Serving the Lord Faithfully
All praise be to God and the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ. God in His mercy has blessed us with the heavenly blessings in Christ Jesus and has given us the right to be called His children through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. As believers, God has anointed us with His Spirit, who lives within us and is now leading our lives in accordance with the Will of Jesus Christ. God, through His divine purpose has called us to serve Him through all circumstances and this is a unique opportunity for the Church to practice their faith and glorify the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ through our lives.
West Oneonta Baptist Church is monitoring the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation closely and the Pastor and the Board of Deacons have been following the guidance given by the CDC, State and Federal Authorities. During this time of unprecedented circumstances, our highest priority is the health and safety of our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and those whom God is calling us to share the message of the gospel with and their spiritual well being. Our prayers and hearts are with those who have been affected personally by the outbreak, and the many communities around the world that are facing extreme measures in the attempt to slow its spread.
We have taken specific steps, as part of our spiritual wellbeing plan, to ensure we can share the message of the gospel and stay connected with one another. We have been communicating with our church attendees via e-mail and the social media, the pastor and the board of deacons have shared their telephone and email information to connect with everyone. We request that if you know someone who is not on our e-mail list, please contact the board of deacons immediately and share that information with us. We want to connect with our body and meet their needs.
Spiritual Needs
Worship Services:
We are evaluating the coronavirus (COVID-19) news, federal and state mandates closely and deciding the worship service method on a weekly basis. This past Saturday, we decided to hold our worship online and encourage everyone to stay home. We are planning the same thing this coming Sunday, March 29, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Please encourage everyone to join us via social media: Facebook fb.com/wobcchurch.
If you know someone who does not have the internet connection, we are recording the sermons and will be happy to share the audio CD or USB for them to listen to the weekly sermons. Our Board of Deacons is meeting via phone on a regular basis to evaluate the situation. We will be sending you regular updates on how we will be handling worship services.
Other Services and Activities:
All other services and activities have been postponed until further notice. We are encouraging everyone to do personal, family, and over the phone devotions with others. The Board of Deacons is looking at additional possibilities to hold prayer meetings over the internet and phone to encourage one another and pray.
We will inform you in the near future if we are having an Online Bible Study next Wednesday, April 1, 2020.
Local Community:
I am also working with the Board of Deacons to pray and meet the physical needs of our local community; it gives us the avenue to develop relationships and share the love of our Lord Jesus Christ with them.
Our Missionaries:
I am working with the Board of Deacons to pray and connect with our missions committee to ensure we are connecting with our missionaries to meet their spiritual and physical needs as the Lord enables us. I will encourage you to keep our missionaries and their needs in your prayers. I will share the needs and prayer requests with you as I receive them.
We realize that the situation is changing on a daily basis as the world navigates this pandemic. As the situation evolves, West Oneonta Baptist Church is fully investing our capabilities to make sure we continue to support our local community and meet the spiritual needs. It is important for us as a body of Christ to practice our faith, spend time in the Word of God, lift the body of Christ, the local community and the world before the throne of our Lord Jesus Christ. I will encourage everyone to connect with others, encourage them, and even hold a prayer time over the phone.
As your pastoral team, Carissa and I are praying for you and your family. We know that the Lord has been preparing us all for this very time and occasion, let us boldly approach the throne of our Lord Jesus Christ for He cares for us.
We love you and your family.
In Christ alone.
Pastor Din and Family