Pastor Farewell Letter
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Back 2 Church Month
Dear Church Family and Friends:
Spring will be here soon, and it appears Covid is waning. So, this is a great time for us to put a renewed emphasis on personal church attendance and fellowship and spiritual growth.
I call the people of God “Back to Church” in the month of March. We have been in the pandemic doldrums for two years now. Families have suffered. Communities have suffered. Students have suffered. Churches have suffered.
And church and Sunday School attendance has suffered. The disruption in church attendance patterns nationwide is astounding. The COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing policy responses resulted in significant and rapid changes in church attendance patterns.
Among churches surveyed by the National COVID-19 Church Attendance Project (NCCAP), in-person attendance has suffered dramatically. At the peak of COVID in January of 2021, in-person attendance had fallen by 60 percent compared to January of the preceding year. This means that for every 10 people attending in-person the prior year, only four were attending in-person in January of 2021.
Many churches such as ours adapted to this by livestreaming our services. And FBC also has the advantage of being on Fox 16 on Sundays at 9 a. m. But I believe you will agree that virtual church is not the same.
There has never been a greater time in our nation and even in our own local community for strong churches with vibrant fellowships. When churches cease to be vibrant and well-attended, communities suffer. Crime and social unrest soar. Institutions such as government and education begin to fail. We are witnessing this in our own community.
It is time for the church, for OUR church, First Baptist Church, to rise up, shake off our lethargy, and get serious about the things of God again. I love the song, “Rise Up, O Church of God!” And we must…
We must set aside our fears… We must set aside our excuses… We must obey the Lord’s command to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together… We must re-engage with the Great Commission in sharing Jesus Christ with everyone that we know. We must renew our commitments to God.
I am calling the month of March “Back to Church” month. I am calling God’s people to a renewed commitment and back to Church.
- Our plans are to begin in-class Sunday School the first Sunday of March.
- I am beginning a series of messages on the miracles found in the Gospel of John this Sunday, February 27, entitled, “So That You May Believe.”
- We will begin showing “The Chosen” video series again Sunday evenings beginning March 13 at 5 p. m., with a church fellowship with finger foods and desserts. We will show the videos on selected Sunday nights through the month of May. Great opportunity to invite your friends and family.
- March 13, Daylight Savings Time begins. Move your clocks forward one hour.
- March 17, the church will provide a meal for the teachers and staff of Coleman Elementary school from Lybrands. Will need some help with this.
- Sunday, April 3, Chosen People Ministries will be with us at 5 p. m. to present “Christ in the Passover”.
- Palm Sunday is April 10.
- Good Friday Worship is April 15 at 6:00 pm.
- Easter is April 17.
- WorldChangers will be back with us June 20-25.
It is a great time to go back to church! God bless you and yours, and I look forward to seeing you back in church this Sunday!
Invite someone to come with you.
Pastor Ken
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Sunday School Relaunch
Sunday School Relaunch
Sunday, June 6, 2021
All Ages at 9:45 am
Relaunch: VERB – reintroduce or restart. On Sunday, June 6, 2021, at 9:45 am we plan to restart Sunday school with in-person classes here at the church. We have gathered as much information as possible to make this decision. Of course, the safety and health of our members and guests are of utmost concern, but we also desperately desire to be back together studying God’s Word! So, here are a few things you need to know when coming that Sunday:
- All participants (unless under the age of 5 and those with health issues which cannot wear one) will be asked to wear a mask.
- Some classes may be relocated based on size and distancing requirements.
- Not all classes have chosen to meet in-person, but rather will return at a later time. If you are a part of one of these classes, but would like to come and participate in one of the classes which are meeting in-person, you are more than welcome to come and be a part of the class of your choosing.
We hope and pray that all will continue to show grace to each other as we journey together through these crazy times. We respect each person’s decision about whether or not they will participate and so look forward to the day when masks and distancing are a thing of the past. But until that time, we look forward to this relaunch and our study of God’s Word through Sunday school.
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Regathering Guidelines
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A DAY TO REMEMBER by Pastor Ken Thornton
Memorial Day is the day when we remember those who have died in military service to our country. It was originally called Decoration Day because it was the tradition to decorate the graves of those who died in the Civil War. After World War I, Memorial Day was expanded to include those who had died in any war or military action. Memorial Day is now observed on the last Monday of May.
