Tuesday night was crazy at my house as the winds blew to announce the arrival of our latest storm. Kimberly and I were working on our video script for Wednesday and talking about what it would be like in the morning. All of a sudden, the electricity blinked off, then back on, and finally it was all quiet – and very dark. The power was out, and it wasn’t even a PSPS event. I don’t know about you, but when interruptions like this occur, it’s hard for me to feel like it's a fun adventure. My wife sees it differently. 

I hope you’ll watch our weekly devotional video because Kimberly and I talked about something that seems to be in short supply right now – a sense of peace that passes all our understanding – even in the middle of power outages. As you watch, you’ll know the behind-the-scenes story of what was going on with us as we prepared to shoot it. It was an opportunity to practice peace. I appreciate Patrick Nicholls and Shannon Prout and their efforts to shoot and post this video each week.

This week we saw that our governor lifted the Stay-At-Home order for the entire state. What was fascinating is how much news this made for our Sacramento area considering the fact that ours had already been lifted on January 12. That’s good news for many struggling businesses because they can now offer more of their services. At the same time, each county now goes back into the tier system that was in place before the Stay-At-Home order went into effect. What that means is that churches are restricted to outdoor services ONLY. So, because it’s winter, we’re going to stick with our online only format.

Last Friday, a California appellate court ruled in favor of the governor’s authority to restrict churches even though the Supreme Court had ruled that two other states could not restrict churches based upon religious freedom. According to one attorney, based upon this court’s ruling, it is illegal for churches to meet indoors. That’s why we’re still only providing our services online at this point.

The good news is that in a conversation I had with our new Nevada County Health Director, he told me that our county should be moving into the Red Tier in a few weeks, and that should set the trend for further movement.

Here’s how we’re interpreting that. When we get to the Red Tier, we are going back to in-person services. We will observe all CDC safety guidelines concerning facemasks, sanitation, and social distancing for both adults and children. We’ve heard your comments and cries telling us how much you need to meet and gather as a church. We’ve heard other comments from folks telling us that they won’t be comfortable being in church until a later date. For those who want to meet in-person, we will have that option, and for those who don’t, we will still have our quality online experience.

If all of this seems confusing, it’s because it’s all very complicated. I ask you to pray for your church. We’ve proven that one of our values is to love our neighbors and keep them safe. We’ve sought to love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Now we get to see how God is going to bless us for our desire to love Him and love people. I’m excited about what is ahead. Make sure to stay in touch and be ready to gather together when we hit RED!

Grow University begins in March, and now is the time to choose which class you want to take to help you grow. Here are this session’s classes.  

• Resolving Everyday Conflict helps you improve your communication skills and learn to resolve conflict in a healthy way.
• GriefShare helps you find healing after loss and learn ways to cope with the deep sadness, loneliness and confusion that comes with the loss of a loved one or someone close.
• Financial Peace University helps you gain financial stability and learn how to manage your money and reduce your debt.
• Be with Jesus helps you deepen your relationship with God and learn practices that will draw you closer to Him.

No matter which area you are hoping to grow in this year, remember: God is WITH you every step of the way and He’s already moving mountains for you because He loves you. And with God on your side, who can be against you? Our team is here to support you and help you. GROW now through Grow University! You can register online through our website. If you have any questions about any of the classes or need help getting registered, you can email Laura or call her at 530.273.6425 ext.300. 

On Sunday, we continue our Walking the Way of Wisdom series. This week, we’ll take a look at what Proverbs has to say about Wisdom and WORK. The writers of Proverbs have much to say about the value of being people who are diligent to work. This message will have application and relevance for all of us, whether we work at a job or not. I hope you’ll make sure to tune in online this weekend to hear God’s Word for you. 

During this time when we can’t meet in person, please make sure to stay engaged online. Let me encourage you to keep your Sunday rhythms by watching the service live at either 9:00 or 11:00am. I believe that will help you stay disciplined as we walk this road of COVID restrictions together and will help our church family feel your nearness and encouragement as we continue to “gather” in His name.  

If you like, you can watch the current service or any archived service on demand any time you want right from our website or APP. Here’s an idea: When you’re watching online, please invite your friends to join you. If you haven’t downloaded the TCC APP, just go to the APP store and search for TCC GRASS VALLEY and download it today. You can watch the service right from your device.

Joyfully living everyday life on mission in intimacy with Jesus and others,

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