This is a wonderful week for our church! The church doors will be open this Sunday, May 17. I have, along with you I’m sure, desired for such a time as this to come together with our wonderful, loving church family. What an incredible time it’s going to be to see each other “face to face” united in worship of our Lord. This reminds me of Joseph’s reunion with his eleven brothers:“Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. He kissed all his brothers and wept on them, and afterward his brothers talked with him” (Genesis 45:14-15). It is obvious that our present situation is extremely different than Joseph’s. However, the reunion was very similar, in that Joseph could no longer restrain himself from his brother’s fellowship and longing for Jacob his father. Genesis 45 concludes with a celebration by many like Pharaoh, the eleven brothers, and most of all Jacob.
The Egyptians whom Joseph had asked to leave the room probably lingered close to the door so they could be the first to find out what was going on and report it to Pharaoh. When they heard Joseph and his brothers weeping and understood why, they carried the news to Pharaoh who rejoiced that Joseph’s brothers were now with him. Think about it, Joseph was the savior of the nation and a “father” (v. 8) to Pharaoh and the ruler of Egypt wanted to give a royal welcome to Joseph’s family. With the approval of Pharaoh, Joseph pushed forward on the promise of giving his family “the fat of the land” in the fertile soil along the Nile.
In the brother’s celebration in returning home to Jacob, an amazing revival surfaced in the home. Jacob was happy to see his sons, especially Benjamin. But Jacob wasn’t prepared for the incredible report from his sons. The report to Jacob was that Joseph was alive; he was the second ruler of Egypt; he wanted the whole family to move to Egypt: and he would care for all of them. How much good news can an old man handle in one day? Jacob “was stunned, for he did not believe them” (v. 26). The news was too good to believe, but he couldn’t deny the presence of the carts that Joseph had sent for his move to Egypt. Jacob’s spirit revived as he contemplated seeing Joseph and having his united family around him until he died. Next week, we will study Jacob and Joseph meeting after 17 years of separation.
This Sunday is going to be an incredible reunion for our church family as gather to worship. Please note that we will not have Sunday School, nursery, or children's church. Many are joyous with the opportunity to join with other church family members. Even though our church family will be meeting, we must continue to follow the guidelines for mass meetings. The ushers will help everyone to their seats and dismiss everyone at the conclusion of the worship service. Please read and follow the guidelines that are posted below.
Excited to see you Sunday!
Pastor Rick
In-Person Worship Resumes This Sunday
After two months of online services, First Baptist Church of Strafford will reopen for in-person worship this Sunday, May 17 at 10:45 a.m. We are excited to see everyone and, more importantly, to worship our Lord in the same place at the same time!
In keeping with local, state, and federal guidelines, we want to make you aware of the efforts we are taking to keep everyone safe and healthy as we resume gathering together:
1. If you have been ill recently, if you are at high-risk (elderly, immunocompromised, preexisting conditions), or if you do not feel comfortable coming to church for any reason, we encourage you to stay home.
2. There will be no Sunday School, children’s church, or nursery until further notice.
3. NOW will not meet again on Wednesday nights until at least August.
4. Jeff Taylor will continue teaching the “Bible Studies for Life” lesson through Facebook Live and FreeChurchOnline on Wednesday nights at 7:00 p.m. as long as our Sunday School classes are unable to meet. Classes are encouraged to remain virtually connected with one another through Zoom videoconferencing or other means. We have ordered the June/July/August “Bible Studies for Life” curriculum and will have both printed and digital copies available.
5. The main doors under the canopy will open at 10:15 a.m. All other doors will remain locked. Masked greeters will open the doors for you. Hand sanitizer will be readily available as you enter. To avoid contact, we will not be distributing bulletins or sermon outlines. These documents will be available on our website, fbcstrafford.org, and can be printed before you come if desired.
6. Only the lobby, worship center, and main restrooms will be accessible—all other areas of the building will be sealed off. The drinking fountains will be disabled and no coffee station will be available. Feel free to bring your own drink from home, but be sure to use a lid to prevent spills.
7. Social distancing must be observed at all times in the building and on church property. Please stay at least six feet away from anyone who does not live in your household. In order to allow ease of movement, we ask that you do not congregate with small groups inside the building. You may visit in the parking lot before or after service as long as social distancing is maintained. Feel free to wear masks and gloves if desired.
8. Ushers will seat you in the worship center to ensure social distancing. Every other pew will be marked off to indicate permitted seating areas. Some pews will hold two families or three individuals, but please maintain at least six feet between households. Ushers will dismiss each row at the end of the service. The pew racks have been emptied of all hymnals, Bibles, Communication Cards, offering envelopes, and pencils.
