March 16, 2020
Members of First Cosmopolitan Baptist Church:
Greetings in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord!
This is the first of several communications that I’ll send to update you on our church life in light of the Coronavirus pandemic. I’m sure that everyone is taking this situation with the utmost seriousness. I hope that we’ll be calm while taking extra precautions to be safe.
As you know, Governor Cooper mandated that no gatherings of 100 people or more be held in the state for at least two weeks. On Sunday evening, the Federal Government recommended no gatherings of 50 people or more for eight weeks as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. We will continue to monitor what the medical professionals and government officials mandate and/or suggest, and make decisions accordingly.
I have been in conversations with church leaders/officers throughout the weekend, and I’ve scheduled meetings over the next few days to make plans for moving forward. We will discuss among other things, providing some type of worship service on-line, and alternative methods of giving while we follow the restrictions on gatherings.
Note the following for this week.
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“WOW” (Bible Studies) for Wednesday, March 18th at 12:00 PM and 6:30 PM are canceled.
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We will operate the FCBC Food Pantry as directed by the Central and Eastern Food Bank of N. C. Taking safety precautions, we’ll do a drive through distribution of food Wednesday, March 18th during normal hours.
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The Leadership Conference scheduled for Saturday, March 21st is canceled.
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Sunday School and Worship Service (Deaconess and Auxiliary to Trustees Anniversary) for Sunday, March 22nd are both canceled.
In addition, we are taking measures to make the environment safer when we return to having church gatherings. Air hand dryers will be installed in restrooms and hand sanitizer dispensers will be installed throughout the building. We’ll promote the practice of greeting one another in manners that reduce the risk of spreading germs.
The church office will be open Monday through Friday until further notice.
To stay abreast of information related to the Coronavirus (COVID19) go on-line to cdc.gov, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Thank you for your patience, understanding, and cooperation. Again, remain calm while being cautious. Pray for God’s protection, and that He’ll bring an end to this soon. May God bless you and your family, the First Cosmopolitan Baptist Church family, and people around the world.
Your Pastor,
Dorwin L. Howard, Sr.
