How We Decide to Gather
A few people have asked about how we make these decisions on a weekly basis, to meet indoors, outside, or online, and the short answer is: not easily. This is not an easy time for pastors and church leaders; we feel the weight and tension all the time as we seek creative and missional and spiritual solutions to a problem the world over continues to wrestle with (keep praying for us!). Below is our framework for going about this. FAIR WARNING: it's long, but worth the read!
STEP 1: LOVING, LAWFUL, WISE
First, we try to ask three questions from a biblical perspective:
Is it Loving?
Is it Lawful?
Is it Wise?
Is the decision loving one another? The community? Our Creator? Does it seek the best interests of others? Does it consider their needs, their health, their safety, and their spiritual, emotional, physical well being?
Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.... Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. - 1 John 4:7-11 (CSB)
Is the decision respecting the law of God and of human authorities? Does it obey the commands of God and honor the author state statutes and governing orders? To the degree that we are able to meet both, we ought. In every case, the law of God supersedes the law of man, but to the degree that both are able to be met, we should seek to fear God AND honor authority.
Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor. - 1 Peter 2:13-17
Finally, is the decision wise? Does it take into account the spiritual direction of God? Does it consider the council of experience and good leadership? Many things can be permissible but not beneficial (1 Cor. 6:12); I may have freedoms and "rights" I wish to exercise that can still be destructive and foolish.
Who among you is wise and understanding? By his good conduct he should show that his works are done in the gentleness that comes from wisdom.... The wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace. - James 3:13-18
As often as we can, we try to get three "yes" answers from these questions; it's not always possible (last week, for instance, our meeting indoors was not quite "lawful" by human standards, but we felt it was ultimately loving and wise—and lawful in God's eyes), but it’s worth pursuing.
STEP 2: MISSIONAL VALUES
Second, we seek to meet three missional values:
Serve the Body: we want to care for the needs of our community, our partners in mission, our brothers and sisters. That means meeting together to worship, building relationships, learning about needs, and praying and counseling one another.
Witness to the World: Our actions speak volumes. To the degree that we can live peacefully, gently, compassionately, and humbly before the greater community, we should. How we live and speak before others speaks to the inner transformation we have, which allows us the supernatural ability to lay down our lives for the sake of the world.
Honor Authorities: Our ultimate goal is not to demonize or deify human leaders (which we are all prone to do) but respect them as they are placed there by God. Our submission to (Greek: "living under") human authorities not only honors God, but allows us the favor to keep proclaiming the gospel, to keep meeting faithfully, and to keep sharing the good news of Jesus with as many as will hear.
Ideally, we seek solutions that meet all three values, right in the center of it all, in fulfillment of the Great Commission. Sometimes, conditions beyond our control mean we have to make a choice; last week, for instance, we chose to value serving the body by meeting indoors (where staying home and doing church online may have been a better witness and more honoring to authority). This Sunday, the options that meets all three missional values—while not the most comfortable or convenient—is to meet outdoors as we have throughout the latter part of this year.
I know that was a lot, but I hope you read it and consider these in your own decision making process as you follow Jesus and seek to make more followers of Jesus, even during a pandemic.
Love you all,
JACOB PARODI
Lead Pastor
Shasta is Purple; New Outdoor Gathering Time
On Wednesday, the state announced that Shasta County has moved (once again) into a PURPLE, "Widespread" designation for COVID-19. This new designation comes with certain restrictions for places of worship, including a restriction from all indoor gatherings. I know this change can come with frustration, anger, and dismissal, or real concern and anxiety. Regardless of your perspective and understanding, I can say with certainty at every angle that the limits of the human will have been stretched beyond their capacity. I am tired. You are tired. When we are pushed to our breaking point, the triggered response is either to fight or to flee—in any case, to be done with the drama. But I continue to hold to the conviction that the third way, the middle way, of the church is to be faithful. Peter's words at the end of our passage for this Sunday ring especially true for us:
"Let those who suffer according to God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while doing what is good."
~1 Peter 4:19
Here's where we are at right now. Weather permitting, we will continue to meet as safely and as honorably as we can in order to love our community, to do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, and carry the name of Jesus everywhere we go. This Sunday, we will be meeting ON CAMPUS AT 11AM out on the quad. It's supposed to be a bit chilly (thus the hour later), so dress warm! In the meantime, we will continue to work out the best way to serve the church and gather together wisely and feasibly. Looking forward to spending some time with you, to pray with you, to worship with you, and to testify how God has worked powerfully throughout this season. Even when we want to fight or flee, the Creator remains faithful; his will is unbreakable.
