This one service won’t include a preaching time, but will be committed to praying for our nation, our leaders, law enforcement, and for our nation’s churches.

In an era where most people, including many professing Christians, consider attending church non-essential, we need more than ever to be a testimony to the essentiality of the church in our lives. Though it is convenient to sit on our couches watching “TV services” that just is not fulfilling the Biblical mandate to assemble ourselves together, and to do it more frequently, rather than less, as we see the indications for the prospect of the return of our Saviour. (Heb. 10:24-25).

Our morning and evening services will return to the normal schedule on Sunday, August 23.  Sunday School and Bible Study classes will be in their usual rooms at 10:00 a.m., and the morning and evening services will be in the Fellowship Hall at 11:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.  We’ll continue to provide spacing and will have doors and windows open during the services as before.  Master Clubs and Teens of Faith will resume on Wednesday, August 26.

As a pastoral staff we do understand the need for all those with compromised health issues to refrain from attending for the present as they see fit.  Of course, we will continue to ask that anyone who may have a cold or fever or any symptoms of any illness, to remain home until they are better.

This Sunday the 16^th will be our last 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. services, and we look forward to seeing you all here with us!  God bless and protect you.

In the Love of Christ,

Pastor and church staff

THE ESSENTIALITY OF MEETING TOGETHER

While we willingly complied with the shutdown for a while, it is evident that we need to assemble in person for more than just one or two hours per week. The following are a few spiritual disciplines that cannot fully be fulfilled while under an indefinite ban on indoor assembly:

TEACHING

The Great Commission (given to the church in Mat. 28) includes seeing people saved, baptized, and taught in the things of Scripture. Paul instructed Timothy to teach faithful men who would be able to teach others also (see 2 Tim. 2:2). Sunday school is the teaching arm of the church, and neglecting it too long will hamper the spiritual lives of our members. We must be in the Word. Together. (Also see 1 Tim. 4:13)

SINGING

Governor Newsom’s ban on singing is our clearest example of Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” We’re told in Colossians 3:16 to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Ephesians 5 and Psalms 105 and a bunch of other texts tell us to unashamedly sing unto the Lord, which is our right, privilege, and duty to God and those around us.

PRAYER

Corporate prayer was a hallmark of the early church. The disciples met together and prayed, even in times when they feared for their lives (see John 20). Couldn’t they pray in their own homes? Maybe, but they didn’t. We want to be like them and meet together to pray. “And they continued steadfastly… in prayers.” (Acts 2:42) When Peter showed up “where many were gathered together praying,” (see Acts 12), they couldn’t believe he’d been released from jail by an angel! But there he was… in person. At church. With his praying brothers and sisters. 

FELLOWSHIP

It’s no accident that fellowship continued after the apostles: Acts 2:42 “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” We can’t underestimate the spiritual value of being together, even if for no other spiritual reason than to see our church family’s smiling faces.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Spiritual gifts are given by the Spirit “to profit withal.” (See 1 Cor. 12:7). We must be together to obey 1 Cor. 14:12: “…seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” Don’t get scared when you read 1 Cor. 12–14. Speaking in tongues was the example gift Paul was using to show that ALL gifts (giving, serving, mercy, etc.) are for others. (Also see Rom. 12 and Eph. 4.)

ASSEMBLY

Do your own careful study of 1 Cor. 12–14, or the book of Acts, or of any of the epistles that were written to churches about church life. Or study Hebrews 10: The doctrine of Scripture is not only a private study… it is to lead us to 1) live holy lives (v22), 2) have a deeper faith in God (v23), and 3) help each other grow (v24). How is this possible? Through church assembly (v25). 

PRINCIPLE

Pastor recently referenced the article by Pastor John MacArthur that clarified the biblical distinctions between family, church, and government. The article said, “When officials restrict church attendance to a certain number, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the saints to gather as the church. When officials prohibit singing in worship services, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the people of God to obey the commands of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. When officials mandate distancing, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible to experience the close communion between believers that is commanded in Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. In all those spheres, we must submit to our Lord.”

ASSESSING THE RISK

COVID numbers fluctuate daily, and I assume we’ll have church members get it eventually. But I also assume we’ll catch colds, pray for people with cancer, and bury victims of car accidents. I drive every day knowing I might be one of 6 million accidents this year, but it’s a risk I’ve accepted. Car accidents aren’t “contagious” like a virus, but if the risk calculation is similar, I can use godly wisdom to judge the risk of death by Coronavirus (for me or others) for myself.

