Church Family,
Thank you for joining us online for worship last Sunday (March 22). It was different, but I believe we accomplished our purpose. Although I’m very thankful for the opportunity to do church this way when circumstances dictate, I’ll be glad when things return to normal.
I’ve included a message review and application guide that you can access HERE. This is a tool you can use to remain engaged with the message and put hands and feet to Scripture by being a doer of the Word.
I also wanted to remind you of the announcements that were made at the end of the service, as well as highlight a couple of items as we head into the coming week (March 23-29).
ONE. There will be no on-campus activities at First Baptist this week, including Wednesday night activities.
TWO. We will once again have online service only next Sunday, March 29th. That means there will be no connection groups (Sunday school) or worship services on campus. We will again provide a live worship service online and streaming at our church website (fbcmilton.org/media/live), through YouTube Live, and through Facebook Live.
THREE. I need your help for digital discipleship! I want to do something during the week to help you stay focused on becoming who God has called you to be. On Wednesday evening we will post a video of a segment I’m calling “You Asked for It!” I’ll take 20-30 minutes to quickly try to answer your questions about the Bible or other items related to Christianity (keyword is “quickly”). For this to happen, I need YOUR help and questions!
Please email me a question you have at jrussell@fbcmilton.org. (DEADLINE for question submission is Tuesday night at 10 PM.) We may not be able to answer every submitted question, but I’ll file them all away in the event that we have to do this again, or I may just add another segment of “You Asked for It!” after things return to normal. But please, send me those questions!
FOUR. Even though we are not meeting on campus, we are still doing ministry, and that requires money. Yes, we have bills to pay around the church. But more important, we have missionaries to support and ministries to fund. You are a giving church, and I’m very thankful for your faithfulness to that spiritual discipline. Please continue to give even though our Sundays and Wednesdays don’t look “normal.”
You can give in a number of ways:
- Online at fbcmilton.org/giving. This is a secure and safe way to give.
- You can mail your offering to the church office. Our mailing address is 6797 Caroline Street, Milton, FL 32570.
- If you’re passing the church during the week you can stop by the office and give your offering to our staff at the front desk.
FIVE. The best way to receive updates will continue to be through email and on the church’s Facebook page. We’ll push out pertinent information as soon as we have something to share.
SIX. We want you know that, for the time being, our church office remains open and we’re doing business as usual. We will make adjustments should our local, state, or national leaders give health advice and suggestions to do otherwise to further limit contact with individuals, thus slowing the spread of COVID-19.
Even though we are open, I would encourage you to call or email instead of physically coming by the office. We want to keep exposure to a minimum, and we can accomplish most anything for the short-term via phone calls and emails.
This is especially true if you have been sick or are sick, if you have had a fever or have a fever, if you’ve had or have cold of flu like symptoms, or if you’re immune system is compromised or weakened. In any of these situations, please do not come by the office. Call us or email us instead. You have my email address: feel free to use it.
Remember, blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape. We’re in a fluid situation that still manages to change multiple times during the day. We know your church is important to you. It’s important to me. I assure you that online only services and canceled ministries and activities are among the very last things I want to see or initiate. But if we make some sacrifices here in the short-term, we will soon be able to reengage ministry for the long-term.
Thanks again for your support, prayers, and encouragement. I’m glad to be your pastor, and I look forward to a big celebration when we’re finally able to gather again!
As always, give us a call (850.623.3122) or an email (jrussell@fbcmilton.org) if you have any questions.
The View From My Pew 