Grace and Peace, always,
Jacob Parodi
Lead Pastor, First Baptist Church
P.S. It's not too late to sign up for CULTIVATE! We are starting up this week, but you have plenty of time to keep up! Our first course, Biblical Theology, shows how the Bible is one unified story that point to Jesus—it's not just a bunch of metaphysical fortune cookies strung together. Learn more and sign up today: fbccottonwood.org/cultivate.
RETURNING TO CAMPUS: OUTDOOR LARGE GATHERINGS
In the months since the entire world was put on hold, businesses, governments, families, schools—and yes, even churches—have had to adapt and adjust to promote the safety and well-being of individuals during the season of COVID-19. Even in our small church community, there are those who have been afflicted, isolated, or quarantined; elsewhere, we deal with the anxiety and concern that stem from an unknown and uncertain future. More than ever, we must focus our hearts and lives on the good news of Jesus Christ, to love God and others with grace and mercy, to preach forgiveness with kindness, and to show the world where our truest convictions lie.
One of the greatest challenges during this season is to know exactly when and how to respond to and ever-changing pandemic, with new guidelines and restrictions either levied or relaxed all the time. Amidst all of that, we want to make sure that our response is honorable (1 Pet. 2:11-17), wise (1 Cor. 10:23), and furthers Christ’s mission above all (Phil. 1:10-20).
Taking this into account, we are excited to announce the next phase of reentry plan:
ON CAMPUS GATHERINGS (OUTDOOR)
Starting THIS SUNDAY, August 16th, we will begin meeting outdoors at the First Baptist Church campus. We want to make every effort to restore the gathering of God’s people together in one place, as safely, respectfully, and manageable as we can.
Gatherings will take place every other week, with house churches continuing to meet during the alternating weeks. We will be praying and considering how best to do this, and we will certainly increase our all-church meetings if it is feasible and in the best interest of the community.
Live, in-person worship will begin at 9am this Sunday to offset the warm weather. We will provide shade, bottled water, seating, as well as masks and hand sanitizer for those who need/want them. We will be practicing social distancing during our gathering, so please do you best to respect other’s space and continue to pursue the health and safety of those around you. Given the public nature of an outdoor gathering right in the middle of Cottonwood, we recognize the message we communicate with our actions as well as our words will represent the God we worship to the world, so please be mindful of your testimony to those inside and outside of the church.
We can’t wait to see you again as we gather together and finish up our long-running series on the Psalms of Ascent, share testimonies of how God has worked in us and through us during this season, worship in singing, and challenge one another to follow Jesus more radically and intently than ever before.
IF YOU ARE NOT READY TO REGATHER:
We completely understand, and we want to be there for you. Please, let us know how we can help! Use the form below on on our CONTACT page, or give us a call at the number below (response is spotty these days with decreased office hours, but we’ll do our best to get back to you in a timely way). We are working out how best to serve you as we make the transition to in-person gatherings. At the moment, we will likely record our time on Sunday morning, and hopefully get it delivered to you by that afternoon. Pray for us as we consider the best way to serve you and encourage you as you follow Jesus wherever you are.
I know I’m not alone when I say this, but this had been the most difficult season of life and ministry I have ever endured. I also know that, because of the compromises and adjustments that have been made in an unprecedented era, I have often stumbled more than I have succeeded, and for that I humbly ask for your forgiveness, for patience, and for grace as we seek out how to honor our commitment to Jesus and his mission to the world. Thanks for sticking with me, and for loving Jesus.
Jacob Parodi
Lead Pastor, First Baptist Church
Next Week: House Churches!
Early this week, the state government allowed for churches to begin gathering once again, with certain guidelines limiting the total gathered to 100, or 25% of capacity, whichever is less. Families may meet as individual units, spaced 6 feet apart, and congregational singing indoors is strongly discouraged. While the news of reopening is encouraging, we are still along way from what anyone would consider “normal.”
