By my counting, we are 20 weeks into this pandemic and the subsequent alterations on everyone’s life. Nonetheless, it is without precedent that our church went 16 weeks without gathering and even now our gatherings are limited. Fortunately, we have been able to gather for the last four weeks and I think our gathering is working well. Worship together is wonderful! Some probably believe we should return to normal now, but we (our pastors and deacons) do not believe it is wise to ignore the guidelines published by public health professionals. While this is working well, I am concerned that for many the routine of attending church will be more difficult. It may be easier to “attend church” in our living rooms on TV than in person. Other events may take priority as things return to “normal” and no one knows when or what normal will look like in the future. A full return to church will require improvement in the pandemic control as well as an intentional effort by each of us to get things back to normal. Here are my thoughts as we look to return as a church:
-Return requires our church stay abreast of current pandemic guidance, that we adequately clean our facility, and that we are responsible in maintaining safety guidelines like masks and social distancing. Almost every medical professional recommends the use of face masks, especially in closed spaces. I think we will still ask that worship attendees wear them for the foreseeable future. You can expect and will find our church making sure it is carefully cleaned between uses and is ready for your return when you are ready. -We will return to regular activities slowly and deliberately. This means we will not initially have large gatherings like homecoming, fellowship meals, or special worship services until it is safe to do so. We will wait as long as possible to make decisions on these scheduled events. For example, we can say now that we will NOT celebrate a homecoming meal in September, but have no decision on our annual Community Thanksgiving celebration in November. As the times draws closer we will make that decision. Of course, our job is to let you know these decisions as far in advance as possible. -We will continue our on-line service for the foreseeable future. However, because of school and its effects on our worship staff (David Burroughs drives a school bus) we will need to move our Friday recording service to another day. Friday, August 14 will be last day of Friday worship services. We are attempting to “live stream” our first worship services on August 16. This means that the 11:00 AM service on August 16 will be broadcast live at 11:00 AM to our home audience. There are technical issues with this and we are working on those now. However, we still want to offer a limited attendance worship service for those wanting a “live” worship but not ready for the larger group. We are looking at Thursdays at 6:00 PM or Sundays at 6:00 PM. Early this month we will give you a survey so you can tell us if one of these options works for you. We will continue Zoom Sunday School and online Wednesday night Bible study for now. -Church is about gathering together for worship, fellowship, and discipleship. It is also about going out to our community to spread the Gospel. Many have written that one of the “gifts” of the pandemic may be to force the church out of the building. I encourage you in this season to find ways to go out and share your faith within your family, circle of friends or neighbors. Part of this is build relationships with people who need to hear the Gospel. We are teaching for the next several weeks on Wednesday evening, ways to share your faith. I encourage you to watch these and let us know if we can help prepare you for getting the message of Jesus out to our community. Some other information and events around our church: Erin Wagoner, our secretary of four and one half years resigned to accept a full-time position. We appreciate Erin’s work in our church. The Personnel Committee is working on a way forward for this position. In the interim we are managing the office. Let us know if we can help you in any way. On Sunday, August 30 we are having a one day food drive for our church for East Stokes Outreach Ministry. As you come to church that Sunday bring your canned food items, cereal, children’s snacks or cash donations for East Stokes. We will take the food to them on Monday. God bless you as we labor together for the Kingdom. Please let us know if we can help you in any way. Pray for our church and the lost in our community as we go forward. Pastor Jim
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By my calculation it has been sixteen weeks since we gathered to worship as a church on Sunday morning. Though we have tried to maintain our worship, it is difficult to do so even with excellent technology. I am proud that you have adjusted so well to this necessary interruption in our routine. It is good we are coming back next week, July 5, to in-person worship. It will be different but at least we are coming back!
