Dear Emmanuel Baptist Church Family:
We are postponing all our services through the end of March.
Why Are We Doing This?
Gov. Wolf encouraged “religious leaders to exercise discretion in order to mitigate the spread of illness.” Furthermore, President Trump echoes the CDC’s recommendation that organizations “cancel gatherings of more than 10 people” if the group includes elderly or those with underlying health issues.
Since this directive is not directly targeting Christians or religious liberty but represents an effort to care for the people of our state, we are postponing all services through the end of the month. This is one way we can “be subject unto the [government]” and love our neighbor and fulfill God’s law (Rom. 13:1–10).
We would hasten to add that EBC is not alone in making this decision. Churches throughout Millville, Pennsylvania, and America at large are prayerfully arriving at the same conclusion.
What is Next: Sundays?
One way we will seek to stay connected is by posting a message online each week on Sunday at 10:30 am. We will keep this simple at first: a FB video recording or livestream. At some point, this may require logging into a platform for which we will send instructions. Online forums are a bit artificial, certainly not normative, but we want to stay connected as wisely as we can during such an extraordinary providence in which we cannot meet as a local church. Maybe you could even invite a few other EBC members over (who are in good health!) and listen and pray together for our church.
What Can We Do Until We Meet Again?
- Be Forbearing—with one-another and with church leadership. Many things can push us to be impatient with each other, rather than to love each other. Let’s excel at patience and forbearance, even as Christ bears with us (Eph 4:1–3).
- Be Loving. You all have always excelled at loving each other. The Lord has given us another chance to do so. We are his people, under his love. Let’s move out in love to one-another, bearing one-another’s burdens (John 13:34–35; Gal 6:1–2).
- Be Creative. We are “to consider (give premeditated, planned thought) how to stir up one-another to love and good works” (Heb 10:24). You all do so well at this in so many ways. Let your imagination run wild on how you can show love to the members of our flock in creative ways. Call each other and pray together. Text each other. Go old-school and send a letter in the mail to each other. Start a YouVersion Bible reading group. Start a One-to-One Bible study, or continue your other Bible studies with EBC brothers and sisters. Get the point? Excel at fulfilling Hebrews 10:24.
- Be Bold. Be ready to share the gospel now more than ever. Advance with the gospel. Pray. Meet people. Open your mouth. Tell them about Jesus. We are living at this moment in history to show the love of Christ and to proclaim the love of Christ. Surely, the Coronavirus (COVID-19) has fallen out for the furtherance of the gospel (Phil 1:12; Col 4:2–4).
- Be Reflecting. Do not waste this once-in-a-century kind of providence. This is an extraordinary work of God. He has brought the world to a standstill. Don’t miss the magnitude of this moment (Ps 107:43). Be sober-minded and alert. Don’t binge-watch Netflix, or numb your mind with Facebook. Fill your mind with your mortality (Ps 90:3–12; 119:67, 72). Fill your mind with His terrifying power (Luke 12:4–5). Fill your mind with His personal providence (Luke 12:6–7). Fill your mind with His love (Rom 8:31–38).
All for now. More communication will come later. Occupy till He comes (Luke 19:13).
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all,
—Pastor Felber
