Dear Odyssey Pilgrims

We trust that you are not just surviving but learning to navigate these rapids with wisdom, innovative ideas and much prayer. This is to let you know what we have down up until now in response to being in Lockdown and what we are going to be doing in the short term until we have more clarity regarding the imposed duration.

What we have done up until this point

  • Before the official Lockdown, we had already made and communicated the decision to act as an Online Community until the pandemic changed for the better. We have put up three Sunday messages on our website since the 23rd March and a fourth will be ready for this coming Easter Sunday. Included with these are some helpful reflective exercises related to the message. All of this is available on our website as well as daily blogs Monday to Friday (with the occasional break) to encourage hearts and inform wise responses.

  • We also recorded an encouraging story with Johan Harmse which you can find on the Odyssey website.

  • We are having weekly Leadership Meetings via Zoom on Sunday afternoons to discuss how to navigate each week and month ahead. Some of our Home Groups are managing to still meet online during the week.

  • We put up an ‘Assistance’ link with a form to identify help needed during this time.

  • With the help of Byron and his involvement in HBUFC, and their links to HomeHeroes and YeboFresh, and with donations also from church members, we were able to deliver a first round of food parcels to our church community most in need. Others in the community also benefitted through personal donations.

  • Byron did a further fundraising drive on Saturday by running 21km’s around our garden which was live streamed on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/byron.mckellar).

  • Stephan has started to sew face masks and has already delivered the first batch to a church family. He is linking into the broader HB CAN group that is doing face masks and is recruiting more people in Stuart/Bridget’s HG to assist.

We are not aware of what every individual may be doing at this time but it would be good to hear of some of the stories. For example, Chloe signed up as a volunteer with https://www.facebook.com/volunteerelderlyCT/ and did her first delivery last Friday.

What we are going to be doing

  • Continue with ‘Online Church’ for as long as we need to.

  • Our Leadership Team is going to be contacting all of you to check-in with how you are doing, asking if you need any help and if you are able to assist helping us in serving, in different ways, both our church members and any other community initiatives.

  • We are looking at different ways to build up some Mercy funds/reserves in anticipating greater needs in the future.

  • We are staying connected to the broader community initiatives and asking how we can play a supportive role.

  • Looking at ways we can stay connected with those who don’t have access to social media.

  • Trying to anticipate any escalation of the pandemic and the response required.

  • This Saturday, as a church, we are going to be giving ourselves to four spiritual ‘means of grace’: Silence & Solitude coupled with Prayer & Fasting. Never before has such an opportunity existed for so many of us to be focused in such a concentrated way as we seek God’s face for a number of things. I will communicate more during this week.

If there are some other ideas on your minds and hearts, please let us know when one of us calls you or by way of return email to this message.

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.
- Numbers 6:24-26 (NIV)

Warmest regards

Craig on behalf of the leadership team