Our responsible return to worship requires we wear masks and practice social distancing to protect everyone from the COVID-19 virus. (We have a mask for you if you need one) Our deacons will serve as ushers to seat you as you arrive and to guide you on the way out. To make it easier for the ushers to seat you, please enter through the back sanctuary vestibule entrance. We ask that you limit your activity to the sanctuary, fellowship hall, and main level bathrooms. These areas are being cleaned before and after each service to make it safer for everyone. There will be plenty of hand-cleaning stations available. We will not take an offering during the service but you can drop a contribution off as you enter, leave it in offering plates at the door, use our outside dropbox, mail it, or electronically donate. We ask that folks not congregate after the service and maintain social distancing, along with no handshaking or hugs. Our worship service will be as normal as possible if you consider wearing masks and social distancing as normal. The sanctuary platform is a little different as we make room for proper distancing to lead music and preach, as well as make cleaning easier and more efficient. For now we will continue our online worship service, online Bible study, online daily devotions and Zoom Sunday School class. Though we are returning to worship we recognize that some are not yet ready and we fully understand that. For those that desire the Fellowship Hall will be available for use in the worship service with newly installed and upgraded audio and video capability. Our Zoom Sunday School will continue to meet on Sundays at 6:00 PM until further notice. Contact the church office if you would like to be added to the electronic invite. For those of you who want to attend in-person worship but are not ready for the crowds, beginning Friday July 10 at 3:00 pm, we are inviting up to twenty persons to attend in the sanctuary for the recording of online service. Masks, social distancing, usher seating will still be used. The fellowship hall will not be used on Friday. We will watch the status of this virus in our community as we assess the best time to resume other church activities. We are as eager to return as you but want to do it safely and responsibly. As we return we will be preaching a series of messages on “When Jesus Sought Just One.” This is part of our July emphasis on personal engagement of the Gospel, one person at a time. It is perhaps more difficult this season to identify and contact “your one.” However, you still have personal, phone, or social media contact with someone with whom you can share your faith. Pray about the “one” you can share your faith and look for opportunites to present the Gospel to this person. I encourage you to look to your family, close circle of friends, or co-workers, for the one person in your life that needs the Gospel. As always if you need help in any way please contact us. I am sure you are concerned about the headlines of violence and unrest in our country. These events highlight the thorough brokenness of our world by sin and underscores our nation’s desperate need for the Gospel. I urge our church to pray how we can be “salt and light” in our community as we work to further the Gospel. Of all the needs in our nation, the Gospel is our greatest need. I further urge you to commit to showing the love of Christ to everyone you encounter, and look for opportunities to bring the light of Christ to a broken world. As always, AJ, Luke and I remain available to assist you in any way possible. Please contact us at anytime as you need or have a question. God bless you as we labor together for the Kingdom. Pastor Jim We are now entering our third month of dealing with this pandemic. To say that life is not back to normal is an understatement. Nonetheless many good things are happening. Though some families are disconnected because of quarantine, others have had great times reconnecting with many of the normal distractions removed. Families who cannot attend church often gather in small groups and worship together in a way that was not possible before. In talking with our folks, I find that many of you are talking to, praying for, and engaging with each other to an extent you probably never did before the virus. Regarding technology, nearly all of us are a little smarter. Our church continues to provide online worship, preaching, and Bible study on YOUTUBE and Facebook. Though not optimal (over in-person worship) it has allowed us to reach folks at home, some of whom are not in our church. Some of these technological “lessons learned”, will be used long after the pandemic ends. We are blessed in many ways.