As churches begin the slow process of meeting with one another once again, leaders are faced with a number of opinions, hopes, desires, and questions. A graphic I came across this week paints the picture of what many pastors (myself included) are facing during this pivotal season:
I show you this, not to evoke your sympathy, only to illustrate the difficulty the church today faces. So, on Friday night, a small group of around 15 leaders from First Baptist Church met together and prayed. We asked for God’s direction, for his leading, to tell us how we should proceed, not just for the good of the members of our community, but for the mission of God itself.
We prayed. And we prayed. And we prayed some more. We asked that this would be God’s church, God’s mission, God’s work in the world. We asked for God to put us back together whatever, however, and however long it takes. We sought the Scriptures, we shared our reactions, and then we prayed. Again. And in the end, as a team, we believe God showed us the next step.
AN OLD IDEA MADE NEW AGAIN: HOUSE CHURCHES!
Beginning next Sunday, June 7th, we are going to transition to house church gatherings for at least the next four weeks. During that time, we will continue to pray and evaluate when it will be best to proceed with reentering the building. This next season will serve two purposes:
First, it will allow us to prepare the building for reentry. During the recent rains, several rooms suffered flood damage, including the kitchen area, Fellowship Center, and two of our kids rooms. In addition to replacing flooring, we will need to check for mold damage and other damage in order to ensure the safety of our community.
Second, it will reintroduce family and forge a new way of community life. This is a time to make intentional connections with one another, to develop deep bonds of support and spiritual friendship. We believe the best—and SAFEST—way to do that is by connecting in small, well-distanced groups that respect the health and well-being of every individual, while recapturing the beauty of participation in the community of Christ together.
There are still some details to finalize. We will be finalizing the list of house church leaders together in the next couple of days, and will prayerfully assign as many people as possible. We don’t want to leave anyone out, so let us know if you don’t here from us in the next week! Each house church will schedule Sunday mornings individually. We will continue to post online video sermons, worship, and kids materials for families. So, if you can’t make a group or aren’t ready or comfortable yet—and we completely respect and honor that, by the way!—you can still continue to worship along with us, and your house church will still be there for you, praying for you, serving you, and encouraging you along.
We pray that this next step is safe, respectful, permissible, AND beneficial. But more than that, we pray that the name of God will be made great among his people, and that this movement will serve as a testimony to his continued work in our lives.
It’s fitting that this Sunday marks the first day of Pentecost on the Christian Calendar. The disciples of Jesus were gathered together in Jerusalem when “a sound like that of a violent rushing wind [pneuma = spirit] came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying.” The beginning of the church, the movement of God’s spirit throughout the world, it all started… in a house. As faithful followers of Jesus, as small a community as they were, they humbly met together to wait for God’s direction.
What happens next is incredible. As the Spirit dwells on them, and flames of fire rested on each one of them, they moved out into the city of Jerusalem and proclaimed the gospel in a diversity of languages and dialects. Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Egyptians, Romans, Cretans and Arabs—each heard “the magnificent acts of God in [their] own tongues.” From a small house church, God’s people were sent into society to proclaim the work of Jesus to nations. From there, as the church grew, even into the thousands, they never neglected to get together in their homes to praise God, eat food, and share real life.
You might call these humble beginnings. I say, this is exactly where God intended the life of the church to thrive. And it is for this reason that I am unbelievably excited to see where God takes us on this journey.
Jacob Parodi
Lead Pastor, First Baptist Church
Creativity in Crisis
Eight weeks ago last Sunday, our church community was exiled from our usual place of meeting. Sunday gatherings, Bible Studies, leadership trainings—the routines and rhythms that depended on a localized membership sharing presence with one another were upended. In the proceeding season of life, we have sought to encourage, uplift, and direct the community with video messages, recorded worship sessions, and kids resources.
At the same time, we realize that weekly preaching, worship songs, and kids programming do not make a church. For while the institution of First Baptist Church has stalled and stuttered (perhaps for the better; more on that later), the movement of God’s people continues to grow and thrive.
In this, we’ve uncovered something profound and, dare I say, biblical—the church is not the building; it’s not the weekly programs; it’s not the ministry structures; it’s not business meetings or governing decisions; it’s not a set of doctrinal teachings; it’s not even a name. Instead, the church is a collective of people, assembled by the Spirit, who know God and are known by him, who love him and follow him with everything they’ve got, and who put the needs (emotional, physical, spiritual) of others before themselves.
