Please note that we have changed our services and ministries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time we are meeting for worship each Sunday morning at 9:30 am. Services are streamed on our Facebook page as well as our YouTube channel - just search for First Baptist Church Mayville or click the Facebook or YouTube links at the bottom of any of our web pages.
Spacing restrictions are still place and we ask that you wear a mask as you enter and leave the building and anytime you are out of your seat and moving around. We do have a nursery available but it is not staffed - parents will need to stay with their children and the service is streamed into that room for your convenience.
October 16, 2020 Update
For a number of weeks we have been talking about getting back together to one service on Sunday mornings. It has been a discussion of our leadership team as well as the church board, and at our last meeting we decided to move forward. This means that on Sunday, November 1st we will merge our services back into one, and I wanted to make sure that you are fully aware of all the implications that come with this move.
Our single service will begin at 9:30 am and end around 10:45 - the same 75 minutes we have been typically doing. At this time, we are going to continue the same format and the same expectations that we have been doing over the last months. This means that we will not be having a staffed nursery during the service. For those who might need the nursery, the service is streamed into that room so you will still be able to watch. We are also not going to have any live Kids Ministries at this time. Our hope is that the first few weeks go well and we can start up something for Advent which begins November 29th. If we are unable to restart on the 29th, we will continue to post lessons and crafts online.
Bringing us back together into one service also means that we have to pay even closer attention to the policies we have regarding masks and distancing. I am convinced that because we followed policies, we helped prevent a potential outbreak here at the church in July. If you remember, we informed the church knowing that one of our second service attenders had tested positive for COVID, but because the policies we had in place were followed, there was little to no risk to our congregation according to the county health department. That individual was willing to stay home from services for several weeks and no one else in the church had any issues. As we gather back together, we have to remain vigilant and follow the policies we have in place.
We are also up against social distancing and capacity restrictions by the state. We have been averaging 50-55 people between both our services so far and that number easily fits into the 50% capacity restriction. But the social distancing makes that difficult which means we are going to have to get flexible. We also decided at our board meeting to purchase chairs for the auditorium to replace our pews. We have been talking about chairs on and off for a number of years and with the greater flexibility they provide in seating arrangements and capacity as well as some very good pricing, it just made sense to make the purchase at this time.
Even with the added flexibility and seating we gain with the chairs, we will likely need to use the fellowship hall as an overflow area. While I realize that it is not the same, we will do everything we can to make sure those in the overflow area get a similar experience as those in the auditorium. We have video set up as well as a screen that will display everything shown on the main screen in the auditorium so you will be able to participate in the service regardless of what room you may be in. Seating will be “first-come, first-sit”, but we will leave some space open for guests each week. If you would be willing to sit in the overflow area and then move into the auditorium as room is available, let me know as that will help with logistics.
As with any change, I know there will be a lot of questions. I want to make sure we are able to answer those questions so please let us know of any concerns. You can contact me directly or you can reach out to your deacon, and we will do our best to answer them. Please realize that this is not a decision that was made lightly or without looking at all the potential outcomes and hurdles. We have put a lot of thought and prayer in to this and we believe that for the overall health of the church, it is time to come together at one time.
We will continue to stream our services for those who are not ready to come back and continue to do our best to minister to you as family. But for those who haven’t yet come back because of convenience or comfort, let me encourage you join us again this weekend. We are the body of Christ, and we are designed to have every part of the body working together as we serve Christ and try to reach our community for Christ. We need you just as much as you need the church! As always, do not hesitate to let me know of any questions or concerns. Lord willing, if things go as they currently are, we will be back as one church very soon - masked and distanced, but one congregation worshipping the Lord together.
God bless!
Pastor Dan
For a number of weeks we have been talking about getting back together to one service on Sunday mornings. It has been a discussion of our leadership team as well as the church board, and at our last meeting we decided to move forward. This means that on Sunday, November 1st we will merge our services back into one, and I wanted to make sure that you are fully aware of all the implications that come with this move.
Our single service will begin at 9:30 am and end around 10:45 - the same 75 minutes we have been typically doing. At this time, we are going to continue the same format and the same expectations that we have been doing over the last months. This means that we will not be having a staffed nursery during the service. For those who might need the nursery, the service is streamed into that room so you will still be able to watch. We are also not going to have any live Kids Ministries at this time. Our hope is that the first few weeks go well and we can start up something for Advent which begins November 29th. If we are unable to restart on the 29th, we will continue to post lessons and crafts online.
Bringing us back together into one service also means that we have to pay even closer attention to the policies we have regarding masks and distancing. I am convinced that because we followed policies, we helped prevent a potential outbreak here at the church in July. If you remember, we informed the church knowing that one of our second service attenders had tested positive for COVID, but because the policies we had in place were followed, there was little to no risk to our congregation according to the county health department. That individual was willing to stay home from services for several weeks and no one else in the church had any issues. As we gather back together, we have to remain vigilant and follow the policies we have in place.