Everyone has heard of the recent court ruling that places a restraining order on the governor of North Carolina’s restrictions on churches from worship. In my mind, that does little to alter our current situation. We are not meeting because we do not have the constitutional right to meet—we certainly have that right. We are not meeting because in the view of public health experts it is not yet safe to gather in large numbers. Some churches have worshipped during this pandemic and have unwittingly become hotbeds for the virus to spread. An Arkansas church that met in early March (before the dangers of the virus were fully known) saw the pastor, his wife, and 38% of the congregation infected with the virus. Three of these persons subsequently died. Knowing what we know now about the virus, I believe this shows we must not be cavalier in rushing a quick return to worship. Our right to worship is tempered against what is the best action for our church members, the community, and the Kingdom of God. Please know it is not an easy decision. We are fully engaged in the process to return to in-person worship. First let me say that returning to church in the COVID-19 world will not be a return to church as normal. There will be restrictions requiring social distancing, masks, and limited personal contact. There may even be restrictions on the number of people that gather. The decision to return will require each person and family to decide if the timing and conditions are right for them to return. Everyone will not all re-appear the first Sunday we return. Your pastors and deacons, like many of you, are driven by a strong desire to return to worship as soon as it is safely possible. Churches around us are working through a similar process. While many are returning, others are also waiting. Each church has unique situations, capabilities and vulnerabilities; and their decisions to return will be different. I ask for your prayers and patience as we work through this process. We will keep you informed and you are welcomed to provide input to this process. As we focus on the virus here, remember our missionaries and military as they continue their jobs in often dangerous and faraway places. Please pray continuously for our church, other churches, and those that serve in foreign fields. I look forward to seeing you soon. Pastor Jim I cannot believe we are still talking COVID 19 and its massive effects across our nation, state, community and church. But it is certainly a reality that will probably be with us in some form for the next several months. First, I ask your continued prayers for those dealing with the illness itself. It is certainly “not just the flu” and those affected, along with their families, need our consistent prayer and support. Next, I ask that you pray for the health care providers at every level as they deal on the front lines with the illness. We have at least six (8) health care providers in our church and as we have talked with them we know they are working in difficult circumstances. Pray for their health, perseverance, and for their families’ safety as they work through this crisis. Last, but certainly not least I ask that you remember the many who are affected financially by either losing their job or having their hours cut back significantly. This includes the many who run businesses and are facing very difficult times. As believers, I urge you to spend time in prayer for these and other concerns brought on by this crisis.
The virus has had significant impact on our church operation. I want to review with you what is going on in church (and what is not going on), so that if you have missed anything you can catch up here. -As a reminder, the church is not holding any in-person services, classes or meetings until further notice. -Our church office is open normal hours, 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Monday-Thursday. You may call the office (336-591-7493) and leave a message after hours if needed. -You may contact Pastors AJ, Luke or myself by phone at the church office or by my cell at 336-978-5285. -Our Sunday Morning worship service, Wednesday evening Bible study, and a daily devotional posted on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of each week is available on YouTube at FBC Walnut Cove. You may also access these services on Facebook and Twitter. If you are not connected to social media call the church office and we will get you CD or DVD copies of these services. Our goal is for everyone to have access to our on-going worship services and Bible studies. -The Sunday worship service is made available for viewing by 10:00 AM each Sunday, the Wednesday Bible study is available by 7:00 PM on Wednesday, and the daily devotional is available by 6:00 AM on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. -If you need to speak to one of the pastors, do not hesitate to contact us and schedule that. -Our church has installed a lock box outside the church office door to provide a secure means of dropping off donations. We check this several times each day. -At least one of our small groups is meeting by Zoom (a computer-based meeting program) and I am meeting with my Sunday School class on Zoom this Sunday morning. If you are a teacher and would like to get your class together with Zoom, contact one of us and we will get you started. It is easy enough for me to do it, so anyone with a computer and a desire to learn can do this. -We are publishing a weekly supplement to the newsletter, “The Cove Light Weekly Beacon”, which is distributed by email on Friday at 9:00 AM. Make sure the church has your current email address so you can receive this update. Our monthly newsletter will be published on the last week of the month and will be sent by mail and email to our congregation. -Along with your email address, please make sure we have current phone numbers, cell or home numbers, and addresses so you do not miss anything we publish. -Pastor Luke has published a survey on Facebook to comment on the services we are providing. We love and welcome your input. If you cannot find that survey just call and let us know what you think. Of course, we do not know the time-line for resuming normal church activities. The NC Governor’s stay at home order expires on May 8 and he said the state will define what can re-open by that date. We do not expect to resume any services before Sunday May 17 and will have to read the exact wording of the State’s guidance to know if we can even do it by then. I expect that when we return there will still be restrictions to keep social distancing and caps in the numbers of people assembled. We want to get back to services as soon as possible but not before public health authorities deem it safe. We will keep you informed but certainly let us know if you have questions. I ask that you pray for the Wall and Ackley families as Mr. Gray Wall is in hospice care in Salisbury, NC. This health crisis makes a difficult time even more difficult for them. We have other families that need your prayer as well. Again, please let us know if we can help you in any way during this time. I encourage you to use the time to gather your family for Bible study, daily praye, and some quiet time together. We look forward to seeing you soon. God bless you! Pastor Jim Debbie and I returned from a two-week break in Ocracoke, NC and found a different world from the one we left on March 14. Not that we could not see that the situation was worsening with the coronavirus, but could anyone imagine the events that have unfolded which include a national/international disruption of commerce, travel, school, healthcare and most aspects of daily living? Not to mention, we could never anticipate the illness, grief, stress and overload of our health care system caused by the virus itself. Our world is a different place in almost every way.
Things are much different at church also. Thanks to the expert leadership of Pastors AJ and Luke, Leigh Taylor, and David Burroughs, we transitioned quickly from weekly “in person” traditional worship to a well-produced digital-based worship on “YouTube.” Because of the situation with the coronavirus, I believe this will be our model for worship for the next several weeks. In my notes this month, I want to make sure everyone understands how our church is functioning now and how you stay connected with us until we return to in-person worship and activities. As you know, all activities that require us to assemble as a church, in groups of ten (10) people or more, are stopped until further notice. This complies with instructions from civil authorities and is done for the safety of our congregation and the entire community. I believe our church should be good citizens as Paul stated in Romans 13:1-3, and we will diligently comply with the established laws concerning this situation. Here is how we will conduct church during Easter and going forward until we gather again in person. -Sunday worship will continue each week on our “YouTube” channel which is “First Baptist Church of Walnut Cove.” The service will be uploaded at 11:00 AM each Sunday. You can also access this site by going to our web page, fbcwalnutcove.com and select the current service. You can watch the service anytime. -Starting Wednesday April 1 at 7:00 PM, you can access a weekly Bible study. The Bible study will be about 30 minutes and you access it the same way as our worship services. -On Thursday April 9, Maundy Thursday, we will have a “drive-by prayer service” at our church. We have never done one of these, and I imagine most of you have never attended one but here is what will happen. From 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM you may come to our side church parking area (where the office is located). Stay in your car, roll your window down, and keep proper social distancing (at least 6 feet from any person you are not living with). AJ, Luke and I will be there to give each car a short biblical word of encouragement and a prayer. It is important that you not get out of your car to mingle with others and to keep a safe distance. We do ask also that no one congregates inside the church during this time. Of course if you are running a fever, have a cough or