Dear Church Family,

I write today to offer an update on what is happening here at Norphlet FBC.  I want to give you an update on our COVID-19 response, as well as inform you of some important changes that are happening.

I encourage you to read this entire letter to be informed as to how we are continuing to minister and reach out to our community in this ever changing environment.  

Staff Change

• First, I start with a somber note.  As most of you know, our longtime Church Secretary, Eileen Fletcher, passed away about a month ago.  I ask you to continue to pray for Johnny and her family as they continue to deal with her loss.  Eileen served our church for over 22 years, and she is deeply missed by so many of us.   
• With that in mind, I want to take a moment to thank all of those who have served in the Church Office answering phones, greeting those who stop by, and any other tasks I have asked them to handle.  This has been invaluable to allow our church office to function.  I am also grateful to Scott Carter, our Church Treasurer, for stepping in to handle the church finances on short notice.   
• We have begun the process of hiring a new Secretary for our church.   The Personnel Committee has met and reviewed the resumes submitted, and candidate interviews will begin soon.   Pray for God to lead us to the best person for this important role in our church family.  

Ministries Update

• Our Wednesday Evening Ministries, including AWANA and our Youth Group, will begin meeting for the Fall Semester on Wednesday, September 9 at 6 pm.  As with other ministries in our church, there will be significant modifications to help us comply with guidelines from our State Health Department.  For those directly impacted by these ministries, more detailed information will be released soon.  
• Sunday School is coming back!  After a 5+ month hiatus, we will begin Sunday School soon!  We will host a “Back to SUNDAY School” Preview Day on Sunday, August 30 at 10 am.  Due to “Safe Distancing” protocols, we have moved a few classes to other rooms.  We will open the Educational Building & Family Life Center to allow you to find your class, and to pick up your quarterly books.  Worship will begin at 10:30 am as it regularly does that morning.  
• Sunday School classes will begin meeting on Sunday, September 6 at 9:30 am in their assigned classrooms.  
• NEW CLASS!  Bro Doug will be teaching a new Sunday School class in the Sanctuary beginning Sunday, Sept. 6 at 9:30 am.  This class is designed for anyone who was not attending Sunday School in the past, and wants to join a class.  Also, those who may not be ready to return to a small space yet are welcome to join the Sanctuary class during the COVID-19 time frame.  
• With the return of Sunday School, we share these updated guidelines with you.

Sunday School Areas

• Safe Distancing is still highly recommended (6 ft distance between non-household members)
• We highly recommend wearing a face covering while moving about the Sunday School areas- (entering/exiting, etc).  If needed, a limited supply of face masks are available at hand sanitation stations
• Hand sanitizer station will be available in entry areas- everyone is encouraged to sanitize their hands as they enter
• Some Sunday School classes will be moved to larger rooms to allow for safe distancing.  Chairs will be spaced further apart than normal throughout the facility, please help us maintain distancing.

Sanctuary for Worship Service 

• Social Distancing still recommended 
1. Handshakes & Hugs STILL need to wait
2. Please maintain “Social distance (6 ft)” in pews & as you enter & exit the facility
3. There will be no “meet & greet” times
4. There will not be a “pass the plate” offering time
• Hand sanitizer station will be available in foyer- everyone is encouraged to sanitize their hands as they enter
• Face coverings are strongly recommended, especially as you enter & exit… If you need a mask, a limited supply is available in the foyer
• Families should plan to sit together
• Seating will be limited to comply with suggested distancing guidelines.   You may not be able to sit in your “normal seat”.  Please be cooperative if you are asked to sit elsewhere.  
• No bulletins will be handed out
• Doors will be propped open  for entry & exit times
• Plan to be dismissed in rows at the end of the service.  Please exit the building orderly & keep doorway areas clear

Offering/Envelope Collection 

• Sunday School- To limit contact, Offering envelopes will be collected differently for a while.  Instead of turning in your envelope in your Sunday School class, you should plan to place your envelope in an offering box located in hallways or the Sanctuary.  They will have a sign next to them to help you locate them.
• We will continue with our current practice of placing offering boxes at the back of the Sanctuary- offering envelopes will be provided beside these.  The boxes will be marked to help you locate them.   
• Offerings can also be dropped off at the office during normal office hours
• Online giving is now available- https//onrealm.org/fbcnorphlet/give/now
• Text giving is also available: Text NorphletFBC to 73256
• Gifts can be mailed to: First Baptist Church, P.O. Box 10, Norphlet, AR   71759

Restrooms:

• Restrooms throughout our facilities have been cleaned & sanitized and will be available for use
• There will be “Please Wash Your Hands” signs posted… please do so.

Nursery:

• Nursery Care will resume for Sunday School & Worship Service on Sunday, Sept 6.
• The Nursery area has been cleaned & sanitized in preparation for return to use
• Parents and nursery volunteers may notice several changes in procedures in this area.  Please be patient as we adjust to these, to keep our children, you and your family as safe as possible

NEW WEBSITE

• To boost our online presence in this current time, we have launched a new website: norphletfbc.org
• We hope to keep the site up to date with current events happening in our church body, as well as help those who live in a “digital culture” discover our church
• We are continuing to explore other options to help us engage an increasingly “digital culture”
• If you have access to Facebook, PLEASE “like & follow” First Baptist Church, Norphlet, AR on Facebook.  This page will also have any updates as the situation warrants. 

Additional Information:

• Please DO NOT attend Worship Services if you:
1. have had a fever of 100.4˚F or higher in the past 2 days
2. have cough, shortness of breath, or other symptoms typical of Covid-19
3. have had known exposure to someone with Covid-19 in the past 14 days
• Facilities will be cleaned & sanitized before we meet and between services
• Online services will continue through all phases & after
• Committee Meetings will resume as appropriate- with safe distancing guidelines in place
• Those who do not feel safe or comfortable returning to services at this time are encouraged to continue watching services online, especially those members of vulnerable group as identified by the state government

I realize some of you may not be comfortable with returning to “in-person” gatherings at this time.    We understand your choice to not attend these services.  We value each of you and look forward to seeing you when you feel it is safe for you to return.  We plan to maintain our online presence from this point forward, even after all restrictions are lifted, to better serve those who cannot attend Worship for some reason.  We are striving to do all we can to help you worship and grow spiritually during this irregular time in our world.  We are also exploring our ability to do “Virtual Sunday School” lessons in the future also.   

Some of these guidelines challenge the way we have “done church” for many years.   We ask for your cooperation out of love for your fellow church members, and our guests.  Your health and well-being, both physical and spiritual, are atop our list of concerns at this time in our nation. 

Please continue to pray for the leadership of our church as we continue to make decisions in the coming weeks and months.  My prayer is for you to see God working in your life, drawing you and your family closer to Him, as you grow in your faith in Him.  May God continue to bless you.  

JOY!

Bro. Doug Wills, Pastor