Worship and Contact Information

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DBR Update

Statement From the Elders

Statement From The Elders - COVID-19: 3.31.2020

With the recent guidance from Federal and State authorities it has become obvious that the COVID-19 restrictions are going to be with us longer than we had hoped. Therefore, for the health and safety of our members and our community and out of concern for our hospitals and health care professionals, all Netherwood activities and events requiring us to physically meet are canceled until further notice.

We will continue to utilize our  YouTube channel for worship-related activities and we will rely heavily on News and Notes to communicate with you.

Finally, our ministries and obligations continue, so your contribution is as important now as always. We encourage you to give online through our secure giving site or to write your check each week and hold it until we meet together again.

Please know you can call any of us with any needs or concerns, or just to stay connected.

I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2

Short Talk With Craig Hayes

Short talk from Craig Hayes - Check it Out!

 This Wednesday's YouTube video has been published. Check it out here: Netherwood's YouTube channel - and don't forget to subscribe to our channel while you are there.

Videos Available On Our Website

Church Office Closed Until Further Notice

Office Closed for Now - 3.23.2020

With the latest guidance from the state, the church office will be closed until further notice - but that doesn't mean we won't be working!

We will be continuing to do everything we can to take care of our church members' needs, stay in touch, send out prayer requests and announcements and provide YouTube content on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings.

Since no one will be answering the church phones, we ask that you communicate with us via email or cell phone.

Walter: walter@netherwoodpark.com  505-259-7473
Zane: zane@netherwoodpark.com   505-400-5931
Addison: addison@netherwoodpark.com   918-510-9892

We are here for you!

Statement From the Elders

Statement from the Elders: COVID-19 - 3.19.2020

In an effort to be responsive and helpful to the governing authorities, and with your health and safety in mind, we will be following the guidelines established by medical experts and local officials.

All activities at the building have been canceled through the end of March. This includes Sunday morning and Wednesday evening worship services, Bible classes, Ladies Bible classes, and youth group activities. All decisions regarding activities at the building will follow recommendations from the CDC and our local health officials.

In the meantime we will begin utilizing our new YouTube channel for communication and worship-related activities, we will continue to publish a weekly bulletin, and we will rely heavily on News and Notes.

Finally, our ministries and obligations continue, so your contribution is as important now as always. We encourage you to give online through our secure giving site, or to write your check each week and hold it until we meet together again.

Please know you can call any of us with any needs or concerns, or just to stay connected.

I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my stronghold; I will never be shaken.

Psalm 62:1-2

National, State and Local Government COVID-19 Virus Information Websites

So that our church family can stay up to date on the information provided at the national, state and local level concerning the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic please check out the websites below.

National Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/

NM State Information: http://www.newmexico.gov/

City of Albuquerque Information: https://www.cabq.gov/

Important Statement From Elders and Ministers

COVID-19 Statement from the Netherwood Park Leadership - 3.13.2020

Dear Netherwood Park Family,

Because we are concerned about the health and safety of our Netherwood Park church family and in response to the request made by New Mexico and Albuquerque health officials and government leaders to limit the number of people at public gatherings we have canceled our Sunday assemblies and classes (both AM and PM) on March 15, Wonderful Wednesday evening Bible classes on March 18 and Thursday Morning Ladies Class on March 19. We are especially concerned for the at-risk members of our congregation and the potential for any family members who would attend a large assembly to pass the virus on to them.

To help you with your worship, you should expect to receive two additional emails tomorrow:

1. One will provide suggested links to streamed worship services of other churches of Christ.

2. The second will have guidance for worshiping in your homes with either your already established small groups or with others in our church family.

If you have any questions, please contact one of the elders. We promise to keep you updated.

This has been a week filled with much uncertainty. It’s in times like these that we must remind each other that our Heavenly Father has everything under control. Let the words of Philippians 4:6-7 bring you great comfort…”Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We love you and are praying for you and your families’ continued safety and well-being.

In the Love of the Lord,

The elders and ministers at Netherwood Park

Important COVID-19 Statement from NPCC Leadership

Ponderosa Christian Camp Featured in Video

The Ponderosa Christian Camp was recently featured in a KOAT-TV video, in which Craig Mathews appears. The Ponderosa Christian Camp was the first client of a forestry company, All Around Forestry, started by two former prison inmates.  To play the video go to KOAT's web page at: https://www.koat.com/article/former-inmates-start-forestry-company-after-learning-skills-in-prison/30971542

The Bible & Science: Creating Something from Nothing

As part of my website at www.TheTruthTransforms.com I have now added a link to my latest YouTube Video entitled, 

      “The Bible & Science: Creating Something from Nothing”. 

       https://youtu.be/5FohtwrmbTU

If you like it, please give it a thumbs up and subscribe.

