Inside: Pray Georgia, Movie Night, Pool Parties, Upcoming Dates, Wonderfully Stitched, and Preschool.
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JOIN THIS PRAYER MOVEMENT! #PrayGeorgia August 3-9
2020 has brought great challenges and crises. In desperate times like these, God’s people are to cry out to Him for forgiveness, guidance, and hope.
The Prophet Joel said: “Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord” (Joel 1:14).
The week of August 3-9, Georgia Baptists will follow Joel’s command. We are calling this movement, “Pray Georgia.” Pastors from across Georgia have prepared devotionals and a prayer guide to help focus our prayers this week. In addition, each region will take one day to fast. Our day to fast is Wednesday, August 5.
SOCIAL MEDIA SUNDAY! Here are 6 Simple Ways you can help us reach others online:
“CHECK-IN” on Facebook when you arrive at church
Take a SELFIE or picture with others before or after the service and TAG your location at the church.
Share your favorite SCRIPTURE from the sermon or Bible readings.
INVITE others to worship online or “Like” the church’s Facebook page. Use Pastor David’s sermon title and text in your invite.
SHARE the worship service link or another post or video from the church on your Facebook page.
Post a QUOTE from the sermon or a lyric from a song that was meaningful to you today.
Though it’s not exactly “social media,” you can also use email to share many of the ways listed above. You can also forward the church’s weekly Enewsletter, monthly Cornerstone Newsletter, and specific articles, videos, and pages of our website to friends and family. There are lots of great resources on www.fbcthomson.org. If you’ve not looked around at our website in a while, you really should!
Families, children are joining back in-person with Sunday school next Sunday, August 16. We are very excited and have been anticipating this day for months! First-graders will receive Bibles during worship – it will be wonderful! I urge you to prayerfully consider coming back with us. We need to engage with God’s Word and there is no better way for children, youth, and adults to do that than an in-person Bible study. There are Zoom options still available if an in-person meeting is not possible for your family currently. We are working hard to be consistent with Covid-19 health, safety, and sanitary protocols in all our children’s ministry areas. These guidelines will be followed in children’s Sunday school, children’s church, our Cornerstone Preschool, and with TeamKID/TinyKID when they resume in September.
First, all our volunteer leaders will wear masks when with children. Leaders will also wear gloves to hand out snacks. We have many hand sanitizer dispensers throughout the building and recommend using it upon arrival, in-between movement from one location to another (ex: Sunday school to Sunday morning service in the sanctuary), and after you leave. Rooms will be properly sanitized after each use and before the next meeting. Again, continue to be in prayer getting your family back involved in Sunday school or back in person. Bible engagement among Christian families has taken a huge hit during the pandemic and Bible illiteracy is depressingly high in our country. We can do better, and we can lead the way with our church and with our kids. Finally, be in prayer for our tremendous leaders as they navigate these new policies while also sharing the love of Jesus.
In Christ,
Ben
One of the many challenges COVID-19 has brought to churches is keeping people connected and engaged with their church. Most of the connection is one-way—the staff, pastors, and leaders communicating things to YOU, the church member. You watch videos, listen to sermons, and read newsletters, emails, and online posts from the church. But what if the church wants to hear from YOU? Thankfully, we have access to an amazing resource from the Barna church research group—for free!
To help us hear from you and check up on how you are doing, what needs you may have, what issues you are dealing with, and questions you may have, we will be providing a short survey every week in the Enewsletter. You can keep your results anonymous, or share your contact info with the church. At the end, you’ll be able to view results and will be given links to helpful information relevant to that survey. I hope you’ll make use of these upcoming surveys, and help our church staff and leaders better minister to you and our community.
This first survey will help you consider how engaged you are with God’s Word. I preached on that this past Sunday, and Matt Ward wrote a great article (and did a video on our YouTube page) about the declining levels of Bible Engagement as a result of the pandemic. Please take this 3-4 minute survey and follow the link to some great resources to help you and your family grow in your engagement with the Bible.
Pastor David
Wednesday, September 9
6:00-7:15 PM
TinyKID: 3-year-old– Kindergarten
TeamKID: Grades 1-6
Elevate: Grades 7-12
Daddio's Donuts will be on campus for our Wednesday night kick-off! Youth, TeamKID, and TinyKID participants will receive FREE donuts to celebrate the return of children's missions programming. Adults, feel free to purchase donuts while you are on campus.
Sunday, August 23
We will observe the Lord’s Supper and a benevolence offering will be received. We will be using prepackaged Lord’s Supper elements that will be pre-placed in the pews.
Help us spread the word about our wonderful preschool ministry! Cornerstone Preschool Registration for the 2020-2021 school year is still open! You can mail in your applications or drop them by the church. Our preschool director, Kori Langham, is available to answer any questions you may have.
Download forms here
Let us know you are coming! We need you to register for worship if you plan on attending in person. You can register online at www.fbcthomson.org or you can call the church office to make a reservation. This will help us plan more effectively and have enough overflow seating set up in the Fellowship Hall if necessary. We will continue to offer online services via live-streaming if you are unable to attend or don't feel comfortable attending in-person services yet. We look forward to worshiping in person and continuing to worship online with you!
While on campus we ask that you practice all safety guidelines. Make every effort to keep you, your family, and our church family safe. We encourage you to wear a mask, wash your hands, practice social distancing, and if you or someone in your family doesn't feel well please stay home. Please be diligent about your health and ours.
While we are in uncertain financial times, it is as important as ever for us to trust in God’s providential care and to give so that the Kingdom’s work can continue. We are still doing ministry, supporting missions, helping with disaster relief, and we still have bills and staff to pay. We encourage you to mail or drop by the church office your tithe and gifts. We also have online giving available on our website and via the Realm Connect app.
Pastor David will continue to preach through Amos. Amos laments four kinds of people upon whom God will bring judgment.
Join us in person, listen on WTHO 101.7 FM, or watch our live-stream online.