other virus-like symptoms, we ask that you not attend. Do not worry about the time as we will meet each car as long as you are in line by 7:30. A sister church in our community checked with a senior governmental official in Stokes County, and if done this way, the service does not violate the community distancing restrictions. -On Easter Sunday April 12, we will make available for access at 6:45 AM a sunrise service, conducted in our cemetery. You can get up and watch the pre-recorded service at the time of sunrise (about 6:45 on April 12) or watch it later at your convenience. The service will be recorded at another time so don’t come to the cemetery during that hour. You can access this service the same way you do our other worship services. -Also on Easter Sunday, we will make the weekly worship available at 11:00 AM. -Our church office remains open during its usual hours of 9:30 AM to 1:00 PM, Monday through Thursday. Please remember social distancing (at least 6 feet from anyone) if you need to visit the office. Also, please do not come to the church if you are experiencing viral symptoms. Remember, our daycare is continuing to operate. If you do not have internet access, make sure the church office is notified so that we can get you CD or DVD copies of our worship services. If you cannot connect to our services in some way, we will help you. Just let us know. Also, be sure to let us know if you change your contact information. It is always important but very important now that we can connect with you. -We will continue to communicate with you by phone tree, Facebook, Twitter, our church web page, and by our newsletter. We will try to keep you informed without overloading you with information. We will also communicate with you by phone, text, or email on a regular basis as much as is possible. -Our deacons are meeting every two weeks to stay abreast of the situation as it develops. If you are a single adult, widow or widower above age 70 in our church, expect a call from one of our deacons as we have implemented a new ministry to this important group this month. -Remember, you can access several months of sermons on our web page. Our church also has an account with Right Now Media which gives you free and unlimited access to hundreds of Bible studies done by some of the great preachers and Bible teachers of today. It has materials for adults, married couples, youth and children. Right Now Media is literally the “Netflix” for Bible studies. Contact the church office for Right Now Media access. I encourage you to use this time to connect with your family with personal devotions, prayer and Bible study. Also make a special effort to connect with each other within the church. If you need myself, AJ or Luke for ministry or to just to talk, feel free to contact us. Please keep us informed of illness, injury or other emergencies. We are limited in visiting hospitals, long-term care facilities, and Hospice but will do whatever we can to keep connected and minister to you. My cell number is 336-978-5285. Please call me if you need me. (I ask that you not provide this number to persons outside of the church). Remember, your church is still working and we are here to minister to you as is needed! In all these changes, we are very blessed. We live in an era that technology is a friend of the church, and we have some very smart leaders who can help us leverage that technology for the Gospel. I am very grateful we have AJ and Luke who are gifted young men in many ways, and fully committed to our church. They performed superbly to keep our church moving as this crisis began. We are very blessed to have them. In addition, we have a great staff, wise, Godly deacons, along with many skilled leaders. Most importantly, God is on His throne. The coronavirus did not surprise Him. We are a part of His church, and He will see us through this. We are also people of hope. Christ died for our sins, gave us access to the throne of God, planted the Spirit of God in our life, and gave us access to the immeasurable riches of Christ. So be hopeful and encouraging with those you encounter. Do not live in a spirit of fear but live grounded in the promises of God. Be safe, prudent, responsible but also be encouraged joyful and confident. Remember Paul’s words in Romans 8: 15, For we did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out ABBA Father! Because of Christ we have been adopted into God’s family and we have been given personal access to God our Father. Use that access well during this time of uncertainty and beyond! This trial will pass and we will get back to our routine as soon as safely possible. Until then we will continue in the ways discussed above. I fully expect we will get better at this as we go forward, so we may refine things as we are able. Pray for God’s Kingdom to be advanced. Stay safe! We love you in Christ. Pastor Jim Finally! Our church directories are in and we will be distributing them in your mailbox this week. For the members, unable to attend church we will mail the directory to you. If you do not get one come by the church office for a copy.
