I am now beginning to understand what the Apostle Paul felt when he wrote 1 Thessalonians 2:17-20. He said, “But as for us, brothers and sisters, after we were forced to leave you for a short time (in person, not in heart), we greatly desired and made every effort to return and see you face to face. So, we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us. For who is our hope or joy or crown of boasting in the presence of our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? Indeed you are our glory and joy!”

The COVID-19, or Coronavirus, has and will continue to hinder our faith family gatherings. Try as we may, there seems to be no way around it. Less than 24 hours after our deacons’ meeting, many new regulations and restrictions came out. We are facing a situation that is frightening and unique in our lifetime. Our country’s leaders are urging us to take extreme measures to fight this virus. These measures will affect all of us in many ways, including our church. Adding to the confusion is the fact that updates to these recommendations are being made on an almost hourly basis.

As I write this letter my heart breaks at the thought of not gathering with you in the coming weeks. FBCJ, you are my joy of boasting in the glory of our Savior, so please know that these decisions and any future ones we are forced to make are not made lightly. The struggle between our commitment to worship and our commitment to love our neighbor by being part of the solution to stop this virus is real. Therefore, we must be prayerful and wise in our decision making. Please join me in that effort.

As our deacons met to discuss these hard choices, I was grateful for the unity of the church body that was evident. We all have opinions about this pandemic, but our love for Christ rose higher. Everyone wanted to do what was right and the graciousness of our church leaders as they grappled with what to do was evident. Therefore, after much discussion, we decided to suspend all our main church activities except for the Sunday morning worship service. These activities include but are not limited to: Sunday school, Sunday night worship, Sunday choir practice, and Wednesday night prayer meetings. Sadly, this means several upcoming events such as the Healthy Church Conference and Good Friday Easter Cantata will be canceled as well. There are a few smaller gatherings on the calendar where the church facilities will be used. Those events have been left up to the discretion of the families. Please be aware that this can change according to state and federal regulation. But no further activities or church functions will be added to the calendar. These were hard decisions but necessary ones to be a part of the nationwide effort to stop the spread of this virus.

As I mentioned, the decision whether to hold our Sunday morning worship services will be made week by week. We are convinced of the importance of corporate worship. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.” Our hope is to stay committed to that conviction while also making changes that will not add to the spread of the virus. More restrictions have come out that may hinder meeting as a large group. This simply means that for the time being we will be creative and make the best use of all the options at our disposal. 

As we move forward during this difficult time, there are a few things I want to encourage:

1. Stay Updated: We are working to keep you informed as much as possible. Our plan is to use the FaceBook Member’s page, the church website, smartphone app, and hopefully some newer ways of connecting with you. If you know of some of our older members who are not able to navigate this technology, then please teach them how or relay the information personally. The church office will remain open as long as possible. If you need us, we will be here. Let us know of ANY news that pertains to the faith family to help us minister accordingly.

2. Stay Connected: Please do not fade away from one another. Here are some ideas:
a) Contact at least 3-5 faith family members a day to stay connected.
b) Start a text message group.
c) For the time being, the prayer room will remain open for any prayer warriors who wish to come pray, but anyone is welcome to come by and pick up some prayergrams to send from home.

3. Stay Faithful: This is not the time to become lax in our faith. Be careful of the temptation to not stay faithful in prayer, Bible study, and even worship. We are working on some ways to not only help you in these areas, but also do them with you. Be patient as we prayerfully consider these avenues. For now, here are some things we can do:
a) Join us virtually for the weekly preaching and teaching of God’s Word if we cannot physically meet. We are actively working to live stream our Sunday morning preaching and possibly Wednesday Night Bible Study. We hope to have this ready for this coming Sunday at 10:30 am.
b) Read your Bible daily. If the reading of the Word was important before, it will be crucial now. Stay in the Word.
c) Look forward to Family Worship Resources. You have heard me talk about the importance and joy of worshipping in our homes. What a time to begin! We will provide you with resources and helpful advice in coming days.
d) Pray without ceasing. Let us join in prayer for one another and our country as we face this pandemic together.
e) Finally, patiently wait for future ideas. Our thinking caps are on, and we are looking for ways that will allow us to connect with one another.

4. Pastoral Care and Caring for One Another: At this time, the church office will remain open during the week with regular hours. Our staff is developing plans on how to respond to needs in the church family during this time, especially for members who are at greatest risk. Please be praying for God’s leading and wisdom to be with all of us as we navigate the next few weeks (and months).

5. Give Consistently: This will be a time of great financial need for many. We must be sensitive to the needs of one another while also maintaining consistent giving to the ministry of our faith family by tithes and offerings. Our Stewardship Ministry Team will meet soon to discuss a financial plan for our local church during this time. We are encouraging you to give in one of these various ways:
a) In person at the church office
b) Place your offering in the mail
c) Call a deacon to come pick it up
d) Give online. Bro. Trey is working to get online giving up and going. When that option is available, we will let you know. Thank you for your faithful support of our shared ministry!

6. Stay Humble: As we walk through this together please embrace a spirit of humility and kindness. This has not been easy for any of us. From what I am hearing, this may last longer than we first thought. Therefore, decisions will have to be made as the need arises. Let us show the love, grace, and mercy of Christ towards one another.

This is a sobering time, but we are not without hope. Our prayer is that during this time our church would shine brightly through continued faithfulness in our daily worship and prayer life as well as seeking opportunities to love and serve our neighbors. I stated in Sunday’s sermon that we are called to be the light of the world, and the world just got a little darker. Think of the impact our faith and love can have on the world around us! What an amazing testimony this will be when the dark clouds of COVID-19 disappear, and the glorious light of God’s grace continues to shine! FBC Jonesboro, I love you! Let’s continue to be a church that puts our faith and hope in God alone, and let’s pray for God’s glory to be manifested in and through us.

By His Grace,

Pastor Brian