The Scriptures teach us that the Lord is our rock and our refuge – and an ever-present help in times of need. And certainly, in times of uncertainty, He is the One in whom we find our help.

Over the past week, our nation and world have experienced an unprecedented event that is directly impacting our daily lives. Even as I write, President Trump is declaring a national emergency making requests of our nation in order curb the effects of the impact of COVID-19.

Needless to say, this has been a fluid situation. We have been hopeful throughout the week that we could keep things as normal as possible, but just in the past 24 hours, things have changed significantly. These changes have caused us to reconsider how we need to move forward as a church in order to best care for our congregation and the community around us.

After consulting with the extended leadership of our church – including our Ministry Advisory Counsel, our deacons and trustees, and our Senior Leadership Team, we believe the most prudent thing to do is cancel on-campus services this Sunday, March 15^th and move them online at www.fbcptc.org. The online feed will begin at 10:30 AM and will include a time of prayer, worship, and instruction.

At this time, we are planning to hold services online for the next two Sundays. We are also working with our LIFE Group leaders and deacons to ensure the care of all of our church members. You should anticipate a phone call from your LIFE Group to stay in close communication with you and your family.  Likewise, we ask that if you have any personal, financial, or physical needs which arise over these two weeks, please contact your LIFE Group leader or deacon for assistance. In extreme cases, please contact the Pastor-on-Call by calling the church at 770-487-8133.

In closing, let me remind all of us of Paul’s encouragement to Timothy:

God has not given us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, love, and discipline.

God bless you. I look forward to sharing a word of encouragement with you online on Sunday.

On behalf of the leadership of the church, I want to update you on the current measures being undertaken by our church in response to the continued concern for the rapidly evolving COVID-19 situation and its potential effect on our community.

We have been in consultation with state and federal officials, as well as with medical professionals within our church family, to seek their insights, guidance, and recommendations in how we should respond and engage the needs of our church family and community. Additionally, we are keeping a close eye on all of the current confirmed and possible cases of Coronavirus in Georgia, including all potential cases in Fayette and Coweta Counties.

At this time, and subject to change depending on how this situation evolves, the church leadership believes prudence with cautious practicality is the wisest course of action. Therefore, we are going to alter and trim down our current schedule to ensure we all stay as healthy as possible yet still be Great Commission ministry focused. With this in mind, expect to receive a series of 3 emails addressing the church’s response to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Within the next few days, we will be creating a link on our church website (www.fbcptc.org), sending emails, updating the e-news, and making phone calls to effectively communicate to the church our intentions. Please remember that this is an unprecedented event and therefore it is subject to change as circumstance necessitate.

At this time, our plan of action is as follows:.

Sunday Services

This Sunday, March 15, 2020, we will have church and LIFE Groups according to our normal schedule at 9:00 and 10:30 AM. We are strongly encouraging anyone who is medically fragile, physically frail, or sick to remain at home where they can live stream the services at www.fbcptc.org/watch-live/ or watch from the media archives page. Additionally, if you have recently traveled outside of the country or have been on a cruise, we respectfully request that you quarantine yourself for two weeks prior to returning to church.

Likewise, we will be mobilizing our LIFE Group leaders, care teams, and deacons to regularly engage all church members to ensure member care and to attend to the physical, financial, and spiritual needs of our church family.

While this is subject to change, please know that we are preparing to hold an on-line service if it is required.

The Bridge Community Center

As a matter of safety, the Bridge will also be closed during this time beginning Monday, March 16 until April 13, subject to be extended if necessary.

MID-Week Services

Starting this Monday, March 16, ALL non-essential ministry programs and events will be suspended until Monday, April 13 or until further notice. While more detail is still to come, this means that BSF on Monday evenings, Ladies Bible Study on Tuesday mornings, Wednesday night services, ESL on Thursdays, and Job Seekers on Friday mornings will be temporarily suspended.

Church Ministry Calendar

Likewise, we will be postponing all ministry events currently scheduled after this weekend. The next email and the website will discuss these event changes.

Weekday Ministry

At this time, we are closely monitoring what is happening with our Fayette and Coweta public schools. In the event that the schools cancel classes, we will cancel our weekday ministry as well. Until such decision is made, we will remain operational with a heightened level of cleanliness and communication with participating families.

