Dear Church Family,
     We are excited that it is almost time for us to begin to gather as a church family again.  For the last few weeks we have been watching the spread of the virus in our city and we have tentatively planned to begin meeting on June 7th.  
     As much as we love gathering, we want to make sure that we have done everything necessary to make this safe and enjoyable for our church family.  Our gatherings will look different, so you need to know what this will look like. There will be no Sunday School or Children’s Ministry for now.  That means we will have kids in the sanctuary with us.  We will have coloring sheets for the children, and we are expecting them to be kids.  We would rather have the sound of children in our meeting time than not have them join us!
     We will be spreading out throughout the sanctuary.  In order to do this, we are asking that we only seat one family per pew.  The balcony will be open, and half of the pews will be closed so that it is easier to maintain social distancing.  Open pews will be marked with a sign on each side.  We will also continue streaming our services so that people can still watch at home.  If you are part of the vulnerable population or if you are caring for someone that is vulnerable, we want to encourage you to stay home.  You will not be required to wear a mask, but we do want to encourage people to wear them if they want to.  Our welcome team will be wearing masks as they great you at the doors.  Additionally, we will be sanitizing the sanctuary, pews, foyer, doors, bathrooms and other traffic areas after each use.
     I do want to emphasize that if you are still nervous to join us or if you are part of the vulnerable population please stay at home.   Do not be driven by guilt.  For those who are not vulnerable, please join us.  Don’t stay at home because you want to sleep in.  Now is the time to start relearning what it is to gather with the church again.

For His Name Sake,
Pastor Fayez Ayoub

​Dear Church Family,
    In the midst of hardship, it is easy to become solely focused on our personal struggles.  Philippians 2:4 says, “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”  The gospel work of Jesus enables us to look beyond our own struggles and look after the needs and interests of others.
       As a church we have done that several times during this Pandemic.  We have done things for working poor through the Kearney Center; and helped support moms and unborn children through A Women’s Pregnancy Center.  I want us to consider helping another needy group.  India has a population over 1.2 billion, and one third of all of the world’s poor live in India.  Around 67% of India’s population live below the poverty line of less than $2 a day.  What is life like for the people of India during the Coronavirus? 
     One missionary in India works with women and children in poverty, working with the poorest of the poor to provide education and everyday needs.  You can check out their webpage here.  For the next few weeks, we will be taking an additional offering to support this work in India in the midst of the pandemic.  The funds we give will go towards meeting the needs of the women and children they work with.  You can give by going to this form and giving to Tabitha’s Heart in the pulldown menu.  
       God has not stopped His mission of pursuing every man, woman, and child in every nation and generation with His good news.  This is one small way that we can continue to be a part of what He is doing around the world.  Thank you church!
 
For His Name Sake,
Fayez Ayoub
Lead Pastor

Dear Church Family,
​
    Our nation has been shutdown for over 40 days.  In the midst of everyone hitting pause, God is still active.  He is not sleeping or taking break.  He is still pursuing men, women, and children with His loving grace.  If He is still working, then I want to join Him in what He is doing.  He gave the church the mission to make disciples of every nation.
    So, we want to keep equipping you to dive deeper into encountering God through His Word and leading others to do the same.  Our pastors are offering a 3-week training for you to learn how to study the Bible and lead others in a time in the Word.  The method is simple and is easily transferable.  In this 3-week training we will be going through the first 3 chapters of James as a sample.  Since many of you have varying schedules, we are offering the class at two different times.  One will be on Monday evenings from 7-8 pm and the other will be on Thursday afternoons from noon to 1pm.  If you are interested in attending this online training, then sign up at this link.
    We are looking forward to engaging with you all in a different way these next three weeks. We hope that this will be an uplifting, rich, and satisfying time in the word with one another.
 
For His Name Sake,
Fayez Ayoub

Dear Church Family,

     Philippians 4:11 says, “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.”  Paul made it clear that we are able to be content no matter the situation.  That is easier said than done.  I pray that in the midst of this isolation that you find yourself spending more time with God in His Word and Prayer; and letting Him settle your hearts and minds.
     The reopening of parts of Florida is beginning next week, and as that happens we are keeping a close eye on things as we plan for the day when we get to meet again.  With that being said, it is still going to be a while before we can meet again.  I want to let you know a few principles that will be guiding us as we make this decision.  First, we want to love and serve you well.   That means that all of our plans to gather have to be safe for you and our staff.  Second, we are going to submit to authority.  God has placed our government officials in their positions to make these decisions.  We are going to honor God by submitting to authority.  Third, God is still on mission. Even though we have shut everything down, God has not stopped working.  As a church we have engaged with the Kearney Center and provided food, gift cards, and supplies to them as they continue to minister to those who are less fortunate than we are.  We are going to continue to think of creative ways to follow God in the mission of making disciples and reaching the lost even though we cannot meet in person.
     I do believe that reopening will be a wide-ranging, gradual process dependent on individual’s needs and circumstances.  Even though we miss being together, we are going to trust God for His timing when we can gather again.  In the meantime, I want to encourage you to do three things.  1. Spend lots of time with God in the Word.  2. Connect with individuals in your Sunday School Class or Small group over the phone or through a video platform.  3. Pray for the unsaved neighbors around you and for our missionaries as they face this in countries with less robust health care.
 
For His Name Sake,
Fayez Ayoub