Welcome We’re glad you are here!

October 4, 2020

Sunday ONLINE

Sunday SERVICES

Two distraction stories about two kings stand out to me and, I believe, teach us some powerful lessons for our time.

In 1 Samuel 17, when young, newly anointed and future King David heard Goliath’s taunts he was troubled. “Why are the armies of the living God trembling before a pagan aggressor, mocking Jehovah?!” He was visiting his brothers, soldiers who were also afraid, and wondering why there was such a great reward offered for such a sim-ple task as a servant of God striking down an enemy of God. David’s oldest brother, Eliab, in prideful jealousy tried to belittle David as being just a little shepherd with a few sheep and a big ego. I love David’s response, “He then turned away to someone else…” (v. 30) David knew that spiritual realities were destroying the people of God. He knew he couldn’t be distracted away from a noble focus and purpose in a quibble with his brother.

Many years later, another young King, Jesus, told his disciples about his crucifixion and resurrection. A spiritual brother and disciple, Peter, had a strange response. He rebuked Jesus! (Matthew 16:21-22). “No, Jesus, this will never happen to you!” This was not the way it was “supposed” to happen. Jesus had a similar, but more direct response to Peter than his grandfather, David, did to Eliab. Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” Jesus knew he couldn’t be distracted away from the spiritual battle for which he would step into the valley of the shadow of death and defeat the giant on the cross.

Both of these kings encountered world events, enemies and even friends who threat-ened their focus. I don’t know about you, but I have found current events to threaten my focus on the power and purpose of God. I believe, like King David and King Jesus, God wants us to keep our eyes fixed on Him – our hope locked into His promises, our plans chiseled into His future, His word written onto our hearts and His church in our daily prayers. May we have the courage of these great kings to fight the cultural dis-tractions and keep our focus on Jesus!

Family Activity Center

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F4 F6 F5

F1 F2

Kitchen Gym

b. Please wash your hands with soap before exiting a restroom. c. Please use hand sanitizer regularly. d. Please cough or sneeze in your elbow.

If you have health concerns and do not feel safe returning to worship, we encourage you to watch our live streamed worship from home. You can access this the same way you have been watching our recorded lessons. Please call the church office (850-763-5661) if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Phase 2 – Limited Reopening is now being implemented. Upon the federal, state and local officials’ recommendation that businesses and churches begin limited reopening, we will follow these guidelines: 1. All public facilities will be professionally cleaned before opening up to the public. A disinfecting of all touched surfaces will continue regularly through phase 2. 2. Drinking fountains and the coffee bar/welcome center will be closed off from use. 3. Song books and Bible’s will be removed from seat racks. No physical bulletins will be printed. Updates will continue to be made electronically and announcements from the pulpit and on phone messages. 4. Individual communion packs will be placed at each chair prior to services. 5. Washable facemasks will be available for every member at the door. Wearing them will be encouraged, but optional. 6. For baptisms, a facemask will be worn by any minister or elder performing the baptism. All towels and baptismal garments will be placed in a plastic garbage bag and sealed and washed before their next use. 7. Greeters will stand outside the door wearing face masks and doors will be propped open before and after services for easy touchless entry and exit. 8. Social distancing guidelines will be posted in the buildings and reiterated from the pulpit. a. Please do not shake hands, hug or make physical contact with those who are not

members of your household. You may not mind, but others might. If we all practice this social distancing, we can avoid the awkwardness of misunderstand-ing.

9. Offerings will be made online or dropped in a locked box in the lobby. Contribution checks dropped in the locked box outside the church office door will continue to be accepted.

10. Services will be offered online via streaming service for those who are in the vulner-able population or who, for other reasons, do not yet feel comfortable meeting together.

11. Older and vulnerable members will be encouraged to stay home for their protec-tion, and anyone showing symptoms will be asked to stay home to avoid exposing others to the contagion.

12. Half of the auditorium seating will be moved to the family activity center with rows set up at least 6ft apart. And seating in the main auditorium will be space apart. 13. Sunday AM services will be streamed live to the family activity center. 14. As it would be impossible to keep o ur young children socially distant in a classroom, Sunday and Wednesday classes will remain suspended until phase 3. 15. In lieu of Bible classes, the church leadership will recommend that parents use teaching resources available on the “Children’s Ministry” or “Resources” pages of our website. 16. Weekly phone message updates from the elders will continue through phase 2.

Phase 3 – Full Normalization When federal, state and local authorities recommend that it is safe to return to normal, we will follow these guidelines: 1. All services will resume at their normal times. 2. Streaming services will continue for those who are unable to return corporately. 3. As in any phase, if a person who has been in the building subsequently is diagnosed with COVID-19 disease/virus, the congregation will be informed and the church building will be professionally cleaned within a week of learning of the diagnosis. 4. Bible classes will resume on their normal schedules. 5. Communion and contribution will be conducted as normal with people passing trays. a. Individual communion packs will be available in the welcome/information center. b. Online contributions and dropping checks in the office lockbox will be accepted and encouraged. 6. Members will be reminded to stay home if they are showing any symptoms. 7. Members will be encouraged to wash hands and use hand sanitizer regularly. 8. For congregational meals, hand sanitizer will be available at the first table line and all participants will be asked to use it before entering the line.

We are establishing a process to share information about COVID 19 exposure. It is extremely important for people to know if they have been exposed. We cannot assume that someone who has been diagnosed, and has possibly become ill, will be able to notify or even remember everyone that they have been in contact with. Therefore, if you have been diagnosed with COVID 19, please inform Brother Daniel or one of the elders, so that we can inform the congre-gation. Then, that person can be prayed for and others who have been in contact with them can take appropriate actions. Thank you for your help in this matter.

Message from the elders: As we continue in phase 2 of reopening, our attendance has de-creased. Some need to self-quarantine and others, out of concern, are electing to stay away and watch services from home. That being the case, the elders have decided that we will all meet in the main building. If our attendance exceeds the number for which we have safe seating in the main auditorium, we will stream services live to the FAC and use it as overflow. In order to maintain social distancing, we will not be adding more seating to the main building at this time. As you take your seats, please remember to leave a couple of seats between fami-lies. Please continue to refrain from handshakes, hugs and other physical contact. You may feel comfortable with it but others may not. Face masks are available for those who would like to use them.

Class Classroom Topic Teacher

Grades 6 -12 F 4 Bible Project Jaye Chapman

Adult Rm 17/18* General topic Jack Reece

Adult Auditorium Story of Life Daniel Cherry

Adult FAC Gym VanderLaan Video Series Kyle Polk

2-3 Year-Old Rm 5* Jennifer Brown

4s, 5s & K Rm 8* Katy Donlan/Kristy Holsombake

1st Grade Rm 9* Mary Boerste

2nd/3rd Grade Rm 11* Kelley Peavler

4th/5th Grade Rm 12* Mary Jones

Children’s Classes

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up your child in the ways of the Lord, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”