What I have observed over the past two months is individuals calling up people in need, raising up and meeting concerns, mobilizing their friends and family to action, and seeking to trust and depend on Christ in fresh and powerful ways. The generosity of members has not wavered; in fact, even as our church operations continue to be funded, First Baptist Church went above and beyond, sending over $1200 to feed families in Guatemala. God is still dwelling with his people, and his people continue to trust him as their God. The church is still the church, even when it’s not “the church.” And you know what? I think it is absolutely beautiful, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us.
A vision for meeting
The Shasta County Board of Supervisors recently released some helpful guidelines for what constitutes a “mass gathering” and when those gatherings can officially happen again. According to their guidelines, a mass gathering is anything more than a single family unit. And mass gatherings will not be allowed for the next 12-18 months. Regardless of how you might feel about this decision, the position of First Baptist Church is to respond to the authorities of this world with honor, respect, and submission, unless those institutions forbid the worship of Jesus or mandate a moral, cultural, or civil act that would lead God’s people into a state of sinful disobedience. Since the Spirit of God has not been quenched, since the people of God are still free to worship, to pray, to read the Scriptures, to proclaim the truth of Jesus, and to follow him freely, we will continue to humbly respect the decisions of the government and local, state, and national levels; more importantly, we will continue to trust that God is bigger and more faithful than this, and our witness to his powerful workings continue to be the most powerful tool against the desperation, anger, and fear promoted by the Adversary. Instead of fighting for the rights of an earthly kingdom, we graciously give them up, knowing our rights in the heavenly kingdom are secure.
We’ve been praying and conversing and asking the question, where do we go from here? And the honest answer is this: I don’t really know. I’d like to know. I’d love to have a clear picture of how the church will regather again and reorganize and restructure to meet the reality of a world in flux. But I’m not there yet. When gatherings are relaxed, we intend to restart slowly, beginning with a network of house churches and occasional large social gatherings, gradually working back to regular Sunday morning gatherings at the facility.
Until then, I think it is important for each one of us to begin praying and asking God this question: how does God want us to live, move, and exist in him? How should we creatively and purposefully live out the mission of the church? My dear friend Mark Beuving recently wrote a short, free book, titled The Evicted Church, that might help you in your journey with us. You can download it and read it for yourself by clicking on the link below. I pray it is a challenge and an encouragement for you. Let me know how the Spirit speaks to you as you read it, either by commenting below or by sending me an email. But let’s begin the discussion now, to be a creative, purposeful, and passionate people who follow Jesus wholeheartedly, and trust him completely!
I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you, always praying with joy for all of you in my every prayer, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. I am sure of this, that he who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Indeed, it is right for me to think this way about all of you, because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And I pray this: that your love will keep on growing in knowledge and every kind of discernment, so that you may approve the things that are superior and may be pure and blameless in the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:3-11 (CSB)
Grace and Peace,
Jacob Parodi, Lead Pastor
Holy Week in a Strange Season
Recently, the government announced that the stay-in-place order, prohibiting social gatherings in order to keep the spread of the COVID-19 virus at bay, would likely continue at least through month of April. Currently, over half the world is under stay-at-home order, and that order will likely continue until further notice.
I’ve enjoyed seeing the creativity of churches around the world stepping into the void left by community gatherings. I have also been encouraged to hear stories of our community stepping up in various ways—it reveals to us and to our world that our love for one another is not restricted to physical presence, but is motivated by compassion, care, and self-sacrifice. As much as I miss gathering together with you (also, preaching to a video camera is weird), I truly believe that this is an opportunity for Christians around the world to practice hospitality, grace, and love in new and powerful ways that are not restricted to a building or common gathering space. The church is not the building in which we meet; it is the people whom God has gathered in himself, who are made alive in him, and who express love and obedience to him and build one another up, day by day.
BUT, WHAT ABOUT EASTER?
In a couple weeks, churches around the world, including ours, will be celebrating Holy Week (Passover, Good Friday, Easter Sunday). Every year, we take time to celebrate the final days of Jesus’ life and his ensuing resurrection, overcoming sin, death, and the curse of destruction we brought upon ourselves. This is a powerful season in the church, one that draws visitors and new faces, one that reminds us of what we do, week in and week out, and why we do it. It’s a beautiful picture of God’s love for us, and our identity in him as our old selves pass away, and our new selves are born anew in him. And yet, for the first time in a long time (perhaps even for the first time in our church’s +120 year history), we will not be gathering together for Holy Week. Not physically, that is. Instead, we will have three online services, with worship and teaching, to be observed and shared in homes, as families and individuals. Even as we remain apart, we will together observe Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, to reflect on the night Jesus was betrayed, the day he was killed, and the morning he rose again.
