A Letter from My Pastor

I know that there is much dismay over the presence and spread of COVID-19. I am following the development of things closely. The news reports and social media are filled with conflicting, and sometimes false information. I want to tell you what I know and think about COVID-19 and how it might impact our church and community in the coming days. I will then tell you what the church is doing as of today.

First, what I think and know:
I think we should be getting our information from reliable, even expert resources and not from Fox News, CNN, or Facebook. The opinions shared by others should be respected but should not be the sole basis for decisions made. Please be wise about which voices you are allowing to influence your choices.

I know that we should all be following the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control on how to protect ourselves from illness. These guidelines are common sense, such as frequent handwashing, and are readily available on the internet.

I know that you should make the right decision for yourself and your family regarding your movements in the community. If you are ill, please stay at home.

I know that many of our church members, including staff members, are suffering from the flu.

I know that some people in south Texas, including some of our church members, are being told by physicians to self-quarantine because of flu-like symptoms that MIGHT also be symptoms of COVID-19. These voluntary quarantines are recommended out of an abundance of caution, not because of positive test results. I think there are not many people in our area being tested for COVID-19 as of today. Once those tests become more available, I suspect there will be an increase in positive test results.

I think things will get worse in the coming days and that we should all anticipate at least some disruption to our lives throughout March and April at least. These disruptions will be the result of efforts to contain the spread of illness or will be the result of our community being hit hard by illness. Either way we will need both compassion and patience in the coming the weeks.

Please remember that while you may not be in grave danger from the potential spread of COVID-19, many senior adults ARE in danger, as well as others who may be at increased risk. This is not the time for insensitive or flippant remarks. This is the time for compassion and consideration of the needs of others. This is the time for Christ-likeness.

And, while I do not know the future, my God does. I trust Him. I will trust Him. This is a choice I make each day to exercise my faith in God through Jesus Christ.

Here is information about First Baptist Church Rockport:
As of Wednesday, March 11, 2020, none of our scheduled activities have been cancelled, except for our nursing home ministry on Sunday mornings. I think this will change in the coming days and weeks, depending on how things develop. The church will try to communicate as effectively as we can to keep you informed about any cancellations or changes.

We will discontinue the “greeting” time in our worship services until further notice. We ask our attenders to avoid touching people to reduce the risk of spreading illness.

We will discontinue passing the offering plates in the 8:30 worship service until further notice. We ask that all church members place their offerings in the baskets in the rear of our Sanctuary by the exit doors. Church members can also make use of our online giving options.

Our ushers and greeters are opening doors for people and making hand sanitizer available throughout the building.

We are looking into the possibility of live streaming our worship services online.

Finally, I am listening to community leaders about how First Baptist Church can help should there be a pandemic and/or if schools are shut down for a time. I intend for our church to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community as we are able.

Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or comments. Again, I will keep you updated as needed.

I love you all and I love Aransas County. We are in this together, and the Lord is with us!