3.19.2020
Dear Friends,
As the Apostle Paul often began his letters to the churches he served with a greeting, we extend that same greeting to you: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Phil. 1:2) There is much uncertainty during such a strange and unique time as this, and yet our hope remains fixed upon the God of heaven and earth who has delivered us by grace and established peace for us in the Lord Jesus Christ. “Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,” (Ps. 46:2) and because of Jesus we continue to rejoice even in our trials and suffering (Jas. 1:2-4).
Due to the necessity to distance ourselves socially to help stave off the spread of the coronavirus, your elders have determined that South Baton Rouge Presbyterian Church will worship corporately solely through a live Facebook feed until further notice. As we mentioned last week, we remain committed to continuing to practice gathering for worship even if that means we have to make some adjustments to how that is accomplished.
To that end, a live feed of our worship service will begin at 10:00am on Sunday mornings. We encourage you to join with us each Sunday morning during this time to continue worshiping with one another. You can join this live feed by joining the South Baton Rouge Presbyterian Church facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/southprez/) or by visiting our website (www.sbrpc.org) on Sunday mornings, where our facebook live feed will be embedded.
To further equip the church and aid you in worship throughout the week during this time, we will also be producing short video devotionals on YouTube. Please visit https://youtu.be/gw8cSNGBG4I to follow our YouTube page in order to receive these devotionals. On Tuesdays, Nathan will lead a devotion from the suffering servant passages in Isaiah. On Wednesdays, Corey will lead a devotional on Neighboring, and on Thursdays, Nathan will lead a devotion focused on The Fruit of The Spirit. As always, Woody will be sending out a Wednesday devotional email called Hump Day Help. If you are not yet receiving that email, please email Woody at woody@sbrpc.org.
As you know, we have had to suspend the majority of our regular programming activities at South Baton Rouge until it is safe to resume those activities. However, at South Baton Rouge, we are firmly committed to the practice of authentic community. Therefore, we are going to continue meeting in Community Groups via Zoom conferencing on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. There is no better time to get plugged into a community group than now! If you are not yet involved in a Community Group, please email Corey Pelton at corey@sbrpc.org, and he can help connect you to one of these virtual gatherings for sharing, prayer, and connection with others.
Because community is so important to us at South Baton Rouge, we also want to encourage you to take the initiative to call and check on each other. Ask people how they are doing and what needs they may have. Come alongside one another and share one another’s burdens in the form of helping run errands to the grocery store or to get medication and other creative ways, provided you do what is necessary to keep yourself and others safe.
Also, if you are reading this letter and you have a need or know of a special need that someone else has, please do not hesitate to reach out to our staff, elders, or deacons. We love you and want to provide whatever help we can (woody@sbrpc.org, nathan@sbrpc.org, corey@sbrpc.org, office@sbrpc.org, deacons@sbrpc.org, session@sbrpc.org)
Another primary commitment of South Baton Rouge is that of outward-facing mission. Our church is the feet and hands of our Savior. You all are already doing a tremendous job of thinking about and implementing ways of serving one another and our community. Thank you for that! As we hear your ideas we will pass those along in order to “spur one another on to love and good deeds.” (Heb. 10:24)
The Wednesday devotional videos will share some of your ideas of reaching out to your neighbors. It is the most effective way we can share the love of Christ outside of South Baton Rouge Presbyterian Church. People are vulnerable right now and are in need of caring conversation and action of others.
Last, please continue to give to the ministry of South Baton Rouge Presbyterian Church. If you are not already giving, this is actually a great time to begin. If you are already giving, please consider giving beyond your normal giving. The ministry of the church goes forward through the generosity of God’s people. Paul wrote to the Corinthians and told them that they excelled in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness and love. And to such a commended group as this, Paul wrote, “see that you also excel in this act of giving as well.” (1 Cor. 8:7) And Paul’s primary reason that we should excel in giving was the good news of Jesus. Paul wrote, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” (1 Cor. 8:9) In light of our freedom in Jesus, let us give in order that the good news of Jesus would continue to go out in Word and deed to our community and the world. You can visit www.sbrpc.org and click “donate” on the homepage in order to give.
“The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Cor. 13:14),
The Elders of South Baton Rouge Presbyterian Church
3.14.20
Dear friends,
Christians have a unique place in society. We, of all people, have a hope that goes beyond the bounds of this life and even of this world. When an event like the pandemic of coronavirus hits, we have the opportunity to show forth our true hope and coming kingdom in the way that we respond. Having paid close attention to the “community spread” of coronavirus in Louisiana your leadership is exercising balance between wise precaution and bold faith as we seek to love one another and our neighbors well.
