Red Door Update
13 May 2020
Hey Red Door Family
We have recorded a video to communicate this important update, and below is a summary of this content.
In this new season of HouseChurch, we have felt to provide some basic tools for you to continue to seek Jesus and grow in being a disciple of Him. The reason for this approach has been a desire to encourage and equip heads of households, and individuals, to take a greater level of responsibility and ownership of the spiritual input for themselves and their families. Currently this has taken the form of leading a time of the Lords Supper, different ways we have spent time in worship with music, a reminder to be generous and give, discussion questions after the message, and leading a time of prayer.
One of the roles of church leadership is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:12). This work is varied across the body and expressed in various forms (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). In this season God wants us to be strong and built up though a deepening dependence upon Him and not the familiar church structures that many have come to rely on . We believe the Father wants to use this season to deepen our discipleship through an increased dependence upon Him, His Word and the leading of His Spirit. One way we can discern how strong we are in God is how we minister to the people living in our own homes and the people who God has placed us with.
The writer of Hebrews gives a convicting word in Hebrews 5:12 to those who have been following Jesus for a significant amount of time. Essentially, all disciples of Jesus should come to a point where they are able teach the Word in some capacity. This does not mean it has to be our main gift, but rather where we move from milk to solid food in order that we can ourselves make disciples. Simply put, disciples make disciples and this especially should be true in our own family units.
In this time of COVID-19 our organisational church structures and systems have been greatly restricted. However, while we may not have been able to gather in our normal way what has taken the place of our Sunday gatherings is an amazing opportunity and responsibility to personally minister to, and disciple those close to us, and we have felt deeply prompted to fully embrace this opportunity by helping to equip our Red Door family to do the same.
The challenge is now this: can we show up at a HouseChurch gathering, having studied the Scriptures ourselves and be ready to teach those gathering with us, be they friends, family or housemates?
On Sunday the 24th May we are asking our HouseChurch gatherings to do just this - what we are calling, “HouseChurch Home Grown”. On this day we will be encouraging one person from your HouseChurch gathering to teach from Luke 10:38-42, which is the story of Martha and Mary. Where your gathering is your family we are encouraging the head of the home, the husband, to take the leadership of this. The teaching component need not be any longer than 15-20min and to help your preparation we will be using the prior weeks Diaspora videos to help instruct you on how to study, prepare and deliver a sermon. Our intention in this to see an increased activation and equipping of our amazing church family in regards to discipleship and disciple making. The Great Commission calls all followers of Jesus to make disciples and this begins with the ministry that is right before us - our families and our households. Hopefully, even though possibly daunting to some, you will be eager to take up this challenge.
If you have any questions about this please email us as enter@thereddoor.cc
Adam and Dale Meredith
Senior Ministers
Hey Church Family
We wanted to give you an update on the recent announcement by our Premier of WA that from 27 April 2020, indoor and outdoor non-work gatherings of up to 10 people are now allowed at:
- weddings and funerals
- outdoor personal training
- home opens and display village inspections, and
- indoor non-work gatherings in a home (this includes our HouseChurch gatherings).
In light of this announcement, our Leadership team has met and agreed that our HouseChurch gatherings can now be slightly extended to a max of ten (10) people. Having said this your home must large enough to facilitate safe social distancing of 1.5 metres from others wherever possible.
So please feel free to invite others into your home for this Sundays HouseChurch to a maximum of 10. If your single household already has 10 or more people, I’m sorry but you can’t invite anyone.
Even though there is a relaxing of the conditions to 10, We still don’t think that this enough for an entire Connect Groups to gather taking into account children. So we are not yet encouraging Connect Groups to gather in person. But some are gathering over Zoom which is great. Obviously if your Connect Group is less than 10 you are fine.
In addition, some people may wish to open their home to host a gathering of 10 people (possibly in the arvo in addition to your own morning gathering). Yes, multiple services at your house! If this is you, please let us know and feel free to go ahead and make it happen.
This Sunday our Music Team will be leading us, so keep an eye out for the link to that video on the app or at www.thereddoor.cc/house.
If you would like to join a Red Door HouseChurch where there is room please let us know. (In regards to all of the above please email Barbara at barbara@thereddoor.cc)
Finally church, be encouraged. We are convinced that God is doing something remarkable through this time – what was intended for evil, God will use for good, for the saving of many lives (Gen 50:20). Through this trial there is an amazing opportunity for God to refine and build His church. And be expectant for God to move in your home and family in this season.
Much love
Adam and Dale
For more info on the most recent announcement please check out: https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-community-advice
