Coronavirus Updates

Coronavirus Updates

June 24 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

June 21 - Sunday Morning Service

For those unable to attend worship services in person the live stream will begin at 10:00AM CDT.

It will be live streamed at the links below and the recording will be posted online afterwards if you happen to miss it live.

Note: the links to the live streams do not change from service-to-service so you can bookmark either for easy access. Archived sermon links are specific to each video but you can always find a complete list of archived sermons and classes here.

Other information:

  • If you need communion supplies please let Doug Simmons know.
  • Check here for Online Giving instructions.

If you are planning to attend in person, please be sure and consider the Guidelines for Returning to Services provided by our elders.

June 17 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

June 14 - Sunday Morning Service

For those unable to attend worship services in person the live stream will begin at 10:00AM CDT.

It will be live streamed at the links below and the recording will be posted online afterwards if you happen to miss it live.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

  • If you need communion supplies please let Doug Simmons know.
  • Check here for Online Giving instructions.

If you are planning to attend in person, please be sure and consider the Guidelines for Returning to Services provided by our elders.

June 10 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

Special Note: Due to technical difficulties Bible study will start 7:30 PM CDT tonight.

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:30 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

June 7 - Sunday Morning Service

For those unable to attend worship services in person the live stream will begin at 10:00AM CDT.

It will be live streamed at the links below and the recording will be posted online afterwards if you happen to miss it live.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

  • If you need communion supplies please let Doug Simmons know.
  • Check here for Online Giving instructions.

If you are planning to attend in person, please be sure and consider the Guidelines for Returning to Services provided by our elders last week.

June 3 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

May 31 - Sunday Morning Service for Those Unable to Attend

As announced by our Elders earlier this week, we are very excited to be able to return to assembling together this Sunday May 31 at 10:oo AM. Please see the announcement and guidelines below.

For those unable to attend in person the service will continue to be available online - though at 10:00AM CDT - not 11:00 as previously.

It will be live streamed at the links below and the recording will be posted online afterwards if you happen to miss it live.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

  • If you need communion supplies please let Doug Simmons know.
  • Check here for Online Giving instructions.

May 27 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

May 24 - Sunday Morning Service

Be sure and join us online as we worship God together. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

May 20 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

May 17 - Announcement Concerning Return to Services

 

 

May 17 - Sunday Morning Service

Be sure and join us online as we worship God together. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

May 13 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

May 10 - Sunday Morning Service

Be sure and join us online as we worship God together. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

May 6 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

May 3 - Sunday Morning Service

Be sure and join us online as we worship God together. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

April 29 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

April 26 - Sunday Morning Service

Be sure and join us online as we worship God together. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

April 22 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

April 19 - Sunday Morning Service

Be sure and join us online as we worship God together. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

April 16 - Bonus Lesson: Building Tough Faith

Join us for a special bonus session on building a tough, rugged faith that will stand in difficult times.

April 15 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

April 12 - Sunday Morning Service

Be sure and join us online as we worship God together. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

April 8 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

April 8 - Table Talks and Song Services Online

Check here for a selection of previously recorded "Table Talks" to aid in your observance of the Lord's Supper on the first day of week.

Check here for our 2020 Winter Singing and excepts from 2019

April 5 - Sunday Morning Service

Be sure and join us online as we worship God together. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print the notes sheet so you can follow along.

Other information:

April 1 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

A Conversation with Billy Harrington

Here is a short and encouraging visit with one of Westside's shepherds, Billy Harrington.  He has some good thoughts on the corona virus' effects on our discipleship.

Q&A: COVID-19 Edition

Watch Mark's special Q&A sermon here:

Watch this morning's sermon here:

March 29 - Sunday Morning Service

It should be no surprise that we are meeting online again in the morning.  That will be our pattern until we let you know otherwise as we continue to respect the precautions we need to take due to COVID-19.

