From the Pastor…
Fall Festival… cancelled. Joint Thanksgiving Service with our brothers and sisters from Roberdell Methodist Church… cancelled. Hanging of the Greens… cancelled. Christmas Cantatas… cancelled. Many traditional Christmas gatherings… cancelled. All of this is so very depressing! The optimist in me, however, looks upon these cancellations as a reminder that we are doing what we must do to keep everyone safe and healthy. So I want to focus for a few moments on some of the good things God is doing.
Our online Sunday School classes are doing well. There are shut-ins participating in Sunday School right now – people who otherwise would not be able to get out and come to the church for in-person classes. If you are not involved in one of the wonderful online classes or Bible studies, then I encourage you to jump in and see just how wonderful these studies and the fellowship are!
Our in-person worship service has gone well, especially considering the current limitations on capacity and singing. We have heard many wonderful and inspiring testimonies, some awesome special music, and we are still having guests every Sunday! We also have many faithful stewards who are giving to the church consistently through online means, as well as traditional mail and in-person offerings.
Ministry and missions are taking place. Food is being delivered to people every week. Ramps are being built. Benevolence assistance is taking place in many forms. We were able to do some limited missions in West Virginia this year. Some missions groups are still meeting virtually.
Roberdel Baptist Preschool is meeting during the week and we have a full house! The teachers are taking extra precautions and everyone is staying as healthy as possible. Children are happy and growing in their education and knowledge of the Lord. We have been blessed with leaders and teachers who are second to none in the love they show the kids and the quality of education they are administering!
So while we can focus on the negatives and be sad, let us choose to focus on the positives. Continue to care for each other and be respectful and compassionate toward those who are among vulnerable populations. But be excited about what God is doing! While we have wonderful custodians who are keeping us safe, in the next few days, we will have a unit in place to make our building even safer. It is the same technology that was developed to sanitize the International Space Station and is certified by the CDC to kill the Coronavirus. It is also classified by the FDA as a class 2 medical device. We are so grateful to a generous family in our church that has paid the cost of this unit.
Let us also remember that now is the time of year when we need to give as sacrificially as possible to make up for the shortfall in our annual giving. Let us finish the year strong so that we will not miss a beat in our ministry and can continue to provide the same quality of ministry to which we have become accustomed.
This Thanksgiving I am thankful for what God is doing here, and for you. Thank you for your generous gifts, cards and words of appreciation during Pastor Appreciation Month. You have been very kind to me and my family, and we love you all very much!
In Christian Love,
Pastor Billy