Dear Calvary Baptist Church Family,
With the Coronavirus situation continuing to evolve, I wanted to communicate to you, the dear people of Calvary Baptist Church, some updates on how we are responding.
*We are certainly taking this very seriously. The health and welfare of our people is of utmost priority.
*We are grateful that there are no reported cases in our county…yet. However, we want to move forward with an appropriate and wise level of caution. We are making a variety of plans, temporary changes, and preparations to act wisely and responsibly.
*While we are viewing this virus as a serious threat, we are also choosing to remember that our God is the Almighty God and the Great Physician and He can certainly protect us. He does not want us to fall prey to panic or fear. He wants us to walk in wisdom, not foolishness: to walk in faith, not fear.
*Our church is not a building. It is not just a social gathering. It is God’s baptized believers. It is His people. The Bible speaks of His church as being His Body. The Greek word that is translated church speaks of an assembly; God’s people “church-ing”, or assembling. Being in God’s House, with God’s people, singing Godly songs together to our Lord and hearing God’s man preach God’s Word is good for the people of God. It is a great “medicine”. It is where His people come to get some of their spiritual “milk, bread, and meat.” We come together for our spiritual health which certainly affects every other area of our lives.
*We also wish to be good citizens and wise neighbors.
*We are living through extremely unusual circumstances and times. Such times warrant unique, temporary measures and caution.
*We have been getting Godly counsel and practical suggestions from other pastors, our deacons, other men in our church, and from others with knowledge and Godly wisdom. Much thought and prayer has gone into the below decisions.
As a result, the following actions and changes are being enacted for now:
*We will continue to keep our doors open to those who wish to come to the Lord’s House.
*Specifically, our Sunday AM (10:30), Sunday PM (6:00), & Wed PM (7:00) services will be available to those who wish to attend.
*For now, we will temporarily suspend Sunday School classes, the Bus route, & Wed PM Kings Kids.
*All parents and guardians are asked to have their children and teens sit together with them as a family.
*We will refrain from shaking of hands and will maintain reasonable personal space.
*Hand disinfectant is available, and all are asked to use it.
*Our facilities are kept clean and extra efforts are being made to keep things sanitized.
*Services will be recorded and made available on our Facebook page for those who are not able or comfortable attending the services.
We ask that all of us use wisdom and follow some of the following “common sense” suggestions.
*If you have ANY symptoms of a cold, flu, or other illness, you should stay home and get well.
*If your health is compromised and thus more vulnerable to this virus, it may be wise to stay at home.
*Wash your hands often, thoroughly, and with warm/hot water and soap.
*Avoid contact with those who are sick or who are vulnerable.
*Contact us if you begin having symptoms or are unable to get out to take care of your needs.
As God’s people, we should also:
*Praise our good Lord. He is Almighty God and is not intimidated or taken by surprise by this situation.
*Pray to our Heavenly Father. Pray for wisdom and safety. Pray for those who are sick. Pray for our medical professionals, military, law enforcement, and other safety personnel. Pray for our missionaries; many of which are in countries that are “locked down.” Pray for our governmental leaders. Pray for our pastor.
*Be faithful with God’s tithe and offerings; regardless if we are able to attend. It is still His tithe. This is the only means He has laid out to take care of the needs of His church. He blesses us for being obedient and faithful in this. Be faithful to continue to help support our missionaries through our Faith Promise Missions program. If you are unable to attend, you can mail in your tithe/offerings or utilize our on-line giving option found on our website (calvarybaptistcoldwater.com/give)
*Check on our neighbors. Especially elderly or sick people who may not have family that are local and consistent to care for them.
*Help encourage calm and faith. Panic leads to foolish and destructive reactions. Walk in wisdom. Attempt to keep our lives as normal as possible. One pastor I spoke with shared this thought with his staff. “The more normalcy we preserve, the less chaos we create.” Good wisdom. Point others to God’s promises. Speak in faith and not in fear.
*Spend time in God’s Word and in prayer. This is the basis of our faith which is always the solution to fear.
*Use these uncertain times to be a witness for Christ to others. God will use us to point the lost to the One Who truly loves them and offers them the wonderful gift of eternal life.
Things are fluid and changing. Regardless of how things develop, we will ask God to guide us with His wisdom and prudence and adjust accordingly.
Our great God will bring us through this. He is in control. He will use this for good. He will use this to cause us to rely on Him more and to obey Him. He can use this to cause the lost to turn to Him for salvation. Let’s praise Him NOW. Let’s trust Him NOW. Let’s be good to each other NOW. Praise the LORD!!!
Pastor Beadles