I believe wars are sometimes necessary to preserve freedom, or certainly to beat back an invading enemy. The right of personal or national self-defense when attacked is an inherent right. War may be forced upon a nation, and that nation can either defend itself or surrender. What else could we do as a nation after Japan attacked us at Pearl Harbor, or Germany was wreaking havoc in Europe?
I also believe every American owes a huge debt to every man and woman who died while serving this country. There are privileges we enjoy each and every day that were gained or preserved by those who paid the ultimate price in the service of and for our country.
There is a song called, “American Soldier”. The song tells of a soldier who is called to duty and he says, “I will always do my duty no matter what the price. I’ve counted up the cost, I know the sacrifice. Oh, and I don’t want to die for you, but if dyin’s asked of me I’ll bear the cross with honor, ’cause freedom isn’t free.” And “freedom isn’t free.” Every freedom we enjoy as Americans have been purchased and preserved by the blood and sacrifices of so many who have answered their nation’s call. Every headstone in every National Cemetery tells a story about sacrifice.
We call it “Memorial Day” because it is important to remember. Memory is important. Some of our memories are happy, and we can recall wonderful experiences. Some of our memories are sad, and we may weep as we remember them. But memory is very practical. If you couldn’t remember that a red light means “stop”, or you weren’t able to remember what day it is, or your anniversary your spouse’s birthday – you’d be in big trouble.
God has given us the gift of memory. In a moment you can be a child again or skipping rocks across a pond or walking around where you grew up. You can fall in love, get married, and have children all over again. You can do all this through the memories fixed in your mind. We are saddened to see people struggle with memory loss. It is like losing a treasure that has been gained over time.
Ralph Waldo Emerson (essayist, poet, and philosopher) and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (Midnight Ride of Paul Revere) both were literary giants of their day and had a tremendous influence upon American literature in the 1800s, and they were actually friends. In 1867, Emerson’s health began to decline. By 1871 or 1872 he started experiencing memory problems. Emerson and Longfellow died in the same year, 1882, within a month of each other. I have read that, although weak and failing, Emerson summoned the energy to attend Longfellow’s funeral, and that he said to his daughter, Ellen, “I cannot recall the name of our friend, but he was a good man.”
It is sad when memory fails us. We tie a string around our finger and do different things to help us remember. Calendars are printed to help us remember. Christmas is marked to help us remember the birth of Christ. Easter is marked to help us remember His Resurrection.
Memorial Day grew out of the human need to remember where we have been. Only a clear understanding of the past can help us understand where we are headed. The cherished memories of a nation, a town, a church, or a family provide the values and dreams that one generation passes on to the next. Forgetting means we lose touch with the past.
This was on President Lincoln’s mind on November 19, 1863 as he made his way to the Pennsylvania battlefield. He truly feared he might be the last president of the United States. The nation was on the brink of self-destruction. The ceremony that afternoon would dedicate the site of the cemetery for the approximately 8,000 soldiers killed (somewhere between 46,000 and 51,000 casualties) at Gettysburg in the 3-day battle the previous year. Lincoln’s remarks helped provide the seeds for what would become Memorial Day. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was delivered at the height of a civil war when its outcome was far from clear.
In the Gettysburg address delivered at the Gettysburg battlefield in November 1863, he stated, “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…” Lincoln had every reason to doubt as to whether the nation would be able in 1863 to bring this “great task” to a successful conclusion. The outcome would ultimately determine whether the dead had indeed “died in vain.”
A tremendous price has been paid by many who gave their lives that we might enjoy the privileges that we have. We do not appreciate the sense of uncertainty that hung over the outcome of the Civil War when Lincoln spoke at Gettysburg. Too many Americans have become disconnected from our nation’s history, and we do not appreciate as a nation the sacrifices of our nation’s forefathers.
President Woodrow Wilson said, “A nation which does not remember what it was yesterday will know what it is today, nor what it is trying to do.” Karl Marx, the father of Communism said, “Take away the heritage of a people, and they are easily persuaded.” Think about that for a minute!
For many, Memorial Day has become just another Monday holiday. It marks the beginning of summer. It is normally the weekend of the Indy 500. School is usually out. The pools are normally open. It provides the first real chance for picnics, BBQs, and maybe an outing to the lake.
But Memorial Day is more than just a three-day weekend. We observe a Memorial Day so we do not forget! The next generation must be taught to remember the lives, the legacies, and the lessons of those upon whose shoulders we stand. We remember the men and women in uniform who paid for our freedom with their blood. They paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).
