Those seasons of life. They hit us all. They often come when we least expect them. And when they do, they mess up our schedules, our routines, and everything "normal." They also try to mess with our faith. They try to keep us from church, from gathering with our faith community, from engaging with encouraging friends, and from spending quality time with Jesus.
Are you in one of those seasons right now? Whether it’s a health battle you’re facing, 24-hour caretaking for someone you love, juggling two or three jobs to make ends meet, chaos in your family, lack of reliable transportation, the arrival of a new baby, or traveling for an extended period of time - it can feel impossible at times to stay connected.
Whatever disrupts your life as you know it, we want you to know that you can still find ways to prioritize faith and your faith community and keep Jesus the focus of your everyday.
At Berean, we make it easy! When our lives feel anything but simple, we can still use simple ways to stay connected to God’s Word, prayer, community, and serving. If you do not attend Berean, explore your own church to find similar ways to stay connected during challenging seasons of life.
Stay Connected to God’s Word.
Sermons & Discussion Questions:
Did you know that all Berean’s sermons are on the website, so you never have to miss the preaching of God's Word? You can find the most recent sermon on Berean’s homepage or past ones in “Sermons” under our website's “Resources” tab. If you visit Berean’s YouTube Channel, you can also find the full-length service videos under the “Live” tab. That way, you can still enjoy the music and any extras from Sunday’s services.
Every week following Sunday’s sermon, you can find sermon discussion questions to help you engage deeper with the sermon’s content. Although we love for these to be used with our Small Groups, they can also deepen your study of God's Word. Read through the questions and ponder them throughout the week. Only have a few minutes? Think about them as you get ready in the morning or during your commute to work. These questions can be found under our website's “Resources” tab by going to the “Sermon Study Guide.” You can also find our sermons and discussion questions through the Church Center App.
Berean Blog:
Our Berean Blog (what you are reading right now) shares weekly encouragement and inspiration from our pastors, staff, church members, and ministry leaders. This is another excellent way to stay encouraged in your faith and connected to God’s Word through small doses of inspiration. You will find topics on Bible study, prayer, missions and outreach, Men’s and Women’s Ministry, marriage and family, Christian parenting, serving, and so much more. Dive into the posts as you enjoy your morning coffee, lunch break, nighttime routine, or anytime you have just five minutes. You can subscribe to the Berean Blog here so you don't miss a thing!
RightNow Media:
Berean partners with RightNow Media, an online streaming service, to offer our faith community quality Christian programming, including thousands of Bible studies, teaching videos, and content for all ages. This outstanding service is essentially the NetFlix of Bible studies, and it's entirely free to you! It's a fantastic resource that you can use from anywhere to dig deeper into studying God's Word. Listen to the videos while cooking, cleaning, working in the yard, or doing other daily activities. Simply click here to request a login.
Stay Connected to Prayer.
Prayer Wall:
While there is something special about gathering together in numbers and seeking the Lord in prayer, you can still be connected to our faith community in prayer even when you cannot attend our in-person prayer meetings. Berean now has a Prayer Wall on our website! You can leave a prayer request with your name or post one anonymously, pray for others, and see how many have prayed for you! Bringing each other’s needs before God in prayer is one way we build connections in our faith community and fulfill God’s command of bearing each other’s burdens. Visit the Prayer Wall today to start giving and receiving encouragement.
Website and Church Center App:
You can also submit a prayer request through our form online. Go to our website's "Be Connected" tab and click “Care and Support.” From there, you will find a button that says, "I Need Prayer." You can choose to keep your prayer request confidential or have it added to a prayer list. You can also request to be contacted by a pastor or staff member to receive care and support through life's storms. Prayer requests can also be submitted from our Church Center App.
Personal Prayer Time:
Even if you can’t physically be present at church, you can still pray for our church in your personal prayer time throughout the day. Pray for our pastors daily. Pray for the elders, staff, and ministry leaders who walk alongside the pastors. Pray for the people already in our church and for those who will come through our doors for the first time. Prayer, no matter the distance, makes a difference!
Stay Connected to Community.
Social Media:
When life makes it challenging to be present within your faith family, you can still build a solid Christian community of friends online. Berean has social media pages where we help you connect with us and with each other. Join us on Facebook and Instagram to learn about all the exciting things happening in our church, receive encouragement, engage with fun questions and prompts, and make some new friends! We also have a Men's Ministry, a Women’s Ministry, a Young Adults, a Youth, and a Berean Kids Parents Facebook page to help you find greater community with those in your stage of life or ministry area.
The YouVersion Bible App:
We know many of you have the YouVersion Bible App on your devices, but did you know you can connect with Berean there, too? Go to the “More” button on the YouVersion App, find where it says “My Church,” locate Berean, and click “Set As My Church.” There, you can see church information and others within your faith community using the app. The YouVersion App is a great tool for doing Bible studies and devotional plans with friends from church. Simply find the plan you want to read, click “Start Plan,” and select to read it “With Friends.” Set a start date and invite them!
Stay Connected to Serving.
Serve from a Distance:
Berean has several events supported by the generosity of our faith community. A couple of examples include School-A-Palooza and our Christmas Giving Tree. While you may not be physically present to serve at various events, you can still give online to such events. For example, our Giving Tree allows you to help families in need by selecting gifts through the Amazon wish lists rather than physically shopping in a store. This opportunity will be available soon as we approach the holiday season! School-A-Palooza also allows you to bless families in need by making financial contributions online or purchasing items online and dropping them off in one of our donation bins. This is a fantastic opportunity to serve families during the summer months.
Other ministries within our church also allow you to serve from home. Consider our Giving Hands ministry. If you have the skill of knitting or crocheting, consider making some items at home, and Berean will distribute them to those in need.
Remember that you can also serve ministries at Berean by praying for them daily! Berean has many ministry and outreach opportunities that need to be bathed in prayer. Prayer is a way to serve no matter where you are!
Berean is here for you!
Now, of course, at Berean, we always hope to see you in person, and we would never want the benefits of technology to encourage you to stay home. We ALL need to be in community, which means in-person community whenever possible.
God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” While this Scripture is often used in the context of marriage, it applies to every relationship. God designed us to live in community - to pursue intentional relationships and to "encourage one another and build each other up" (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
We know, however, that life does not always make that easy. When that happens, we want you to know we’re still here for you, and there are plenty of ways to stay connected. If you’re in one of those chaotic seasons, try some of these ideas to stay connected today. If you’re not facing one of those seasons, share this to encourage someone who is!
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