during their Sunday School Zoom Meeting. If you would like to play this song at home for your children, here are the links on YouTube, Spotify and Amazon (purchase/download).
To assist you in your Sunday worship gathering at home, please find below the weekly worship resources, which include bulletin, audio of some Bible teaching/reflection and follow-up study questions.
- Worship Resources for March 15, 2020
- Worship Resources for March 22, 2020
- Worship Resources for March 29, 2020
- Worship Resources for April 5, 2020
- Worship Resources for April 12, 2020
- Worship Resources for April 19, 2020
- Worship Resources for April 26, 2020
- Worship Resources for May 3, 2020
- Worship Resources for May 10, 2020
- Worship Resources for May 17, 2020
- Worship Resources for May 24, 2020
- Worship Resources for May 31, 2020
- Worship Resources for June 7, 2020
- Worship Resources for June 14, 2020
- Worship Resources for June 21, 2020
- Worship Resources for June 28, 2020
- Worship Resources for July 5, 2020
- Worship Resources for July 12, 2020
- Worship Resources for July 19, 2020
Please join our online Hymn Sing on Sundays from 4:30-5:15PM. Singing the Word of God together is one of the most important things we can do during this time! You may view it on Zoom or dial in on your phone to listen. Although we will not be able to hear everyone singing at once, we will be able to see you joining in!
In addition to meeting together online to sing hymns and hear the Bible read, Keith Paulus will also be providing a short Bible reflection focusing on the book of Psalm. For the Zoom details, please email martha@christchurchnyc.com. We will be hosting our Hymn Sing on the following Sundays:
- March 29, 2020 from 4:30-5PM
- April 5, 2020 from 4:30-5PM
- April 12, 2020 from 4:30-5PM (Easter Hymn Sing)
- April 19, 2020 from 4:30-5PM
- April 26, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM
- May 3, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM
- May 10, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM
- May 17, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM
- May 24, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM
- May 31, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM
- June 7, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM
- June 14, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM
- June 21, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM
- June 28, 2020 from 4:30-5:15PM (final hymn sing)