Benevolence Needs

At such a time as this in our culture, we are certain to have unexpected needs arise both within our church family and out in our community. We recognize that some people might have limited income or even lose their jobs due to the changes in our world. Should the need arise, we are committed to ministering to the needs around us starting with those within our congregation. Please prayerfully consider both your faithful stewardship of your tithes and offerings as well as going above and beyond to meet the benevolence needs in our community.

Church family, we are absolutely in unprecedented times in my lifetime. Yet this is not a time to have great fear; but a time to have great faith. It is not a time to shrink; but a time to stand tall. In times like this, this is when the church can shine. This is when the church can become the hands and feet of Jesus to truly meet people at the point of their need. I share this with you so that, you can pray. So, you can serve. So, you can give to participate in the work of Christ.

Back in Roman times, when epidemic an arose, the healthy and wealthy would often run from the calamity to what they believed was safety. More often than not, it was the church who stayed behind to minister Christ by meeting people at the point of their need. As a result, the love of Christ was revealed through the touch and words of His followers. People were influenced to Jesus and to His grace through the expression of His love through His church. Church, this is what we have been saved for! We are made for times of uncertainty and concern. So, what can we do? We can pray. We can engage. We can share the love of God with others through our action and using words when necessary.

What does this mean? It means pray. It means that we must draw close to God. It means that we must operate not out of a spirit of fear, but a Spirit of power, love, and discipline – knowing that our labor will not be in vain.

Finally, take good care of yourself and be smart about your movements. And in the instance you should become infected with the COVID-19 virus, please contact the church as soon as possible so that we can protect our entire church family and make preparations to minister to your family.

I look forward to serving the Lord with you, caring for one another, and seeking God’s Kingdom and righteousness together. May God do immeasurably more than we can ask or imagine in us, for us, and through us.

Blessings,

Pastor Joey

As you are likely aware, there is great concern around the world with regard to the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19). Without a doubt, each one of us has already indirectly experienced the impact of this virus in one way or another through the financial markets, supply chain disruption, and increased level of fear and uncertainty. And now that a case has been found in the Atlanta area, there will be an even greater heightened level of concern.

Over the past few days, the church leadership team has been discussing protocol and our response to ensure your health and safety. Needless to say, we are thankful for the quick response of local and national health officials who are working to monitor and contain the outbreak. Likewise, we will continue to monitor the situation as it might impact our church and make necessary changes as needed. With this in mind, here is our encouragement for you.

Pray: We would ask that you join us as we pray and seek God’s hand of protection on those directly impacted and for those who are working to curtail the spread of the virus. We understand, that for a season, each new day will likely bring new cases – yet we believe prayer is a better alternative than panic. So, while you watch the news for information, let’s all remember to keep it in perspective that God is still in control. Make prayer a priority during these days. Pray specifically for those on the front line of the fight to control this outbreak, such as health officials, doctors and nurses treating patients, and for task forces assigned the responsibility to coordinate any response to spread of the virus.

Hand Washing: The number one suggestion from the health department, CDC, and other agencies involved is to wash your hands using soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap is not available, use hand sanitizer. Washing your hands frequently and avoid touching your mouth and nose are good hygiene practices for smart health.

You will find bottles of hand sanitizer at different locations throughout the building. Additionally, we are purchasing hand sanitizer stations to be placed at all door entries.

Stay Home if Sick: One of the best ways to curtail the spread of any flu or virus is to stay home, rest, and get well. As much as we want to see you at church, if you are sick, it is better to stay home. If you stay home on Sunday mornings, you can watch our services on-line live. Follow the link to log onto the streaming of the service – https://fbcptctwo.org/watch-live/

Church Cleaning: The building is cleaned on a regular basis using a high-level hospital standard cleaning solution. In addition, we will be working with the cleaning company to ensure a heightened surface cleaning takes place. The guest service team on Sunday mornings will periodically wipe down heavy use surfaces such as door knobs and elevator buttons as a precaution.

Updates: If there are changes or necessary updates to share, we will post these updates on the church website and send out a message via email. We will also post any helpful links as they become available to provide you with more detailed information about coronavirus. Follow the link or go to www.fbcptc.org. You can also find up-to-date, accurate, trustworthy information at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.

Thank you for your concern for our church and community, and for your faithfulness to trust in the Lord for His guidance and care. In times of great concern, we have an even greater responsibility to direct people to the mercy, grace, and love of God.

God is great,
Pastor Joey