Greetings Church Family,
It came to our attention that we have not written a current newsletter updating you all on church happenings. One might think a pandemic had hit, or something, throwing us off!
This year has certainly brought with it many challenges and obstacles. We are reminded of James 1:2 that states, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” (ESV)
Below you will find several updates regarding church life at First Baptist Church of Boardman.
Church Activity | We continue to offer two Sunday services at 9:45 and 11:00. When we are given the green light to move back to one service, Adult Sunday School will resume. We continue to meet each Thursday night for prayer and Bible Study. This is open to everyone so please consider attending and praying/studying in unity with those who come. Awana starts up on October 7 (as a drive-thru ministry for now) and Youth Group will resume on October 18 (at the Joines’ home).
We recently held an open leadership meeting at the church and had about 20 in attendance. We discussed the possibility of doing small groups in homes on a rotating basis. We also discussed the potential for having mentorship relationships between our seniors and our children. We would need people to head up these ministry areas so if this interests you, please let us know.
Education | According to recent polls and surveys, Evangelical Christianity is in decline. Foundational doctrines are being denied by many and confusion is reigning in the church in America. It’s time for Pastors to step up their game and lead their congregations to a deeper understanding of our faith. With that in mind, Pastor Rick will be adding content to the church website in order to help us learn (and relearn) the doctrines of our faith.
Prayer Life | We are in the process of putting together a small prayer booklet so that we can pray in unity over our church ministries. The booklet should be ready to pass out by the end of October. We are excited to grow our church in the area of prayer.
Facebook and Faithlife | We will soon be closing down the group page on Facebook. We are testing out a new location called Faithlife. We will keep the public church page open and active on Facebook. We will be inviting people to Faithlife over the next several weeks. The invitation comes through email.
Modular and Maintenance | The ‘new’ modular is now in place and several of the men have been working hard to get it ready for the kids. We’d like to have it completed by November and we need more people to commit to helping with this project. This involves all of us as we all want to see the church grow and for the children to have a place to meet and learn and engage. We’ll be making a greater effort to get more people committed to helping with this project so don’t be surprised if you receive a friendly phone call from Pastor Rick or Carl Perry.
Cleaning | We greatly appreciate those who carve out time to clean at the church. This is something everyone can do as the schedule is very flexible and we save money by having volunteers – and not hiring out. We are always happy to have more people on board, to clean. Give us a call!
Pantry | The Boardman Food Pantry opened and began operating from the church on March 20, 2020. In 6 short months the pantry has grown and expanded and will soon be moving to the Lutheran Church. Please continue supporting this effort through food donations and time donations. It is a worthy cause.
Holidays | At this point we plan to carry on with holiday activities such as our Christmas Eve service. Details will be shared as the time approaches. If additional activities can be scheduled, we’ll be sure to let you know.
Updated Directory | We hope to have the updated Directory completed soon and ready for church distribution. We will do our best to have it complete and accurate.
This doesn’t touch base on all areas of church ministry and happenings but should offer an overview for you. If you have comments or questions about the church, or a particular ministry, please don’t hesitate to call or email.
We appreciate you all and look forward to moving into 2021 together as a church family.
Love,
Pastor Rick and Shara Weiss