Dear Church Family,

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We are living in uncertain times in which we have to do things that to be quite honest with you, I don’t really want to do.  One of the highlights of my week is meeting together with my brothers and sisters in Christ on Sunday.  What a blessing it is to come together, lifting praise to our God together, partaking of the Lord’s Supper together, opening the Word of God together and praying together.

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Due to the COVID-19 or Coronavirus we are taking drastic measures in order to show respect to the authority placed over us and more importantly to protect our vulnerable members.  Those whose immune systems are compromised because of age, medication or condition are more susceptible to the virus and we do not want our people to get sick if we can help it.

I don’t see it as living in fear, because I don’t believe our member live that way.  We know who is in charge and want to serve Him as best we can.  If we opened the doors, I know that some of you who do have a suppressed immune system would be here specifically because of your faith and desire to serve the Lord and meet with the saints in His house.  I know you don’t have a Spirit of fear and timidity, but One of power, love and a sound mind.  For that reason, please pay close attention to the following information:

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Live-stream Sunday Service

• For the next two weeks at least, we will live-stream our worship service at 10:30 am on our Church’s Facebook page.  This way we can still worship at the same time while practicing our social distancing guidelines set up by our government.

• I know that some of you may not have a computer at home and if you call me on Saturday, I will let you know the passage(s) that I will be looking at on Sunday.  You can read over the passage(s) and get a sense of what I will be talking about in the sermon.

• There are others of you who have a computer, but do not have a Facebook account on which to be able to see the Church’s Facebook page.  I want to encourage you to stretch yourself and try to set up a Facebook Account or have someone who knows how to set up a Facebook Account for you so that you can join all of us starting this Sunday morning.

• If you can’t figure out how to set up the Facebook Account and you don’t have any friends or family who can set it up for you, let us know we can have someone set up a Facebook Account for you remotely or at the very least walk you through it.  All they will need is an email address.

Communion to be picked up or distributed

• Each week there are certain elements that we feel were a part of the 1st Century church services that we believe we should continue to include.  The one that should have a main focus is the Lord’s Supper.  We are asking that those who are able to come to the church and pick up the juice and bread prepared for each family.  That way we can all participate in the Lord’s Supper at the same time.

• The prepared Lord’s Supper emblems will be on a table in the entry to the K-Center.  Sign your name when you pick it up.  If you are picking it up for more than one family please sign their name as well.  Be sure to get a bottle of Welch’s Grape Juice a baggie of wafers and the right size baggie of cups for each family.  This should last you up to 4 weeks.

• If you cannot come and get the communion emblems, we will deliver it to your home.  We just need to know by 9 am Saturday morning.  You can call the church and leave a message or you can call Jackie Ober or myself so we know who needs it delivered.

• If you are interested in helping distribute the communion emblems to those who could not make it to pick theirs up and are not running a fever or having breathing problems, please call Jackie or myself by 8 am Saturday.  Jackie’s number is 814-795-1752.  My # is 814-573-1361.

Cancellation of Events

• The Men’s Breakfast scheduled for this Saturday, March 21st has been cancelled. 

• Family night scheduled for Wednesday, March 25th is cancelled. 

• The Movie Night scheduled for Friday, March 27th has been cancelled. 

• The General Counsel Meeting scheduled for Sunday, March 29 is cancelled  

• All ABF Classes, Wednesday night small group studies and youth group studies until further notice.

On-line giving

• During this time of “Social Distancing” it will make it more difficult to give your tithes and offerings.  I believe our missionaries will be greatly impacted not to mention our own need to meet our expenses because people are unable to be at the church to give.  Because of these circumstances we are setting up on-line giving in the very near future for those who wish to give their tithes and offerings in this manner.  We will get more information to you ASAP.

• If you wish, you can mail in your tithes and offerings or drop them off at the church office if you are out and about.  If there is no one in the office when you come to drop it off, place it in the mailbox outside the office door entrance.  We check the box often.

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Finally, we ask that nobody come to the church building during the Live-streaming of our Worship Service.  We are going to be really close to our limit for our Social Distancing requirements with the Praise Team and other essential personnel.

 

Thank you for your faithfulness to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as well as to the Body of which He has called you to be a part.  May God richly bless you all in this crazy time in which we are living.  May the peace of God be upon you.

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Pastor Rich Jones