The Truth Transforms Website

This online ministry takes you to another website, "to make, foster and grow disciples of Christ". The website presently has a series of ten podcasts created by Bob Chambers entitled, "The Message and Mission of Jesus Christ". There are also study outlines (24 lessons) suitable for use in evangelism, and four YouTube videos that you will find thought provoking!

The hope and prayer is that this website will serve as a resource for three groups of people:

1) Those who might be interested in hearing the Gospel of Jesus and learning more about how to obtain salvation (including a podcast devoted to the subject of baptism).

2) Those who might like a refresher course in the foundations of our faith.

3) Those who might like to prepare themselves to teach the Gospel to others.

Click anywhere on the slide above to visit the website, view the podcast titles and listen to the messages of interest. Study outlines (24 lessons) are also available and suitable for evangelism. We encourage you to also view the thought provoking YouTube videos. If you have any questions about the information presented, please feel free to contact Bob Chambers through his website contact page (by clicking Contact on the dashboard) or calling the church office at 505-256-7389.

Opportunities to Serve (Updated Weekly)

There are coin cans in the Fellowship Hall  for the New Mexico Children’s Home in Portales.  Pick one up, fill it up and bring it back to the office to help this good work!

Satellite School of Sunset International Bible Institute

Netherwood Park Church of Christ is hosting the Greater Albuquerque Bible Institute, a satellite school of Sunset International Bible Institute. The aim of biblical education is to train men and women in the gifts and skills of communication so that they can effectively share their faith and knowledge through preaching, teaching and example. If you wish to audit the classes, there is no cost, however you will be required to buy a book. If you wish to take the class for credit, for a certificate of Advanced Biblical Studies or for a Bachelor’s degree, there is a tuition fee. Please contact Britton Pruitt (via the office) for information regarding registration, fees and the schedule for classes.

Impact Houston Update

Trip Update: 4.2.2020

Are we going? - Hopefully, but highly questionable.
Are there meetings? - Not in April
What should we do? - Wait and consider different means of fundraising.
When will we know for certain? - We will decide by the end of April

I've been trying to stay in contact with Caroline about our trip to Houston this June. I've been expecting a reply from her yesterday and today but haven't received anything yet. I reassured her that if we can still make this trip happen, we are on-board, but we recognize there are a ton of variables.

On our side, much of our preparation needs to be done in person. There is only so much Zoom could help us with. If we only met through Zoom, we would not be prepared enough to make this trip successful. With health officials extending the social distancing measures through April, it's not going to be possible to have the meetings we need to have. Our next best bet is to see if we can do a lot of meetings in quick succession during May. Fundraising will also be quite difficult. We would not have much time and people may not have as much to give.

On Houston's side, they are currently experiencing a big uptick in cases. As of today, there are 847 cases and 6 deaths in the city of Houston alone. Though our side might not be as bad, the trip may not happen if Houston itself is experiencing a heavy case loads. Texas schools have also canceled through the beginning of May. It is still uncertain how Texas wants to handle schooling beyond this. There is a chance that they will resort to make up days in the summer. Texas or New Mexico both could restrict travel, causing problems for our trip.

We need to make a decision as to whether the trip is viable by the end of April. Any time after that and we risk not being able to have the money or the time to make the trip happen. With our increased responsibilities, we need more planning and practice time that we simply can't do in a matter of a few weeks. Caroline will also need to make a decision around that time so she can communicate to the families.

If this trip doesn't end up happening and you have deposited money for the trip or even already have some fundraising done, we have a couple options for what we can do. We could hold onto the money and put it in your name for next year, or we can look into refunding. In any case, the money would not be forfeited.

If the trip does end up happening, we are going to have to work overtime to make sure we accomplish what we need to do. This requires fundraising, which would be difficult with the time available and the economic hardships. You can start brainstorming ways to raise money in anticipation of this, though I would hold off on actually asking since we still aren't sure.

Impact Houston Update

How COVID-19 Will Affect Houston

Please make sure that this email gets passed to people who are on the team but are not on this mailing list. Once we meet, I'll get their contact info.

The Trip Itself

The Houston area is hit with the coronavirus disease. As of today, the state of Texas records 194 cases with 24 of them being in the Houston area. Caroline, Harrison and I were supposed to have a conference call to discuss the trip this past Monday, but Caroline felt there wasn't much to talk about since the situation changes so rapidly. Currently, Caroline is trying to see whether Houston will want to make up school days or not.

The best estimates that I've seen suggest that the virus will ramp up in April but will die down a bit in May and the summer months. I anticipate having the trip to Houston, but it is entirely possible that either Netherwood or Houston will have to cancel. 

