Dear BPCWAians, Next week, we will be having our Annual Congregational Meeting. It is, in a sense, a family get-together to review and update everyone on what’s been happening in the church. Last week, we distributed the reports to members in our church. I hope that every member who has received these reports will take the time to read through the reports, as they are a reflection of what God has done for us. It will help to keep us updated of what has been happening “behind the scenes” over the past year. While life in WA has returned to greater normality than most states, it is still not “normal” according to what we have been used to. We can choose to be unhappy about the situation, or choose to thank God for the many ways He has worked and opened up for us in BPCWA. The situation we are in is something that many Christians would envy, so let the words of our mouths be filled with the goodness of God’s blessings upon us. What should we be especially thankful to our God about?

Be thankful for His help through the COVID19 lockdown and resumption of worship in church. I hope that our memories of the lockdown have not been forgotten. The reason I say this is if we forget what God has delivered us from, we will not be grateful for His blessing upon us. As is evident from many of the reports, COVID19 has significantly affected us, our ministries, and our church. With the suddenness of the lockdown, we must thank God that not a single Worship service in BPCWA was affected during the entire period. Seamlessly (though not painlessly), the service went online immediately the week the church doors were closed to worshippers due to the lockdown. God’s leading and provision of many things ahead of COVID-19 had guided and prepared us to provide livestream of our worship services. None of us could have anticipated at the start that one day the church would be closed, and livestreaming would be required by the whole church at one time. God had even provided the space in our building to allow both congregations to fully return to church now at different times. Added on to this, we have sufficient rooms and space for our children to also continue their Sunday School lessons every week in face to face lessons at church before our worship services. These, without doubt, are our God’s pre-planned provision even when the church was first built and later extended. What a wonderfully gracious and all-wise Father we have!

Be thankful for moving the heart of the government. Furthermore, we must be thankful that God worked in the hearts of our government leaders to  allow personnel involved to go to church to conduct and record the services via livestream. This was something that caused me much anxiety at the start, because without these, livestreaming our services would have been very difficult for me to manage alone. Prov 21:1 The king’s heart isin the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will. Now, several months after having the lockdown lifted, we in WA cannot take for granted the freedom that we now experience. We desire the freedom not because we can enjoy eating out, exercising, and shopping but because we can return to church to worship, learn and fellowship in person. Many around the world, and even in Australia, cannot meet in the same way as we do – and we have been able to continue to do so every week without even needing to roster who can or cannot come. Again through His guiding Hand upon the WA government leaders in planning for the Phase 3 of the WA roadmap, BPCWAians do not have to be rostered to come to church, but can come every week, though in various parts of the church. This has been unique to Perth and we must give thanks for it. But the fact that we can gather in different parts of the church would be useless, if we did not have the technology to be able to screen the worship simultaneously from the main sanctuary to each of these rooms. Even the installation of speakers in these rooms were done a few years ahead, provided by a love gift, was by the guiding providence of our heavenly Father. Do remember that even for many who can return to church in some countries, their government’s rules do not allow singing in the gatherings. Knowing that God has enabled all these for us in Perth and that we also can sing during our worship services, it should cause us to raise our hearts in praise and worship of our Almighty Father every Lord’s Day! We may have rejoiced to return to church when the doors reopened, but have we since grown weary of this privilege that God has given to us? This surely should also cause us to seize every opportunity to come to church to learn and fellowship at every available Bible study and fellowship. BPCWAians, let us count our blessings and truly name them one by one… because only when we count our many blessings do we realise what great things God has done for us. Brethren, let us when we see all this, thank God that He has privileged us to live through such an occasion where we can witness His great Hand on behalf of His people, that His Name may be praised. Deut 10:21 He is thy praise, and he is thy God, that hath done for thee these great and terrible things, which thine eyes have seen.

Yours in our Lord’s service,

Pastor