As a military chaplain, now retired, I have been a part of many military funerals and memorial services. Some of these services have been in military chapels. Many have been in cemeteries where military honors were rendered. Many of the memorial services have been in deployed locations during wartime, some on the flight line, many in the back of the military transport aircraft returning the fallen back to the United States. Often at the end of my remarks or prayer, certainly at the playing of taps, I would salute the flag of the United States draped on the casket, thinking about my fallen comrade. I still think about them. I still honor them.
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VBS at FBC
Family Virtual
Vacation Bible School
July 14-18, 2021
Kindergarten to COMPLETED 6th Grade
Registration Information:
We welcome all children Kindergarten through completed 6th grade. Bible stories, music, snacks, crafts, and great learning for all of our children. Be part of this unique experience by clicking this link to register.
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COVID-19 Update
All, I sure miss gathering with you at church on Sundays, Wednesdays, and other days. God bless you and your families during this time. Please feel free to call on us if we can be of assistance to you. The church office number is 534-4741. My cell number is 501-425-7097. Your calls are always welcome. And feel free to drop by the church for coffee or conversation!
We plan to have Drive-In Church on Sundays at 11 a. m. through the remainder of May around the church memorial garden, weather permitting. All other services and events are cancelled for right now.
If it is raining, we will still be on FM radio in the parking area, as well as on Facebook. When you arrive in the church parking lot, you will be given a church worship program with the songs printed in it, as well as the FM radio station to tune to. This service will be broadcast to your FM radio. You can remain in your vehicle for the service, OR, you can sit in your lawn chairs with the 6-foot social distancing, except for family members who may sit together. (We are following the Governor’s guidelines) For those who would like to give their tithes and offerings, there will be an offering box located on a table near the podium.
Our Sunday morning service is broadcast live on Facebook at 11 a. m., and may be found at www.facebook.com/FirstPineBluff/Live Also, as you know First Baptist Church broadcasts Sunday morning messages on KLRT FOX 16 every Sunday from 9:00 – 9:30 a. m.
Great news!! Our church website is back up and running, and it looks great! It can be found at https://www.fbcpinebluff.org/ You can find the Builder newsletter, church calendar, recent audio and video sermons, and other things, such as a giving portal on our new website.
If you have any questions or concerns about our service format or schedule, please feel free to call me.
The last couple months have been full of unprecedented changes in our lives. People and churches are trying to figure out how to live and minister in a period of social distancing. Our lives and schedules and norms have changed. Churches today have never ministered through a pandemic like the COVID-19. But these changes won’t last forever.
For right now, we need to do what the health professionals recommend. We need to take the commonsense actions that will decrease the spread of this virus. People over the age of 65 and those who have preexisting conditions are most vulnerable. If you’re in these categories, please be careful and wise. Use that mask when you go out if you have one. Don’t unnecessarily expose yourself to disease.
The Bible tells us there will be trials. 1 Peter 4:12 says, “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.” We are told to expect tough times. These are some of those times, but again, they won’t last forever.
At times like this, we need to hang on to truths that don’t change. During times of crisis, it’s really important to remember the fundamentals. Know that this will pass. We will “get on” with our lives soon. Churches will gather again. Things will “normalize” for us in time.
Focus on what’s unchanging, not what is changing. There are many changes to our world and community. We don’t know what all these changes will be. We now have opportunities for ministry we did not have before, such as live streaming on Facebook. We need to be flexible, but remember what hasn’t changed.
The Bible says, Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” In all this change, you can count on that truth. You can also know that God’s love for you and our community has never changed. God’s working in our lives has not changed. Do not let all the changes make you lose sight of everything that is still the same.
God is going through this with us. This virus did not surprise God. He will walk through every bit of it with us. We may feel alone at times. But we will never be alone. This virus did not sneak up on God. And it won’t stop the church. Jesus himself reminds us that “all the powers of hell will not conquer” the church (Matthew 16:18).
God doesn’t just want His church to survive during this period. He wants us to thrive. This is the difference between how we deal with pain as believers and how the world does. The church sees every need in the world as an opportunity for ministry and to do good for God’s glory.
Isaiah 41:10 says, “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” Focus on that truth and not all the noise on the Internet and news right now. It will replace your worry with worship.
1 Corinthians 4:8, 14 says, “We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; . . . knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.” Easter tells us that we win no matter what happens. So, we will win! Even if a virus or other disease or accident takes our lives, we will go straight into the presence of God. On that day, all our pain, sickness, and sorrow will be over. There is no COVID-19 virus in Heaven.
We don’t know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds it.
Romans 16:20, “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”
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