The Mission Moves Forward | APRIL 2021 Witness
I last wrote to you at the beginning of February, and what a difference a couple of months can make. In that column I wrote “And the virus is high.” I’m really glad to be able to say that active cases in Georgia are less than a quarter of what they were two months ago! And Lamar County is now at one active case per 1000 citizens. As far as we know, there are no active COVID cases among our membership. So much to be thankful for!
And there is more good news. Our Sunday morning attendance continues to grow. Brother Reed, our interim preacher, is giving us great spiritual food. The church is financially stable, thanks to your faithfulness. After a hiccup or two our live streams are not only back to their former quality, but we can now stream from either the sanctuary or the gym. Enjoy!
As I type this, outside my window Jim Burnette and a handful of men are repairing the water service to the sanctuary, annex, and educational building. Thank you for your patience, I know this has been inconvenient. By the time you read this the problem will be solved!
Though no one can see the future, I dare to hope that by fall we will be back to our regular full schedule. But let’s not let down our guard; please continue to take precautions. Although it is great to see people returning to church be sure you distance as best you can. It is up to all of us to slow the spread and hasten the day when our lives can return to normal.
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FEB 2021 | The Witness
Note from Greg
Somewhere in the middle of Chris Reynold’s time with us, he and I were talking on the phone. He said, “I have 1000 churches in my region, and I would place FBC Barnesville in the top 10 in the way they have responded and prospered in the time of COVID.” That was good to hear, and I made sure our good friend Garth heard it, too.
So how are we responding? We are cautiously moving forward. Rather than taking our students to the Strength to Stand conference in Tennessee, Jason brought in Algernon Tennyson and Scarlett Fade to our church and provided a great night of worship for our students. Jennifer opted for an Upward Basketball Camp here at the church, rather than the regular Upward season that would crowd our gym with players, siblings, parents, and grandparents. These are smart adjustments and keep our activities going.
Meanwhile Russ, with the help of Jason, Robert Rainey and Joe Andrews, has been adding equipment and running wires so that we can broadcast the Sunday sermon not only “sanctuary-to-gym” but also “gym-to-sanctuary.” We will be able to broadcast online from the gym also! Soon our preacher will alternate between preaching in the sanctuary and preaching in the gym.
We are working hard to provide the best pastoral care we can to our people in this difficult time. Hospital visits are banned due to the virus, but we call and text… and certainly pray.
The virus is high. Our deacons asked us to communicate that we will not mandate mask-wearing; but we encourage mask wearing and distancing for the sake of all. In areas where it is hard to distance, i.e. our halls and small Sunday School rooms, masks are a helpful layer of protection.
This body of believers will be as cautious as we know how; but we are not closing these doors. So please continue to support your church! If you feel safe coming, we are here for you and our people have been distancing beautifully in our services. If you do not feel safe, watch us online and leave a comment, an encouraging word for the staff and your brothers and sisters! And financially: you have kept this church afloat through an unprecedented 2020; with your continued giving we will still be here when this new year draws to a close. This pandemic will not last, but this church will.
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