April 17, 2020
April Updates from Pastor Joe
We are 30 plus days into a new normal
that doesn’t quite feel very normal. I hope you and your family are staying
well – not only physically but spiritually and emotionally too. If you’re
struggling and just need to talk to someone, or if you have a need, please reach
out to us, we’re here for you. I do not have any update as it relates to our
ongoing policies during this time. Everything in my last correspondence (Covid-19
Update March 27th) is still in effect. When things begin to
change, we will certainly keep you posted. I know we all want to know, when will
things return to some normalcy and I wish I had an answer, but like you, I’ll
just have to wait.
The Church Office continues to
be open during this time, although like most of your workplaces, it’s anything
but normal. To ensure social distancing and for practical reasons we are
operating with less staff and doing some work remotely. Just to be sure, I
would suggest calling before stopping by the church office. You may also know
that Jeannie Hernandez has retired, and Robin and Tammy have been battling
various health issues (not Covid-19 related). I know they along with all your
staff would appreciate your prayers.
Several Words of Thanks are in
order. Our musicians that have been recording our Sunday services each week
have done an outstanding job. And our tech team and Matt has done a super job
in videoing, editing and putting together the services for Sunday. This week we
are giving our musicians a break, so our service Sunday, April 19th
will feature music recorded from previous services. However, the message this
week will be new from 1 Peter 1:1-9. If you happen to see a choir or lots of
folks not practicing social distancing, you’ll know why.
Also, a word of thanks to you – our
church fellowship. Your generosity and faithfulness to support CBC during this
time is a blessing and greatly appreciated. If you haven’t tried it yet, I
would encourage you to check out our online giving feature on our website at
Carrollwoodbaptist.org. The entire process is simple, secure and convenient. Of
course, we still take checks and cash too.
Some in our fellowship are meeting
needs by Providing Meals each week to people in our church fellowship.
The focus has been on trying to reach those who may not able to go out and/or
people who may have a need due to a loss of income, etc. The list of people with
needs changes weekly. If you know of someone that has a need in this area,
please let us know. And as always, if you’re able to meet someone’s need, we
would encourage you to do that too.
Stories of Hope. Do you have a story where God used
you in a special way during this time to minister to someone? Do you know of
someone that has come to Christ during this time? Or, perhaps someone has
reached out to you and met a need, and you have a testimony of praise. We would
love to hear your stories of how God is working with the church “deployed.” You
can send your stories to our church email at churchoffice@carrollwoodbaptist.org.
You can also use that email to send any prayer updates.
All your Ministerial Staff are
conducting Weekly Online Bible Studies and/or Devotions at various times
during the week. Most of these are available on both Facebook and the church’s
website. Thank you for joining with us and sharing these with your friends. It
has been a very encouraging way for us to feel connected with each other during
this time and it has been a tremendous opportunity to get the message of Christ
out to our friends and neighbors. Our Easter Service this past Sunday had over
1,300 views! To God Be the Glory!
Have a blessed week, take care and
stay connected, and I’ll see you online soon!
Pastor Joe
“I thank my God every time I
remember you.” Philippians 1:3
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