  • If you need communion supplies please let Doug Simmons know.
  • A note sheet for the morning lesson is available here: Spring Cleaning for Our Soul.
  • The sermon will be streamed online at Westside's official Facebook page, on the website (www.JustChristians.com) and there will be a "watch party" going in the Westside Family Group.
  • Please don't forget that giving is part of the Lord's Day (1 Corinthians 16:1-2).  You can give online with Zelle pay (see instructions here - Online Giving) or you can mail checks to the building.  Do not mail cash or put cash in the mail box - that's not safe.
  • The Prayer Service on Friday night did us all good.  Watch it on the website (sermon section) or on the FB page if you weren't able to be with us Friday night.
  • Missing the monthly Q & A sermon?  A special edition Q & A will be uploaded Sunday to the website and FB page dealing with pertinent questions, like "can we worship at home?" and "are we obeying the government rather than God?"

We've done a great job as a congregation all through this crisis.  Remember, our assembling together has certainly changed, but worship is not canceled.  Let's worship God tomorrow!

Mark

March 25 - Wednesday Evening Bible Study

We continue with Great Stories of Faith tonight at 7:00 p.m. It will be live streamed at the links below.

Download and print these so you can follow along in class!

Watch a recording of tonight's class here:

March 22 - Online Giving Information and Today's Sermon

For Westside members instructions on using the Zelle app to contribute electronically have been posted here:

Watch Mark's sermon from this morning:

March 21 - Preparing for Worshop on Sunday

As we announced earlier this week we will be worshiping in homes again this Sunday, out of respect for governing authority and concern for our health and safety as well as our neighbors'.

If you do not have communion supplies please contact Doug Simmons and he will arrange to get you what you need.

Mark's sermon on the Beatitudes will be live streamed from Westside's Facebook page and our website beginning at 11:00 AM. Please tune in!

Watching opportunities are the same as on Wednesday:

We know there were some technical issues last week with the streaming freezing up but Mark will be "broadcasting" from the church building where we have a much faster network connection. A test run Friday went very well, so we expect no troubles tomorrow.

Handouts are available to help you and your family follow along with the sermon tomorrow morning.

We continue to do the best we can in a tough situation and you are responding in a great way. We're looking after each other, we're staying in touch with social media, and we're meeting "virtually" on Sundays and Wednesday. Keep praying for our country, for the sick, for medical personnel and especially for our elders.

For the elders,

Mark

March 19 - Two New Videos Published 

Wednesday night's online Bible study from Genesis 6 is available here:

Additonally, Mark sat down with one of our Elders, Dr. Mark Rodgers, to get his perspective on this pandemic and to learn what you can do to help take care of yourself and your brothers and sisters in Christ.

March 18 - Services Suspended Through Sunday March 29th

The elders met last night to discuss, pray, and consider what is best for the Westside church in the ongoing corona virus situation.

It’s important for everyone to remember that different churches in the DFW area are located in different counties, all of which have different regulations and recommendations for group meetings. Westside is in Dallas county and the city of Irving, where the authorities have prohibited all meetings of 50 or more.

The elders are committed to shepherding the Westside church. That’s our responsibility. Other groups in other locales may make different decisions but we are responsible to God for this local church in Irving. We are praying and we are working to do what is best for you as we serve God together.

That means first, we are committed to disciples honoring Him on the Lord’s Day as Scripture instructs. We can do that without a church building. If a tornado flattened our meeting house it wouldn’t put Westside “out of business” and corona isn’t putting us out of business either. Westside is NOT canceling the worship of God. We’re simply moving it. We’re moving into homes just like we did last week.

We will not assemble at the church building this Sunday, March 22, or Sunday March 29, out of concern for each other’s medical safety (Matthew 7:12), out of love for our neighbors and their medical safety (Luke 10:29ff), and out of respect for governing authorities (Romans 13:1ff).

We will meet in homes (just like they did in New Testament times, see Acts 5:42; Romans 16:5) as we did last week for worship, including a live streamed lesson by Mark at 11:00 AM CDT.

We will re-evaluate and make further plans after March 29th.