This is no denial of the severity of Covid-19. I have had several personal friends contract the virus and tell me first hand that “it is no joke.” However, the death rate has been shown to be uniquely high among the elderly and sickly, but incredibly low among the young. (only 2/10 deaths under age 65).[*]

For those who deem the health risks too high for yourself or those around you, we gladly support you and will continue to provide the online video services. We have talked with several church members who YEARN to assemble together, and this letter is NOT a “guilt trip” to those at home who are at high risk.

For those who are at risk of being fired if they joined an in-person service, you have the biblical mandate to provide for your family, and that’s not a small factor in your decision, particularly since the lockdown is only temporary.

For those who think our testimony is tarnished if we violate the government’s orders, I believe there are an equal number of offended parties (both inside and outside the church) on both sides…

• Those who can’t believe churches are “caving to the government” and not opening
• Those who can’t believe how “unloving” or disobedient churches are to open

To group (1), we say: 

We initially shut down services to mitigate the potential risk. We mitigate risks every day with seatbelts, helmets, airbags, harnesses, railings, braces, vitamins, earthquake codes, and surge protectors. We’ve never considered it caving to allow fire inspectors, roofing inspectors, foundation inspectors, and gas inspectors. We do background checks for volunteers and run security during our services, and have always complied in these areas that do not hinder us scripturally. These things mitigate risk, and we comply for the greater good of our church. Only when Bible principles are hampered should we disobey (see reasons above).

To group (2), we say: 

1. For the spiritual health of our church, we believe God has called us to meet together.
2. Technology is a nice tool, but only a stopgap. Zoom video calls or at-home TV services were never God’s ideal for His people. A face-to-face ministry of people is always going to be better than a 2D pixel version of church.
3. We have options available for everyone. Those at risk of death or being fired (or carrying that same risk to others) are encouraged to participate online and commit to join us when their conscience before God is clear.
4. Locking down is unloving to a larger swath of people than opening up (lost jobs, mental health data, suicide rates, etc.)
5. Our witness to the world includesthose times when we deem it unbiblical to comply (e.g. See Acts when Paul and Peter were arrested, or incited riots, or vocally opposed the governmental orders by their testimony).
6. Since the church is the pillar and the ground of truth, it is the church’s duty to speak truth by example and proclamation, not only to congregants but to the government, too.

Here’s the bottom line

At some point it becomes necessary to compare the physical risks versus the spiritual risks. As we analyze the data for ourselves, it seems that if we face this virus annually, we’ll face these same spiritual principles annually, too. We cannot neglect worship, teaching, fellowship, prayer, and service to God. Christians can delay these disciplines only so long before it alters our walk with Him, so we choose to use our God-given wisdom to assess our own risk, follow the biblical example to quarantine the sick, and obey God in all areas of Scripture sooner rather than later.

This is the most loving thing we can do for a world that needs God’s truth now more than ever before.

-Pastor Ryan

[*] Source: https://www.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#demographics Aug. 12, 2020. Percentage of total U. S. deaths by age: 85+ (32%); 75+ (26%); 65+ (21%); 50+ (16%); 40+ (3%); 30+ (1.3%); 18+ (.5%).[/us_popup]

TEACHING

The Great Commission (given to the church in Mat. 28) includes seeing people saved, baptized, and taught in the things of Scripture. Paul instructed Timothy to teach faithful men who would be able to teach others also (see 2 Tim. 2:2). Sunday school is the teaching arm of the church, and neglecting it too long will hamper the spiritual lives of our members. We must be in the Word. Together. (Also see 1 Tim. 4:13)

SINGING

Governor Newsom’s ban on singing is our clearest example of Acts 5:29, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” We’re told in Colossians 3:16 to “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” Ephesians 5 and Psalms 105 and a bunch of other texts tell us to unashamedly sing unto the Lord, which is our right, privilege, and duty to God and those around us.

PRAYER

Corporate prayer was a hallmark of the early church. The disciples met together and prayed, even in times when they feared for their lives (see John 20). Couldn’t they pray in their own homes? Maybe, but they didn’t. We want to be like them and meet together to pray. “And they continued steadfastly… in prayers.” (Acts 2:42) When Peter showed up “where many were gathered together praying,” (see Acts 12), they couldn’t believe he’d been released from jail by an angel! But there he was… in person. At church. With his praying brothers and sisters. 