9. The doors to the worship center will remain propped open at all times. Bathroom door latches will be rigged to open simply by pushing. We are also installing foot pull plates on the bathroom doors.
10. We will be aiming for the service to last one hour or less. We will sing 2-3 songs, Pastor Rick will bring a message, and we will share a few announcements. There will be no meet and greet time or offering time. A box will be available at the back of the worship center for you to deposit your tithes and offerings as well as any prayer requests as you exit.
11. The church building will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized after each service.
12. For those who are staying home, we plan to record the music and message each Sunday. We will post the video to the church Facebook page and FreeOnlineChurch by Sunday evening or Monday morning. We will also continue to stay connected through the week on the “FBC Strafford Family” Facebook group.
If you have any questions or concerns, please call the church office at (417) 736-2148 or email church@fbcstrafford.org.
Pantry Open This Saturday
The “Our Daily Bread” food pantry here at FBC will be open as a drive-through this Saturday, May 16 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. It is available for all residents of the Strafford School District. You just need to bring proof of residency and an ID for each member of the household. If you know of anyone who could use assistance with food, invite them to stop by the pantry this Saturday. For more information, contact pantry coordinator Sandy Strecker.
Worship With Us This Sunday!
Join us for worship this Sunday, May 17, as Pastor Rick continues a seven-part series, Joseph: From Dreams To Destiny, with a message titled "Truth and Consequences" from Genesis 44-45. You are encouraged to read that passage to prepare your heart. Doors will open at 10:15 a.m. for the 10:45 a.m. service. Please carefully review the reopening guidelines listed above before arriving.
The service video will be posted by Sunday evening or Monday morning to our Facebook page. It will also be available at FreeChurchOnline if you do not have a Facebook account. Be sure to comment and let us know that you're watching with us! If you need any technical assistance, email Josh Erisman.
Update on Summer Events
Our annual Memorial Day hike to Roaring River State Park will be postponed until late summer/early fall.
Vacation Bible School will NOT take place May 31-June 5 as originally scheduled. We are looking at an alternative plan for VBS and will be communicating those details to you as soon as they are finalized.
The Greene County Baptist Association has canceled Youth Camp, Girls Camp, and Boys Camp at Baptist Hill this summer.
If you have any questions about upcoming events, call or email the church office.
Wednesday Bible Study
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, our Sunday School classes are not currently able to meet. Each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. on our Facebook page and on FreeChurchOnline, student minister Jeff Taylor will give an overview of the previous Sunday's "Bible Studies for Life" lesson.
This Wednesday, May 20, we will continue a six-week study on "Dealing with Messy Relationships," which will explore six traits we can practice that will bring healing to our relationships and prevent future damage. This week's lesson will focus on "Serve" from Galatians 5:13-15; 6:1-5, 10.
A PDF of each week's lesson will be made available on the FBC Strafford Family Facebook group (we cannot release it publicly due to copyright restrictions, but LifeWay has given us permission to share it within our group).
We encourage all Sunday School classes to stay in contact throughout the week and discuss the lesson through texts, phone calls, videoconferencing, or social media. Contact your Sunday School teacher if you have any questions.
"FBC Strafford Family" Facebook Group
One way we are staying in touch as a church family is through the new “FBC Strafford Family” Facebook group. This group is being used to share live videos, prayer requests, devotionals, and internal announcements through the week.
If you are a regular attender here at FBC and you are not yet a part of the group, click the link, request to join, and start connecting with your church family online!
Giving Options
Even if you aren't joining us for in-person worship on Sunday, please continue to remember your tithes and offerings. The church’s ministries and operational expenses go on in spite of the current situation. We want to be a blessing to our community and it takes resources to do that. Your faithful giving makes it possible!
In addition to dropping cash or checks in the offering box on Sunday morning, there are multiple ways to give your tithes and offerings:
Mail a check to First Baptist Church, PO Box 367, Strafford, MO 65757
Several of our members have begun using online bill pay through their bank to send in their offering. This is a free service that some banks provide. All you have to do is add the church’s name and address as a vendor, just like you would the electric company or any other business.
You can also drop your offering by the church office, but please call ahead to make sure that someone will be in the office.
Thank you again, church family, for your generous and faithful giving! If you need help setting up online giving or have any questions, contact Josh Erisman.
RightNow Media Access
As we are all spending more time at home, we want to provide you with a great resource for both discipleship and entertainment! Our church has used RightNow Media for several years now, but we know that many of you do not yet have your own FREE personal account. That can change in just a minute or two!
Click HERE to sign up and you'll have access to literally thousands of Bible studies and family-friendly videos that can be streamed to your TV, computer, or smartphone. Email Josh Erisman if you have any questions and he will be happy to help get you set up!