Though it is still winter it is time to start thinking about the summer. Last summer during July we took a pause in our regular activities to focus on getting to know our neighbors, especially those that are not in church. FBC in July focused our week around Sunday morning worship. We started worship with an hour of fellowship in the fellowship hall and then went to worship. Worship itself had some variations in our normal music which included introducing Andrew Liggett and his wife to lead worship with their guitar. We focused on preaching simple Gospel messages. This July, we plan a similar course of events. Sunday school classes, choir, committee meetings, Wednesday night Bible study; basically, everything but worship, Sunday fellowship, Hope Kitchen and Heritage Outreach is suspended. This allows us to spend time meeting and reaching our neighbors. Our theme this summer is “Everyone can do something.” We ask that everyone pray about one person who does not know Christ and pray for them. After that everyone can do at least one item on this list of outreach activities that includes; meeting your neighbors, inviting them to church, having a Gospel conversation, sharing your faith with them, or beginning a short Bible study with your neighbor. To prepare for “FBC in July” we will have some special training during Wednesday evening. More will be said about this but I ask everyone pray about this important outreach event for our church. Pastor Jim Several of us had the privilege to attend the annual Pastor’s Conference at First Baptist Church in Jacksonville, Florida this past weekend. The Pastor’s Conference is four worship and preaching-filled days. Debbie and I have been so encouraged by it over the past eight years. FBC Jacksonville is one of the largest of our Southern Baptist Churches with a membership in the 1990s that exceeded 20,000 members. The church built an impressive 11-square-block campus in downtown Jacksonville with a worship center (sanctuary) that seats nearly 10,000 people. With these resources, they have a unique ability to minister to pastors and their families and have held this conference for nearly forty years. However, its membership has gradually declined to the point that this year we were told the church is in the process of scaling down its huge campus to meet its current budget restrictions. They will not hold the conference next year as the church transitions to meet these adjustments, and are in the process of reducing their staff. I tell you this to remind you that no church, not even one as large as FBC Jacksonville, is immune to the effects of an increasingly secular culture. There are a couple of important lessons to glean from this example. First, a church must maintain the buildings it occupies. Buildings and grounds cost money. In the case of FBC Jacksonville, it is several million dollars per year. In our case, it is several thousand dollars per year, about 16% of our total budget. I believe our church has done that wisely with good stewardship of the resources God has given us. I think we have been cautious in not expanding our buildings without a definite leading from God. That is a credit to the many fine leaders and members in our church who have faithfully served over the years. Second, all churches should be focused on Gospel proclamation. The new and young pastor at FBC Jacksonville made a plea to his congregation like our emphasis of every person finding one person to share the Gospel. Even in a mega church, the Kingdom grows one person at a time. Of all our tasks, it is most important that we engage lost people with the life-saving Gospel of Christ. We remain relevant as a church when we do the work God calls us to accomplish. I pray as we go forward that we will place our committed personal efforts, every man, woman, student and child, to meet lost people and build relationships to share the Gospel. I ask that you pray for the lost to find Christ through the work of this church. God bless you in this effort.
Happy New Year! We have all been reminded frequently that we are not only beginning a new year but we are also a new decade. I pray the future holds happiness, health and success for you. However, regardless of our own personal futures, we know Who holds all our future, and therefore know our futures are secure. Further, we know that God loves us infinite ways, crowned by the sending of His Son to bring us back to fellowship with Him. Thus, for those of us that have trusted in Jesus we know on the promise of God’s word to us that we do have a happy and secure year ahead of us. Regardless of our circumstances. I suggest you begin this year not with a list of resolutions for the new year, but with a renewed commitment to Christ. Placing our priority on Jesus, our Savior, gives us all we need for a happy and joyful new year.
December was a very busy month for our church. As always, many folks stepped up to make the special events and worship services a success. Many thanks to all those that worked tirelessly to get these things done in several events; the PMBA Toy Store, Christmas Cantata and Candlelight service, each of the worship services during the month, Hope Kitchen and Heritage outreach. These events took many people who poured out their hearts and gifts to make them work. Our choir performed so well as usual during this time. A special thanks to Pastors AJ and Luke who filled in the pulpit and the myriad of other activities this month during my absence. We are very blessed to have such committed, gifted and Christ-like young men to perform the work of ministry at FBC. I look forward to restarting our series in Acts on Sunday morning and our Wednesday night Romans study. The passages in Acts are powerfully practical for our church and for us as believers. If you can’t be here every Sunday see David Burroughs for a CD or listen to the messages on our website. Handouts are available in the fellowship for our Wednesday night studies. On a personal note, I am recovering well from my shoulder surgery. I appreciate the many kindnesses and patience shown during this time. I am getting back to a normal routine and should be driving again in about three weeks. Until then I am back to preaching, teaching Sunday School and Wednesday evening, and am in the office as often as possible. If you need to see me just text or call me and we can easily set up a time to meet. God Bless You. Pastor Jim After a wonderful Community Thanksgiving service last night, we are ready for a busy Christmas season. I cannot thank our ladies enough for the superb fellowship refreshments they prepared. It was a great time and you represented our church so well. AJ led a powerful worship service. Most of you do not know, but he wrote the responsive reading, that I believe is one of the best I have ever read. We are so blessed with many gifted and inspired people like AJ, in our church.