FELLOWSHIP

It’s no accident that fellowship continued after the apostles: Acts 2:42 “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” We can’t underestimate the spiritual value of being together, even if for no other spiritual reason than to see our church family’s smiling faces.

SPIRITUAL GIFTS

Spiritual gifts are given by the Spirit “to profit withal.” (See 1 Cor. 12:7). We must be together to obey 1 Cor. 14:12: “…seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.” Don’t get scared when you read 1 Cor. 12–14. Speaking in tongues was the example gift Paul was using to show that ALL gifts (giving, serving, mercy, etc.) are for others. (Also see Rom. 12 and Eph. 4.)

ASSEMBLY

Do your own careful study of 1 Cor. 12–14, or the book of Acts, or of any of the epistles that were written to churches about church life. Or study Hebrews 10: The doctrine of Scripture is not only a private study… it is to lead us to 1) live holy lives (v22), 2) have a deeper faith in God (v23), and 3) help each other grow (v24). How is this possible? Through church assembly (v25). 

PRINCIPLE

Pastor recently referenced the article by Pastor John MacArthur that clarified the biblical distinctions between family, church, and government. The article said, “When officials restrict church attendance to a certain number, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the saints to gather as the church. When officials prohibit singing in worship services, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible for the people of God to obey the commands of Ephesians 5:19 and Colossians 3:16. When officials mandate distancing, they attempt to impose a restriction that in principle makes it impossible to experience the close communion between believers that is commanded in Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, and 1 Thessalonians 5:26. In all those spheres, we must submit to our Lord.”

ASSESSING THE RISK

COVID numbers fluctuate daily, and I assume we’ll have church members get it eventually. But I also assume we’ll catch colds, pray for people with cancer, and bury victims of car accidents. I drive every day knowing I might be one of 6 million accidents this year, but it’s a risk I’ve accepted. Car accidents aren’t “contagious” like a virus, but if the risk calculation is similar, I can use godly wisdom to judge the risk of death by Coronavirus (for me or others) for myself.

This is no denial of the severity of Covid-19. I have had several personal friends contract the virus and tell me first hand that “it is no joke.” However, the death rate has been shown to be uniquely high among the elderly and sickly, but incredibly low among the young. (only 2/10 deaths under age 65).[*]

For those who deem the health risks too high for yourself or those around you, we gladly support you and will continue to provide the online video services. We have talked with several church members who YEARN to assemble together, and this letter is NOT a “guilt trip” to those at home who are at high risk.

For those who are at risk of being fired if they joined an in-person service, you have the biblical mandate to provide for your family, and that’s not a small factor in your decision, particularly since the lockdown is only temporary.

For those who think our testimony is tarnished if we violate the government’s orders, I believe there are an equal number of offended parties (both inside and outside the church) on both sides…

• Those who can’t believe churches are “caving to the government” and not opening
• Those who can’t believe how “unloving” or disobedient churches are to open

To group (1), we say: 

We initially shut down services to mitigate the potential risk. We mitigate risks every day with seatbelts, helmets, airbags, harnesses, railings, braces, vitamins, earthquake codes, and surge protectors. We’ve never considered it caving to allow fire inspectors, roofing inspectors, foundation inspectors, and gas inspectors. We do background checks for volunteers and run security during our services, and have always complied in these areas that do not hinder us scripturally. These things mitigate risk, and we comply for the greater good of our church. Only when Bible principles are hampered should we disobey (see reasons above).

To group (2), we say: 

1. For the spiritual health of our church, we believe God has called us to meet together.
2. Technology is a nice tool, but only a stopgap. Zoom video calls or at-home TV services were never God’s ideal for His people. A face-to-face ministry of people is always going to be better than a 2D pixel version of church.
3. We have options available for everyone. Those at risk of death or being fired (or carrying that same risk to others) are encouraged to participate online and commit to join us when their conscience before God is clear.
4. Locking down is unloving to a larger swath of people than opening up (lost jobs, mental health data, suicide rates, etc.)
5. Our witness to the world includesthose times when we deem it unbiblical to comply (e.g. See Acts when Paul and Peter were arrested, or incited riots, or vocally opposed the governmental orders by their testimony).
6. Since the church is the pillar and the ground of truth, it is the church’s duty to speak truth by example and proclamation, not only to congregants but to the government, too.