How we experience these days will depend largely on the involvement and intentional reaching out of each one of you, to call or text or email or write a note to your church family, encouraging them in this time and reminding them that their family is still here, loving them and longing to return to them once more.
A NOTE ABOUT COMMUNION AND GIVING
A couple helpful points of interest for you regarding our gathering together. First, you may be wondering about communion. Since we cannot come and share it together, can I do it by myself? Andrew Wilson’s article is a helpful resource here; to summarize, since communion is a communal act, we will be waiting to observe this together as soon as we can regather as a community. This waiting builds within us an eager anticipation, a hopeful longing to share in the grace of God that accompanies the physical meeting together.
At the same time, if you desire to remember the gift of grace in Jesus, as he body was broken and his blood poured out for you, please do so! Our time apart is an amazing opportunity to practice what we call “Spiritual Disciplines,” habits and routines that draw us closer to God, focus our attention on him, and align our wills and our lives with his. Take daily moments to pray, to read Scripture, to fast, to practice silence and solitude, and to Sabbath. Our time apart is not a vacation from God; rather, it is a time to lean into his presence like you never have before.
Now, since we don’t meet, can you still give? The answer is yes! We want to continue to meet the needs of our community, to inspire you in hearing from God’s word, in directing you with prayer and encouragement, to meet the physical needs of those who are suffering, and to show generosity in a world searching for a grace-filled hand. If you are able and still desire to give to support the mission and vision of First Baptist Church You can still mail an offering to:
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
PO Box 2020
Cottonwood, CA 96022
Or, you can give online! Giving online is perhaps the safest and easiest way to continue supporting your church family financially. Online giving is secure and reliable; give it a try by clicking on the link on our homepage.
DON’T GIVE UP
Every day, every week we are apart, I miss you all the more. Pray for one another, call one another, share your lives and your needs with one another. May we long for the regathering of Christ’s church, to meet together as a redeemed people.
It is easily forgotten that the fellowship of Christian brethren is a gift to grace, a gift of the Kingdom of GOD that any day may be taken from us, that the time that still separates us from utter loneliness may be brief indeed. Therefore, let him who until now has had the privilege of living in common Christian life with other Christians praise GOD’s grace from the bottom of his heart. Let him thank GOD on his knees and declare: it is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “Life Together”
Jacob Parodi
Teaching and Vision Pastor
Family Church
Time seems to be moving unusually fast these days. Last week, in light of the growing Coronavirus pandemic, the government encouraged for all gatherings to be limited to 250 people or less. Our church made the decision to continue meeting together, and to wait and see. Shortly after our Sunday gathering, the national government restricted all gatherings to 10 people or less. At that time, the leadership prayerfully decided to cancel all campus gatherings and move to house churches, small hubs of church community dedicated to meeting together and carrying out the work of the church throughout the region. Honestly, I was super excited about all of this, as I have been longing to see our church move in this direction for a long time. Not canceling large gatherings per se, but deepening relationships and fostering spiritual life through smaller communities born out of homes and inviting neighbors and walking out the mission of God in our everyday spaces, making all of life sacred. So we redesigned the website. We formed five groups. We created new systems of organization. We mobilized leaders. We readied for the mission.
And then Thursday night happened.
The governor issued a statewide order to stay indoors and restrict all non-essential travel. No more gatherings. The threat of exposure is simply too great to risk. As I’ve talked with other members of the church, members of our leadership cohort, and other pastors, the conclusion we’ve come to is the same:
We do not fear a virus. We fear God, and we follow Jesus. We love him, we trust him, and so we are unafraid of what today or tomorrow may bring. But we also love others. We love the least of these, those who are at risk. And we love the lost, those who do not know Jesus and miss out on the security and hope that he brings. So, at this time, one of the most compassionate, grace-filled things we can do is keep one another safe.
With that, we have decided to cancel house churches for the time being. We hope to restart these if the shelter-in-place order is lifted, but until then, our community will have to learn how to love one another from afar. So, what’s the plan now?