Since our governor has declared that meetings of over 250 people be suspended, we have decided to implement some changes to our worship and programming for the time being. Because of the way epidemics spread, “social distancing” is a proven measure of slowing down and “flattening the curve” of the spread of the virus in order to love our neighbors and alleviate pressure upon the local medical system. In that light, the following changes will be implemented this week:
This Sunday worship services will be held at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Each service will be limited to 150 people. Please note that if any service fills up, you will be asked to attend another service.
The cleaning staff will be disinfecting the building prior to, and after, each worship service.
Parents, please use discretion on whether to bring young children and infants to worship this Sunday.
Sunday school, nursery, communicant’s class, children’s church, ESL, and youth will not be meeting.
The only doors in use will be the front doors of the building and sanctuary doors, which will remain open to limit contact with door handles.
Please use the provided hand sanitizer upon entering and exiting the building.
There will be limited seating in the sanctuary, and the chairs available will be spaced further apart than normal.
There will be no coffee or donuts (you might prepare your kids for this news!).
This Sunday we will be live streaming the service on our SBRPC Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/southprez/).
Please continue to financially support the ministry of SBRPC. A box will be provided at the back of the sanctuary to collect offerings. You may also give online at www.sbrpc.org. It is vitally important to give generously during times such as these to enable SBRPC to continue it’s ministry of Word and deed.
Future cancellations and postponements:
Canceled - Maundy Thursday service on April 9.
Postponed - Communicant’s class, hymn sing, neighboring class, women’s studies, men’s evening, Sunday school classes, children’s church, nursery, youth, and ESL.
Community Groups will continue to meet for fellowship, prayer, and Bible study at the discretion of each community group. Please follow the CDC guidelines in determining whether or not to attend.
Please be in prayer for our officers and staff as we meet tomorrow to further assess and seek ways to serve, not only our immediate church family, but also ways to serve our neighbors in coming weeks. If you have immediate needs, please contact the deacons (deacons@sbrpc.org).
Also, please pass this communication to guests or others who may not receive this email. Our desire in having multiple services is so that you would continue to invite your friends to come and hear the good news of Jesus. Thank you for your patience and prayers.
2 Corinthians 4:
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
3.12.20
COVID-19 and SBRPC
Dear friends,
At SBRPC, we want to care for our congregation in all respects, including the physical well-being of our community. Much attention has been given to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID - 19), and while not giving into unnecessary fear or anxiety, we want to care for one another and our wider community well. To that end, we are asking our congregants to be mindful of simple things you can do in light of the ongoing influenza season as well as recent developments with the coronavirus (COVID - 19).
Please be mindful of the guidance from the Center for Disease Control, including:
- Stay home when you are sick. If you are unable to worship with us, we invite you to listen to the recorded sermon online. We will try to upload it as quickly as possible so that you can download and listen on that particular Sunday. The link may be found at http://www.sbrpc.org/listen.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
- Self-quarantine is recommended for high-risk individuals even if asymptomatic. This includes travel from within 14 days of high risk areas or close contact with individuals who are at high risk of exposure. Currently, high risk areas include China, South Korea, Japan, Iran, and Italy.
We have not had confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our immediate area, and at this time, community officials are not recommending the cancellation of public events or Sunday church gatherings. SBRPC will remain open and continue to have our regular services and gatherings. The staff of SBRPC will continue conversation with our nursery team, the elders, doctors in the church, and our deacons in order to keep you informed.
Please take note. As a precaution, some of our normal practices will be temporarily changed:
- Lord’s Supper: Our next Lord’s Supper is scheduled for Sunday, April 12. We will ask the congregation to come to the front of the sanctuary to receive the elements. Our elders will distribute the elements with sanitized (and possibly gloved) hands rather than congregants reaching into the dish to receive bread. The wine or juice will be distributed in like manner.
- The Offering: During the time we normally collect gifts to support the work of the church in our worship service, we will continue to use that time to reflect on giving, as giving is an act of worship. However, for the immediate future, instead of collecting the gifts by passing the offering bags down the rows, the offering will be collected in a box at the back of the sanctuary. You will be able to simply leave your gift in the box upon entering or leaving the sanctuary. As always, you can also give online at www.sbrpc.org at any time.
- Greeting one another: Instead of “greeting one another with a holy kiss” (or handshake / hug), we would ask you to consider a fist bump or elbow bump for the time being.
- Please, please, as always, know where your children are at all times. If they need to go to the restroom, please take them and make sure that they also wash their hands thoroughly.
The uncertainty of this outbreak is creating anxiety in our workplaces, schools, and day-to-day activities. Yet we remain certain of God’s steadfast presence and sovereign control over all that is happening. Please join us in praying for those who are affected by this illness, as well as their caregivers and those who are working around the clock to minimize the impact of these illnesses.
In Psalm 46, we are reminded that it is God who is our refuge and strength, and our ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, let us not fear, but with confidence use this opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus through our prayers and our care for others.