Here are some of the highlights for December. We begin with Hope Kitchen this Saturday morning as we deliver meals to over 200 people in our community. If you can help in any way we always need the extra hand. Sunday evening December 1, we have our monthly Heritage Apartment outreach at 6:00 PM at the Heritage Club Room. Join us if you are interested in meeting and fellowshipping with our neighbors there. Next Saturday, December 7, is our annual toy store as we distribute toys to over 100 children in our community. This will be an all-day event and necessitates a lot help to pull it off. If you can help let Donna Craig know and she will put you to work. Treat Night will be on Wednesday December 18 at 7:00 PM. If you were not with us last year, Treat Night is a fun event for everyone. Be sure to attend and get a “treat bag” at the end of the service. Pastor AJ will lead caroling to our shut-ins on Sunday evening, December 8 at 5:00 PM. This is a great way to connect with our church members who are not able to come to church. Join us if you are able. Our Christmas Candlelight is Sunday evening December 22 at 6:00 PM. This is a great worship service and includes our choir cantata and the candlelight service. We all love this service. We welcome our new members this Christmas, our regular guests and new guests, and look forward to you celebrating the birth of Christ with us. This is a great time to invite someone to bring to church with you as we worship together. Debbie and I wish all our church a Merry and Joyous Christmas this year. I will have some minor surgery the first week of December but we are in good hands with AJ and Luke. (David Burroughs will lead our Romans Bible study on December 11). I will be here as much as possible but that will not limit a great December at First Baptist Church. Remember what the angels said that first Christmas in Bethlehem, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David, a Savior is born for you, who is Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11, CSB) Our month starts off with the Baptist State Convention in Greensboro Sunday November 10 to Tuesday November 12 in the Kory Convention Center. On Sunday at 5:00 PM and continuing through Monday evening is the annual “Pastor’s Conference” which has great preaching from some of the best preachers in our convention along with superb worship. It is not just for pastors and if you can go I strongly urge you to do so. We will help you get there and there is no cost for any of the events. You will not regret it if you go!
On Wednesday November 13 at 7:00 PM Ms. Debbie Morton a counselor supervisor with Wake Forest Baptist Health Care Net will be in our fellowship to make a brief presentation and answer questions about our upcoming counseling ministry. Plan to attend and be a part of this discussion. With the Baptist State Convention, we will be busy during Veteran’s Day but will celebrate our annual veteran’s recognition event on Wednesday November 20th at 7:00 PM. This will be done in conjunction with our monthly fellowship meal. We will do something a bit different this year. The event will begin as we normally do, recognizing the veterans in our church. Afterwards, with the balance of the time we will have a video interview with my son-in-law, SSG Tanner Cardwell who is an army special forces soldier stationed in Florida. I thought it would be interesting for you to hear about some of the challenges of his work as well as its impact on his family. Tanner is representative of tens of thousands of our young men and women who serve our nation every day. Often in civilian communities we are far away from the routine sacrifices these soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsmen make to do their work. It should be an interesting evening. On Tuesday November 26 at 7:00 PM, our church will host the annual community Thanksgiving service in our sanctuary at 6:00 PM. This will be followed by a social time afterward. Plan to attend and participate in this annual event. |
AuthorRev. James A. Cohn
pastor-teacher Archives
March 2022
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Post Office Box 552 //415 Summit Street
Walnut Cove, North Carolina 27052 336-591-7493 |