Connect NTCG Rochester

New Testament Church of God (Rochester) Vicarage Road | Strood | Kent | ME2 4DG

Follow us on Instagram Connect NTCG Rochester | Website www.ntcgrochester.org.uk 28th March 2020

As a church, we continue to follow government guidelines regarding COVID-19 as best as possible.

Therefore, our church will remain closed for all gatherings in and outside of the building. All national and district NTCG events have been cancelled/ postponed.

The latest advice from our government to slow the spread of COVID-19 at this critical time is that we must stay at home other than for very limited purposes. The below helpful guidance has been given.

We may go outside: 1. To shop for basic necessities, for example food and medicine, but should do so as infrequently as possible.

2. For health reasons, medical need, or to provide care or help for a vulnerable person.

3. For one form of exercise a day, for example a run, walk, or cycle, alone or with members of our household.

4. For travel to and from essential work, as defined by the government, and only where this work cannot be done from home.

If leaving home: 1. We must stay 2 metres – about 6 feet – away from other people.

2. We should wash our hands on returning home.

The good news is that some church activities will continue! Following the success of our first online Sunday Worship and Discipleship lesson on ZOOM, we will be streaming live every Sunday morning at our usual family worship time at 12:00pm. A link to the video meeting will be posted weekly, please endeavour to sign in by 11:50am.

We will also be meeting virtually for Discipleship Lessons on Tuesday evenings at 8pm. We will be happy to receive any feedback aimed at enhancing these meetings.

Please keep an eye on our new Instagram page, WhatsApp communications and direct messages from Pastor Johnson to keep up to date with other online meetings.

Let us know if we can help you to connect online with others for prayer or just for a chat. It goes without saying that we do not want anyone to feel isolated in these extraordinary times and remain available to

support you in what ever way that is reasonably possible.

Whilst COVID-19 has temporarily restricted our meeting together in person, it has thankfully not taken away our ability to communicate with each other. Let us therefore continue to encourage those near to us that may be fearful, let us be deliberate and proactive in sharing the good news of the gospel and let us continuously pray for our government and countries around the globe.

The apostle Paul reminds in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 NLT that "Our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever".

Let us strive to be a church that choose faith instead of fear.

Bro Denzil & Bro Isaac on behalf of Pastor & Pastor's Council I had a dream in the early hours of the 25th March. In the dream I think I was at an archaeological site or some kind of museum. There were many precious artefacts. There was a man beside me. We did not talk.

I knew that I was to choose one of the artefacts. As I looked I saw a white tongue with a white string, and as soon as I saw it I knew it was the tongue of God and my choice. I picked it up and placed it on my chest. I immediately fell to my knees and began sobbing and crying out to God repenting for how we have behaved as a nation and how we no longer have the word of God in our hearts and that we no longer

choose God first in our lives. The dream woke me up and I began to repent for our country.

We are facing worldwide chaos and fear caused by the coronavirus. I believe that this dream is a warning for us. It is our time as a church to not only rise up but to come together and seek the face of God in repentance. As a nation we have strayed from God's precepts and God's word choosing man's thoughts and opinions above God's truth.

The Bible says 2 Chronicles 7: 14 If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

It is time for us to repent and cry out to God for our nation and for ourselves for His mercy. It is time for Psalm 51 to be our confession and prayer individually and corporately and to be the prayer for our country.

Sis Angela