Here’s the bottom line

At some point it becomes necessary to compare the physical risks versus the spiritual risks. As we analyze the data for ourselves, it seems that if we face this virus annually, we’ll face these same spiritual principles annually, too. We cannot neglect worship, teaching, fellowship, prayer, and service to God. Christians can delay these disciplines only so long before it alters our walk with Him, so we choose to use our God-given wisdom to assess our own risk, follow the biblical example to quarantine the sick, and obey God in all areas of Scripture sooner rather than later.

This is the most loving thing we can do for a world that needs God’s truth now more than ever before.

-Pastor Ryan

[*] Source: https://www.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#demographics Aug. 12, 2020. Percentage of total U. S. deaths by age: 85+ (32%); 75+ (26%); 65+ (21%); 50+ (16%); 40+ (3%); 30+ (1.3%); 18+ (.5%).

On Wednesday night, we had our first run at a video service. Bro. Christian got us up and running in just TWO DAYS, and several church members contributed in any way they could. I had choir members calling to help sing, Sunday school teachers planning video conference calls for their classes, and people recording special music all week. Nicole laid down several hours of piano recordings for future use, and we are continuing to function as a church through praise, prayer, and preaching. Although we cannot assemble together tomorrow, we still need our church family. 

We will launch our services at the normal times tomorrow at 11am and 6pm using both Facebook and YouTube. You do not need an account to watch. Simply visit cbctemecula.com/live from any internet-connected device (Smart TV, phone, tablet, computer, etc.), and you will be directed to the latest video. 

You can watch on a Smart TV or a streaming device (Apple TV, Roku, etc.) by using the FaceBook Watch or the YouTube apps. Search your TV’s App Store to find out more. 

Here’s a word about tomorrow’s services:

WHAT YOU DO CREATES A MINDSET

Church, in this time away, the natural trend of the flesh is to do LESS for God. Satan would LOVE to sift you as wheat, and use the time away from the encouragement of the body to wreck your spiritual life through despair, discouragement, or apathy. Without a deliberate attempt to fight the spiritual fight and arm ourselves with the spiritual armor of Ephesians 6, we will spiritually lapse, and open ourselves to the fiery darts of the wicked. 

This is not spiritual spring break. This is not a vacation from God. This is not a holiday. Now—perhaps more than ever before—is a spiritual test of your faith. Is your faith rooted in the fun of friendships or is it rooted in Christ? God’s blessings INCLUDE our face to face friendships, but when they are limited, is GOD limited, too? 

Definitely not. 

Reflect your faith in Almighty God by staying faithful to these church “services” and to one another. When it is service time: 

ASSEMBLE

Gather on time to watch the video services (Sunday at 11am and 6pm). Please see CBCTEMECULA.COM/LIVE for all the available ways to view the services. Joining with someone else (perhaps through a video call with the latest bans) will encourage you to improve in the next areas… 

REVERENCE

To build the right mindset about God and His church, and to continue the habits you cultivate in the regular church services, treat the video services with more respect than is typical for your living room habits. 

Come dressed. You don’t need to wear your Sunday best, but something more than your PJ’s would rightly reflect what is happening at that time: church! 

Limit distractions. Turn off alerts. Put down the phone. Save the food for after service. Tune in to the service and tune out the rest of the world. 

PARTICIPATE

Let your neighbors hear a nice “AMEN!” through the open windows! Sing along with the hymns. Just like Paul told his Corinthian friends: “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit…” His circumstances were bad, but he felt like he was right there with them through their downtimes.

These recommendations are more about creating a MINDSET than anything else. One work-from-home author recently said, “I’ve worked from home for 7 years. Here’s some free advice if you never have. Start the day with a shower and then dress like you normally would for work. I love pajama pants too, but they’re a breeding ground for depression. Flannel feels like failure by day 3.” (Twitter.com/jonacuff) No one will check up on what you do in the privacy of your own home, but when you approach a church service like it’s a movie, it changes your worship. If you approach it like worship, you realize God is there, and it changes the reason for and process of the service. 

Everything creates a mindset. I’m looking forward to worshiping “with” you tomorrow. 

-Pastor Ryan

Dear Church,

Pastor’s Wednesday night series covered Christian martyrs through the ages, and I marvel at how their churches survived the trials. In the face of death, they continued to be churches that worshiped God, won souls, loved people, and stood for truth. 