FAMILY CHURCH
We will still upload a short video sermon every week on the website to watch with your family and worship together. Our Kids Church will be putting together resources for your children to go through as well. You can also continue to give online. If you don’t have a family to worship with on Sundays, the Williams family has offered their home up—they will be your family! The burden we share as a community with the ongoing crises is that when your are saved by grace, you are also saved into the family of God. We are your brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters. So even though we seek to keep one another safe, we are also there for you if you need it.
CARE TEAM
We are mobilizing a Care Team to check in on people to see if any members have needs like groceries, supplies, or support. If you are able-bodied, healthy, and willing, the best thing our church can do right now is to keep up in contact with one another, to check-in often, to pray for one another, and to encourage one another. If you want to help out with the Care Team, contact Shari Hatcher (careteam@fbccottonwood.org) for more details.
Trusting in Christ for all things, all the time,
Jacob Parodi, Lead Pastor
House Churches
COVID-19 UPDATE
In light of recent events, communities of Jesus followers around the world have had to ask this difficult question: What happens when the church can no longer gather like it always has? The leadership at First Baptist Church has been asking this very question. We want desperately want to gather together, because we believe that there is power in a community sharing together, loving one another, worshiping their Creator, and experiencing the grace of Jesus together. And yet, in the midst of a global pandemic, gathering in a group of 100, or 50, or even 30 becomes potentially dangerous, foolish, and even unloving should we put others at risk.
At the same time, it is not good for us to be alone.
While many church have gone the route of live-streaming services and doing “church” in isolation, we want to continue serving, loving, and sharing with one another as long as we are able.
So, here’s the plan:
GOING SMALL: WHY HOUSE CHURCHES?
Until further notice, First Baptist Church will be canceling Sunday morning gatherings, including the morning Bible Study and Worship service. Instead, many of our members are opening up their homes to create 5-6 intimate gatherings of 10 or less on Sunday mornings to meet together, worship together, learn together, and pray together. These groups are informal and a simple, so come as you are! We hope to reach out to as many of you as possible, but use the map below if you need to find a group near you. If you are sick or high-risk and in self-quarantine, we understand if you need to go it alone—follow the pattern below to stay connected with us (and let us know how we can help!).
How It Works
None of this needs to be very difficult. You can choose to eat lunch together, but that's not necessary. You can have coffee or snacks for everyone, but it's up to you. Here are some simple steps to help you through the house church experience:
Worship together. We will post a weekly YouTube playlist on the homepage, but if someone in your group plays an instrument and can lead the group in singing a few songs, do it! If not, feel free to sing something acapella or sing along to a recording. But you don't even have to sing to worship together. Consider having people share some things God has done for them. Read a Psalm or two together and have people share what those words mean to them. Singing can be a great way to worship, but it's not the only way. Just make sure you include a few minutes of acknowledging that you're gathering to meet with God. And if you have kids with you, make sure they're able to participate as well. Small gatherings with children can be some of the most meaningful worship experiences if you do as Jesus says and "let the little children come to me."
Read Scripture. Take the assigned passage for the week or choose your own direction here. Go ahead and have someone read it out loud. (If you have some older children, this could be a great role for them to play.) Reading Scripture out loud is powerful.
Watch the message. Each week, we will record a short video message and post it on Friday on the homepage. It should be enough to get you started, but really, we believe God will speak to you most through your community! That brings us to…
Talk about Scripture.Take some time to reflect on that passage of Scripture. Feel free to keep it informal by simply asking questions like, "What stands out to you in this passage?" or "How should these words shape who we are and what we do today?”You can have someone teach on these passages and concepts or you can all have a discussion together. The important thing is that you all hear the word of God and respond to it. Once again, if you have children in your group, be sure to include them. It’s a great exercise for adults to discuss spiritual concepts in a way that a kid can understand, but it’s also powerful to see God and Scripture through the eyes of a child.
Pray together. Spend some time praying as a family. Pray for each other's needs, celebrate each other's victories, and ask God to form First Baptist Church into a family on mission.
After the gathering is over, let us know how it went. We'd like to be able to share with the church how many people met in homes this week, so send us quick note letting us know which home you all met in and roughly how many people gathered with you Also, if you get a chance to snap a photo of your gathering, we’d love to share what’s happening with the broader church community.
That's it! We're all praying that these times will be rich and will have an impact on our church family.
Trusting in God always,
Jacob Parodi, Lead Pastor