Thus, we are moving forward as best we can with the mindset that the trip will happen. I will continue to be in contact with Caroline to find a "make or break" date.

Houston Meetings

As per the elder's decision to close down all activities in the church building this month, we will be following suit and postpone our meeting this Sunday for the rest of March. The decision came because of the concern for how long the virus can last on its own and the CDC's recommendation of having less than 10 people per gathering. 

My original thought was to meet in homes during this time, but the <10 recommendation makes that not doable. Our new plan is to have more frequent meetings later on to make up for missing out on March. This could mean meeting as frequently as once a week to try and make sure we are prepared for the trip. We will need to work hard to make it a success.

Fundraising

If the virus continues into April, fundraising will be difficult, especially if our Spaghetti dinner ends up being canceled. People can still give money, but we probably won't be able to give them a cookie or dinner in return. My advice is to do what I typically did to raise money for my Ukraine mission trip: write out fundraising letters and send them to members or family. This is probably the most consistent and effective means of fundraising for the foreseeable future. The earlier you start, the more effective it will be. Contact me for any concerns or questions.

I will keep you all updated as best I can. Thank you for your commitment to go on this trip, I wish it were a less ambiguous plan.

Important Statement From Elders and Ministers

COVID-19 Statement from the Netherwood Park Leadership - 3.13.2020

Dear Netherwood Park Family,

Because we are concerned about the health and safety of our Netherwood Park church family and in response to the request made by New Mexico and Albuquerque health officials and government leaders to limit the number of people at public gatherings we have canceled our Sunday assemblies and classes (both AM and PM) on March 15, Wonderful Wednesday evening Bible classes on March 18 and Thursday Morning Ladies Class on March 19. We are especially concerned for the at-risk members of our congregation and the potential for any family members who would attend a large assembly to pass the virus on to them.

To help you with your worship, you should expect to receive two additional emails tomorrow:

1. One will provide suggested links to streamed worship services of other churches of Christ.

2. The second will have guidance for worshiping in your homes with either your already established small groups or with others in our church family.

If you have any questions, please contact one of the elders. We promise to keep you updated.

This has been a week filled with much uncertainty. It’s in times like these that we must remind each other that our Heavenly Father has everything under control. Let the words of Philippians 4:6-7 bring you great comfort…”Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” We love you and are praying for you and your families’ continued safety and well-being.

In the Love of the Lord,

The elders and ministers at Netherwood Park

How COVD-19 Will Affect Youth Activities (Updated Periodically)

How COVID-19 Will Affect Youth Activities

Houston Team Meeting (Mar 15) - Postponed until Mar 22, more details later.
Wednesday Night Activity (Mar 18) - Canceled.
Service Project (Mar 20) - Canceled, may rework.
Youth Areawide (Mar 21) - Canceled.
Game Night (Mar 27) - Canceled.
Youth Devotional (April) - Monitored.
Future Houston Meetings (April) - Monitored.
Spiritual Explosion (Apr 17-18) - Canceled.

What's Going On

The elders and ministers have discussed all known health concerns and have been in conversation with city health officials. The elders made the decision to cancel Sunday morning/evening worship along with Wednesday night service. Though hard, the decision is in our best interest to help limit the spread of the virus so as not to overwhelm the healthcare system. 

Information from medical reports was passed on to me on Friday suggesting that the virus spreads in ways we are just now understanding. For example, it seems the majority of teens/kids who contract the virus are not showing any symptoms at all. This would make it virtually impossible to tell who should stay home and who is clear to come to events. The concern, as the school systems also recognize, is that kids will spread it unknowingly to vulnerable family members. 

Youth activities will follow the advice of the elders, out of love for our vulnerable members, and cancel March activities (with the exception of our first Houston Meeting) and closely monitor April activities. In addition to Netherwood's cancellations, Riverside has also sent word that they are canceling Spiritual Explosion due to uncertainty in the future. 
 

Going Forward

This does not mean that the Youth Group will be dormant. There are several ideas going around as to how Netherwood could support our community during this uneasy time and the Youth would play an important role in serving. There are also a few ideas for safe, responsible activities we could do.

Additionally, if you have any ideas for safe, responsible activities, contact me and I will bring them before the elders on Tuesday, March 17th. 

Houston Mission Trip

The Houston Meeting scheduled for Sunday, March 15th is being pushed back to Sunday, March 22nd. At this meeting, we will include time to discuss when we could do our meetings going forward. We are assuming that our trip in June will not be affected, so we need to make sure we are still putting in the effort to make the trip a success. Our fundraising service projects are also in a weird spot, with most of it requiring a large gathering and the generosity of our Senior members. I have a conference call with Caroline and Harrison this coming Monday where we can get a better idea of how things are looking.

Ponderosa Christian Camp Video