I don't know about you, but I absolutely HATE it when I cannot go to church on Sunday. I love being with the people of God, singing the praises of God, hearing from the Word of God, and praying to an all-sufficient God.
But there are times when the wisest thing for everyone is to cancel. It is very, very rare. But once every couple of years it seems to happen due to inclement weather.
Wynne Baptist Church is closed due tomorrow due mainly to the fact that our sidewalks and entire parking lot(s) are solid sheets of ice. Considering that tonight and tomorrow are supposed to be even colder than today, there just isn't much hope of it being cleared for safe passageway into the building tomorrow.
If you are like me, you already have cabin fever and are wondering what in the world can you do with your kids for ANOTHER day! Well, I can't offer you many suggestions on what to do with your kids, but I can make a couple of suggestions on how to lead your family in family worship tomorrow on the Lord's Day when there is no church building to go to in order to worship corporately. Here are a couple of thoughts:
1. Think of other churches who might be meeting and their pastors/staff and pray for them as they gather for worship.
2. Everybody think of their favorie hymn or praise chorus and sing a verse or two of each.
3. Have everyone share what they are most thankful to God for.
4. Pray for Mark Sandy, Josh Tacito, and Rick Wise as they prepare to go to Central Asia this Friday to work with the Shackelford's.
5. Pray for Lynne Gibel and Becki Dowd as they are with Kevin and Colette Black in the Pacific Rim.
6. Have one or two family members share what passage of Scripture they have been reading/studying and what God has been teaching them from it.
7. If you attended services last Sunday at WBC, review the discussion questions Bro. Matt provided to further think through the truths of the Word from his sermon. (If you do not have your notes, click here. If you weren't there last week and want to view the messages, click here.)
8. To prepare for next Sunday morning's message, read Luke 15:11-32. Considering the context of the text (mainly Luke 15:1-2), ask the family what they believe to be the purpose of the parable. Perhaps ask younger children to draw what they hear as you read it out loud.
9. To prepare for next Sunday evening's message and the observance of the Lord's Supper, talk with your family about the meaning and purpose of the Lord's Supper. Read Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25, and Luke 22:7-23. Reread Luke 22:20 and ask why Jesus' blood makes the covenant 'new.' (It's okay if you don't know. It will be what we talk about next Sunday night...Lord willing!).
10. Visit Global Prayer Digest and pray for the Unreached People of the Day. Click here.
11. Talk about the bigness and greatness and majesty of God with your kids and how God can make it super cold when He wants to and He can make it super hot when He wants to.
12. Remind your children as to the importance of corporate worship and how authentic children of God LOVE to get together to encourage one another, challenge one another, rebuke one another, pray for one another, minister to one another, and love one another. Think about how different life would be for you spiritually if there were no corporate worship to go to every week.
13. Tomorrow the President of the Southern Baptist Convention, Johnny Hunt, has called on Southern Baptist's to pray for the convention. As most all of you know, our convention is at a very strategic and important time in its history. Click here to read how Dr. Hunt calls for Southern Baptist's to specifically pray. Also, click here to read about the Great Commission Task force that has recently met and how to pray for them.
14. Invite a Christian family over from your neighborhood to do any or all of the preceding suggestions.
15. Invite an unchurched family over from your neighborhood to have a Bible Study and breakfast or lunch or brunch!
These are some some suggestions to get you and your family started. Please leave comments to this post adding any other suggestions you may have that I myself, along with others, can learn from and put into practice. Enjoy extra time with your family tomorrow and, God willing, I will see you next Sunday if not before.
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