We want to make sure that everyone has:

  • Communion elements - let an elder know if you did not have unleavened bread and fruit of the vine and we will arrange for you to pick up what you need.
  • Access to the live stream feed - it is vital that every member is using technology to keep us together. If you can’t get to the Westside Facebook page or the Westside website let us know and/or we will get you what you need, walk you through what you need to do set that up on your device. This is not complicated or difficult and you need to be accessing the Wednesday Bible classes and the Sunday sermons. You also need to be receiving the Westside Wire via email.
  • A video will be posted later today with Mark Rodgers answering some medical questions about the virus but this is a real threat to all of us, and especially vulnerable people like our senior saints. Wash your hands, make wise choices, and keep praying that the virus crisis will end quickly.
  • Be advised: the baptistery at the building still works, and if someone needs to obey the Gospel we can meet at the building so a person could become a Christian!
  • We will post Zelle Pay information to the website so that this option for giving on the first day of the week is available. You may also mail your contribution to the building but please don’t send cash. Don’t forget the men we support around the world still need to receive their monthly checks. Further, other financial responsibilities at Westside continue despite the virus.

These are not easy decision for your shepherds to make. We are doing all we can to help us please the Lord, be safe, and be wise. If you have further questions or needs you know to reach out to us and we will be glad to help all we can. Keep praying for our nation’s leaders, for the sick, for medical personnel and first responders, and for this church. We are convinced we will get through this together and have an even greater appreciation of the joy of assembling all together at the building when we can do that safely again.

The Elders

Wednesday Evening March 18th - Online Bible study for the whole family. 

Mark is preparing a special online Bible class, "Great Stories of Faith," that will help us grow our faith in this crisis.  The material will be presented for the entire family so make sure your children are ready to watch and learn too.  Don't worry adults - there will be plenty for us to work with!  Wednesday night Bible study doesn't stop for corona!  Mark will be LIVE at 7:00 p.m. Wednesday night.  7:00 p.m., NOT 7:30 p.m. 

The live stream will be available at both of the links below:

Download the kids activity sheets here:

Previous sermons, including Mark's sermon Anxiety, Corona, and Christians are available in the sermon archives.

 

Services cancelled Sunday 3/15 and Wednesday 3/18

Originally posted to the "Westside Wire" 3/13.

A Word from our Shepherds:

Your elders have had extensive and thoughtful discussion about the corona virus and its impact on our worship services and assembling together this Sunday.

It is important that we all understand that the government is not persecuting Christians or trying to stop Christian worship. If that was the case we would, of course, meet in secret and continue to “obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29). This is not persecution. The authorities are actually trying to help keep us, and the community, safe. This situation is akin to a hurricane coming through on a Sunday morning. It would not be safe to meet together in that circumstance.

The corona virus presence and threat makes it unsafe for us to be together this Sunday. We know that in uncertain times disciples want to worship together, but we must consider one another, and especially the weak and elderly among us and what is best for them. And we need to think about our neighbors - the non-Christians we interact with every day. We need to “love our neighbors” and do all we can to keep them safe as well.

All of this added together means your shepherds have had to make an extremely difficult decision. We have agonized and prayed and thought through many alternatives today but we cannot escape that the best option for everyone’s safety is for us not to meet.

Westside will not meet for worship or Bible classes on Sunday, March 15th, or for Bible classes the following Wednesday, March 18th.

Even though we will not assemble on Sunday please remember that it will still be the Lord’s Day. Each of you is encouraged to honor the Lord as best you can. Mark will bring a lesson at 11:00 AM on Sunday morning via the church’s Face book page. Tune in and we will be thankful for the technology that enables us to connect in some way and hear a word from the Scriptures!

We will update you again on Friday, March 20th.

Please pray for our nation and her leaders. Pray for our Westside family, especially those who are elderly. Pray for your shepherds. And we must continue to stay in contact with each other. Please let the shepherds know if you become ill, or are short of food or other necessities. As the brethren in Acts cared for one another (Acts 11:28-30) so we will do.

Again, we are very sorry to have make this determination. We believe it will be for the best. If you have any questions please contact the elders directly. And please help us spread the word, especially to those who may not see The Wire or be active on social media.

For the Westside church,

The Elders