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• Suspended Meet and Greet Contact During Worship
• Church Facilities Disinfected and Thoroughly Cleaned Throughout
• Hugs, Handshakes, and Physical Contact Replaced by Fist/Elbow Bumps and Waves
• Chairs Rearranged to Provide 3-foot radius
• Sanitary Hand Wash Ointment, Hand wipes, and tissues available throughout
• Nursery and Children’s areas totally sanitized

 
We thank our volunteer leaders for the extra-mile efforts they have made this week to keep everyone safe while worshiping and studying God’s word together. There are some things that we depend upon you to do:

• When you cough, cough into your elbow and not into your hands.
• Wash your hands thoroughly for 20 seconds.
• If you present any symptoms (fever, coughing, runny nose, sore throat) STAY HOME!!
• Pray for yourself, your family, and your fellow church members, the nation and for all those who care for the sick and manage the COVID-19 crisis.
• Be attentive to family members, neighbors and fellow church members who are over 65 years of age.

 
It would be a great ministry between all of us during this health emergency for all of us to step up our concern and contacts to one another. Why not pick up your phone and call one of your Sunday School class members, or an elderly church member, or someone you sit near in worship and ask about their health and well-being. Call each other, or email and see if they need anything that you may supply for them. Pray with each other over the phone. The Bible says, “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up…” (James 5:14-15a).
 
I call on the members of Grace to pray for one another. I commit myself to step up contacts and outreach to the elderly, sick and most vulnerable within our congregation. Already, I have begun to call every member who is over 65 to check on their needs and well-being. On Thursday night this week, all three of my children called Robbie and me to check on us. When they call to check on us, they always offer their own instructions about what we should do. “Make sure you go to the store and stock up on your supplies,” they say. “Dad, be careful about your ministry and contact with people,” they advise. “Mom, you don’t need to be getting outside right now and being around people who may be sick,” they warn. That was kind-of cool. Your kids calling to show their concern and solidarity together for your well-being. We expect that from our kids, but the Bible tells us to do the same thing within our church family.

The church in the United States is not growing. Since 2016, approximately 29,000,000 people have left the church. In 2016, the church recorded membership at 241,000,000, almost 70% of the population. By 2018, that number had dropped to 62%, or 212,000,000. Yes, there are growing churches in this country, but overall the numbers indicate a loss of 8% in just 2 years.
 
All of us have family members and know people who are not a part of any church family. Look around your neighborhood. Survey your work associates, classmates and circles of friends and you will find people who are not attending a church. We have a ready and available list of unchurched people we can each recommend to receive an invitation to come to worship here at Grace.

This is the reason we are asking you to remember who you know and give us their information so that we may invite them to join us on Easter Sunday, April 12th and Renewal Sunday April 19th. We are asking you to provide 100 names of people and families that we may invite to these special services. We are planning to send over 300 letters and emails. Our Deacons are planning to make a contact by letter, card, email, phone call, or personal visit to every member of our church. We are praying and asking God to give us over 200 people in attendance on both Sundays.
 
This past Sunday morning, 167 people attended worship at Grace. Following the service our leaders wrote down the names of 73 people and families who did not attend. That means that our church has the potential of seeing 240 people in worship on any given Sunday, not counting guests that God may lead to attend. Is that not amazing? I remember when 75 was a great attendance. We are a growing church. In fact, Grace is the 3rd fastest growing church in the Chattahoochee Baptist Association.
 
The Bible commands us to “Go, make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19). We must grow by reaching people who need Jesus. There is no room for complacency or satisfaction. So, fill out a “WHO DO” card this morning. Your friends, neighbors and family members need to participate in our 2020 Year of the Bible. Real friends invite friends to join them in the study of God’s word. You need to do everything you can to get your loved ones to be under the spiritual influence of the Bible. Start today! Complete a “WHO DO” card and let’s see what God will do.

Grace Baptist Church is truly a “Work In Progress.” God is doing great things all the time moving us forward as we cooperate with Him in building His kingdom. The apostle Paul talked about this kind of progress to the church in Corinth, “But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
 
Is our church perfect? NO!
 
The only perfect church is an imperfect church. The real question is, ARE WE A BETTER CHURCH? Yes, we are getting better every day. Let me just point out a few things:

• 2020 Year of the Bible Emphasis – Scripture Memory and Chronological Reading of the Bible
• MAY 200 Emphasis – Average Attendance, January 150, February 152 – Met 160 goal on 2 Sundays
• Paid Off 2nd Mortgage Loan - $122,000
• Building Renovation Reserve growth from $150,000 To $175,000+
• Greeters/Security Team Formed and Serving
• Transportation Team Formed and Serving
• New Church Bus Received and Route Planning Underway
• Parking Lot Lighting Completed
• Materials Purchased for Dock Enclosure and Storage
• 5 Baptisms

 
This week our Relocation Team will meet and continue planning for renovations on the lower building. The Civil Engineering Plans have been received and submitted to Oakwood City for approval. Once approved, we will be in a position to begin work on completion of the upper parking area, filling in the front ditch area and sidewalk construction, begin the bidding process on a waste-water disposal system and ground water retention pond.
 
Sometimes progress is not as fast as you thought it would be. I was reading in the book of Deuteronomy today about the time when Israel was poised to enter the Promised Land. Listen to what God said to them, “The Lord your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you” (Deuteronomy 7:22). Progress is usually realized by taking one step at a time. The point is that our church is taking steps forward continually in obedience to God and for the purpose of bringing people to deeper faith in Jesus. I continue to be amazed by God’s blessings upon us as we move forward and for the faithfulness of our people as we keep on believing and serving for His Glory.