Our current enemy is not trying to kill us with the sword. 

Our current enemy is not trying to kill us with coronavirus. 

Our current enemy IS trying to kill us with SEPARATION. 

But, like the churches of old, the true disciples of Christ endure trials with joy, and realize that no setback can change who we are. 

Although we are currently going to video-only services (no assemblies in our church building), we will maintain a sense of worship as much as possible. I am aware that the medium affects the message—church doesn’t feel like church through an entertainment device—but we can do our part to make your HOME services as much like church as possible: 

• Set up. Visit cbctemecula.com/live on any device and have the Facebook page ready to go for your home “services.” Even if you are NOT a Facebook member, you can still watch the services. 
  • Tonight: 7:00 pm
  • Sunday morning: 11:00 am
  • Sunday night: 6:00 pm
• Prepare. Come to the service times ready to participate in the entire service, just like you do for church. We won’t have you stand up and sit down, but you can still “come” to the services ready to worship. Limit your family’s distractions by removing the phones, not bringing food, etc.
• Join together. Without compromising the recommended limitations (group sizes under 10, limited contact with seniors, self-quarantined after travels, etc), join with another small family at the service times to worship. 
• Sing. When it is time to sing, we will play some prerecorded hymns as congregationals. Sing along! 
• Pray. When there’s “corporate” prayer, join along. Our sanctuary is open during regular business hours to come to the church to pray, as well. 
• Give. Our financial obligations to our missionaries, our buildings, and other budget items have not ceased, and part of being in the body is to contribute via our online giving: 
  • TEXT GIVING: 
    • Text CBCT APP to 77977
  • APP DOWNLOAD: 
    • iOS – iPhone CLICK HERE
    • Android CLICK HERE
  • ONLINE GIVING: 
    • cbctemecula.com/give 
  • Or, mail a check to 31087 Nicolas Rd. Temecula, CA 92591 
  • NOTE: The app giving is the church’s preferred method of giving. Not only do the recurring gifts help our monthly accounting, but the bookkeeping is much easier to do digitally. If you have been hesitant to sign up, would you please let me (Ryan Rench) know why, and if there is anything hindering your use of the app for giving? If I can make it easier for you, please let me know. 
• Participate. Sit through the “service” with Bible in hand and join right along! When we meet again at church, your family will not have missed a beat! 

STAY TUNED. I know a lot of these updates can seem monotonous, but we are communicating new information in every post, video, and email, even if some of the information overlaps. We will keep our website, church app, and Facebook page up to date with everything we find out. 

It will likely be several more weeks that we have these restrictions, so please stay connected to the family. Drop by the church (we’ll stay socially distant, that’s okay). Fellowship in small groups. Go outdoors for a hike together. Meet someone from your Sunday school class.

NEED HELP? A growing network of people have volunteered to help in ANY way possible, so if you or someone you know needs help shopping, or needs some emergency supplies, or needs to figure out how to watch the services live, please call the office at (951) 676-8700.

VIDEO UPDATE FROM PASTOR. Finally, if you missed Pastor Rench’s video update, please see him in the video below: 

VIDEO SERVICES. Last Sunday was like a revival! No one took for granted that we could meet together, and the spirit was exciting and encouraging. Unfortunately, our church gatherings are suspended indefinitely, but we are conducting video services at each of our regularly scheduled main service times: 

Wednesday – 7:00 pm

Sunday morning – 11:00 am

Sunday evening – 6:00 pm

Please visit cbctemecula.com/live to view the services from any device. 

OFFICES. Our offices and sanctuary are open for prayer, and our buildings are still being deep cleaned. 

PRAYER. Please send prayer requests for tomorrow night’s service via email to info@cbctemecula.com, or by text message to (951) 234-7897, or call our offices at (951) 676-8700. 

INFORMATION. We will send a video update TOMORROW that gives more detail, and we are planning on ministering together as biblically as possible, including through music, prayer, giving, and preaching. 

GIVING. Please stay faithful to your tithes and offerings via the church app. Our giving platform uses the highest security possible and is easy to set up. We are preparing further instructional videos for how to use the app for giving, and want to encourage all our members to download and use the app by texting the words CBCT APP to this phone number: 77977

Thank you for staying faithful. Sure wish I could be with you!

God bless, 
Pastor Rench