CHOOSING TO HUNGER
As followers of Jesus Christ, we’re known as to honor him in all issues, love others in his identify, and assist others to search out and observe him. For us as a church, this implies our focus should at all times be on worship, service, and mission as we search to observe him collectively. These items look completely different and can proceed to look completely different for some time as a result of of our present circumstances, however reward God he continues to work.
Worship and the ministry of the Phrase proceed, each in particular person and just about. We have now been bodily gathering because the church for over a month now whereas persevering with to reside stream each of our companies on Sunday morning at 9:00AM and 11:15AM. A number of of our Sunday Morning Bible Examine lessons have begun bodily assembly as nicely, together with each our youngsters and our youth, whereas others are persevering with to just about collect week by week. We proceed to submit each day reside prayer occasions (9:30AM) and our Wednesday evening Grownup Bible Examine (6:00PM) every week, whereas our youth, school, youngsters, and a few grownup Bible research proceed to assemble just about through the week as nicely. God continues to attract individuals to himself by means of our ministries, blessing us with two baptisms in June and several other extra coming within the following weeks.
IN SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
Service and mission alternatives in our neighborhood proceed as nicely. It’s as soon as once more time for Backpack-a-palooza — an necessary effort to equip at-threat college students residing at The HOPE Group with faculty provides for the upcoming faculty yr. Please take into account sponsoring a toddler by visiting fbctlh.org/occasions/backpack-a-palooza earlier than August 2. There proceed to be alternatives to serve these in want of momentary shelter through the pandemic on the Salvation Military (to enroll name Julie Smith at (850) 408-4982 on the Salvation Military). Past Tallahassee, our youth this week have been capable of go to Ft. Walton Seaside for a number of nights, doing service initiatives in that space.
In the case of ministering inside the church, we’re persevering with to encourage individuals to enroll to serve others within the church who may not be capable to get out of their home for issues like groceries, medicines, or different primary provides. One other alternative to minister to our self-quarantined members is to easily attain out to them with a video or telephone name. If you need to minister in both of these methods, please contact Pleasure Stein (x131). She’s going to take your info and we are going to work to pair you up with members in want as these wants come up or get you an inventory of individuals to whom you possibly can attain out. And if you’re one of our members who want some easy errands run (or the rest we may also help you with), please additionally contact Pleasure.
PLANNING IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
As we glance towards the subsequent a number of weeks, we all know there’s a lot of uncertainty, particularly surrounding faculty and what that may seem like. We wish to proceed to hope for our academic leaders and for our dad and mom they proceed to assume by means of one of the simplest ways to go ahead. For us as a church, we usually attempt to coordinate the beginning of our fall Wednesday evening actions with faculty, and proper now our meant begin date for starting to bodily collect on Wednesday nights once more is August 19. This consists of Grownup Bible Examine, Kids’s ministry, and youth ministry.
We wish to proceed to focus on the significance of the practices we’ve put in place once we collect, which embrace sporting masks, social distancing, and making hand sanitizer obtainable at each entrance and exit. We’re loving our neighbor as we proceed to do what we are able to to guard each other from Covid-19.
EMBRACING THE SEASON
In loads of methods, our present circumstances are like a quick. Jesus tells us that we must always have each occasions of fasting and feasting in our lives and that fasts assist us starvation for God in methods we wouldn’t be capable to expertise once we’re full and glad. Whereas none of us selected these circumstances, we are able to select how we are going to reply to them.
I hope we select to starvation for God, to lengthy for his presence and energy amidst our uncertainty and loss, realizing that he’ll fill us with His righteousness once we flip to him (Matt 5:6). Let’s preserve worshipping, serving, and reaching out to our neighbors with the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God bless,
Pastor Gary
