Announcement:

“God raised Jesus from the dead, and we are all witnesses of this. Now he is exalted to the place of highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand.” Acts 2:32-33 (NLT)

Jesus who was dead is alive and is seated upon the throne! Friends, we have to allow that truth to reign in our hearts, even as we face the fact that COVID-19 has caused untold disruption to nearly all aspects of modern life. Although we still cannot gather as we normally would, we recognize that this is a necessary sacrifice for now, and that by uniting behind a shared sense of purpose we are actually coming together as a community in new and profound ways.

Well of Life, like any church, is part of the fabric of a nation, and we acknowledge that we are part of a nationwide response to this threat. To that end we are grateful that the government in the UAE was quick to respond, and we recognize that our leaders have spared no efforts to combat the spread of the virus and minimize its impact. We are also indebted to the frontline healthcare professionals and other key workers who are selflessly risking their lives to serve the sick at this time. May God bless them.

Well of Life, like the universal church, has weathered many storms, and as history shows us, challenges like the world is facing now will only strengthen our resolve and our dependence upon God, and hopefully will arouse a sleeping world to its need for a Saviour. As the Easter celebration in April reminded us, things are not always what they seem, and ultimately God always triumphs for His glory and our good. There is no doubt that there are tough days ahead, but Christians, birthed from an astonishing resurrection, ought to be marked by a compelling optimism and we need to be those who exude hope in this time and place. Let us also be grateful to God as we see countries around the world beginning to “flatten the curve,” and let us continue to intercede for God’s will to prevail. 

One thing this pandemic does provide is an excellent opportunity to revisit our “how.” Obviously our mission to “form family and transform nations for the glory of God” remains unchanged, as the verse its based on (Matthew 18:19-20) remains the ageless call of the church. However, God may be leading us to use this disruption as an opportunity to explore new collaborations and fresh paths to reaching a lost world for Christ. Whether our new reality will be the same as before remains to be seen. As a kingdom citizen and a passionate local church man, I would like to think there will be some important differences. At the very least I trust the dark hours we have faced will lead to a heightened appreciation of the joy of gathering together, as well as reminding us of the urgency of the task we have been given to be God’s gospel ambassadors.

Together we will reach those brighter days ahead. Stay safe and God bless.

Rob & Linda Hutton

For the elders of Well of Life