05 Aug Back to School!

August is here! I can’t believe how quickly the summer has gotten away from us. We’ve already had ‘tax-free weekend’ in getting the children ready to begin classes.

Our church has a number of teachers, administrators, and health care professionals who are very involved in our local schools. Clinton is blessed to have great elementary and secondary levels of education, and I certainly hope and pray for good things this year.

There’s a lot of uncertainty relating to school and the COVID virus, especially with the case numbers associated with the Delta variant. Our local schools, along with nearby colleges and universities are revisiting their mitigation efforts. We were all hopeful to have been on the other side of the pandemic by now. I join the chorus of many others who have COVID fatigue and do not want to talk about this virus anymore. However, it is important to be mindful of our community and what is going on around us.

I understand the growing concern and realize that this also impacts how our church functions. At present, we are going to continue gathering in person and with our plans to Re-Gather and Re-Connect over the next several months. I want to encourage on campus attendance while being mindful that COVID vaccines are available to us. Persons who wish to wear masks are encouraged to do so, and we as a staff are being measured in terms of what activities we prioritize in the days to come.

I was talking with our staff about our plans for the next several months, but know that it’s important to place an asterisk by them–we simply don’t know what to expect pandemic wise.

Ministry isn’t all about setting goals and making plans. These may be important to some degree, but we must never allow them to take the place of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. We must remain sensitive to his leadership and trust God with the results. 

I’m looking forward to hearing Jason preach on the 8th and know you’ll pray for him as he shares his heart with us. We are also anticipating our 1st combined worship service on the 15th; this will be followed by the Missions Fair in the Family Life Center. Amanda has done a remarkable job in coordinating this important event and assembling so many ministry and missions partners under our roof. There will also be COVID vaccines available! Our church is blessed to have Jason, Amanda, and Reiya in our lives.

This church belongs to Jesus Christ. Let us approach life, ministry, and what is yet ahead with confidence. It isn’t about what we want, it’s about He wants with us the people of God known as First Baptist Clinton–DC