We are also up against social distancing and capacity restrictions by the state. We have been averaging 50-55 people between both our services so far and that number easily fits into the 50% capacity restriction. But the social distancing makes that difficult which means we are going to have to get flexible. We also decided at our board meeting to purchase chairs for the auditorium to replace our pews. We have been talking about chairs on and off for a number of years and with the greater flexibility they provide in seating arrangements and capacity as well as some very good pricing, it just made sense to make the purchase at this time.
Even with the added flexibility and seating we gain with the chairs, we will likely need to use the fellowship hall as an overflow area. While I realize that it is not the same, we will do everything we can to make sure those in the overflow area get a similar experience as those in the auditorium. We have video set up as well as a screen that will display everything shown on the main screen in the auditorium so you will be able to participate in the service regardless of what room you may be in. Seating will be “first-come, first-sit”, but we will leave some space open for guests each week. If you would be willing to sit in the overflow area and then move into the auditorium as room is available, let me know as that will help with logistics.
As with any change, I know there will be a lot of questions. I want to make sure we are able to answer those questions so please let us know of any concerns. You can contact me directly or you can reach out to your deacon, and we will do our best to answer them. Please realize that this is not a decision that was made lightly or without looking at all the potential outcomes and hurdles. We have put a lot of thought and prayer in to this and we believe that for the overall health of the church, it is time to come together at one time.
We will continue to stream our services for those who are not ready to come back and continue to do our best to minister to you as family. But for those who haven’t yet come back because of convenience or comfort, let me encourage you join us again this weekend. We are the body of Christ, and we are designed to have every part of the body working together as we serve Christ and try to reach our community for Christ. We need you just as much as you need the church! As always, do not hesitate to let me know of any questions or concerns. Lord willing, if things go as they currently are, we will be back as one church very soon - masked and distanced, but one congregation worshipping the Lord together.
God bless!
Pastor Dan
Current update
As of this fall we are continuing to meet on Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 am. All of our Sunday services are livestreamed on our Facebook page and our YouTube channels. For those choosing to join us in person, we ask that you wear a mask as you enter and leave the building and any time you are up walking around. You do not need to wear your mask when you are in your seats or during the service unless you feel more comfortable doing so.
While we do not have any kid's activities at this time, our Kids Ministry leaders are recording a weekly lesson and craft in place of our "Junior Church" time. These videos are released each Sunday morning at 10:15 am. Now that school is back in session we are looking at beginning an in person Kid Ministry time during our 11 am service beginning in late November. Our Youth Group is meeting again outdoors at the Klossner's home Sunday afternoons from 3-5 pm. Please do not hesitate to contact the church with any questions.
Our Small Groups are growing and active during this time with a combination of in-person and online meeting options. While things are very different, we are so thankful to God that our community has not faced the problems that so many others have. And we are very grateful that we are able to join in fellowship and worship together each Sunday and throughout the week. If you want more information on our different activities or if you have any other questions, please contact the church office.
God bless,
Pastor Dan
As of this fall we are continuing to meet on Sunday mornings at 9 and 11 am. All of our Sunday services are livestreamed on our Facebook page and our YouTube channels. For those choosing to join us in person, we ask that you wear a mask as you enter and leave the building and any time you are up walking around. You do not need to wear your mask when you are in your seats or during the service unless you feel more comfortable doing so.
While we do not have any kid's activities at this time, our Kids Ministry leaders are recording a weekly lesson and craft in place of our "Junior Church" time. These videos are released each Sunday morning at 10:15 am. Now that school is back in session we are looking at beginning an in person Kid Ministry time during our 11 am service beginning in late November. Our Youth Group is meeting again outdoors at the Klossner's home Sunday afternoons from 3-5 pm. Please do not hesitate to contact the church with any questions.
Our Small Groups are growing and active during this time with a combination of in-person and online meeting options. While things are very different, we are so thankful to God that our community has not faced the problems that so many others have. And we are very grateful that we are able to join in fellowship and worship together each Sunday and throughout the week. If you want more information on our different activities or if you have any other questions, please contact the church office.
God bless,
Pastor Dan
June 6 Newsletter
Mark your calendars for July 5! That is the day we are planning to return to worshipping together if things continue as they are currently. Hopefully you have had a chance to read through the letter/email we sent out on June 2nd that provided an overview of some of the ways that we are working to provide a safe environment for everyone. Included in that letter/email, there was a survey we are asking everyone to complete and return to help us as we plan for July 5th. You can also take the survey online at our church web page at https://www.fbcmayville.com/return-to-worship-survey.html.
While it will be great to get back to worshipping together, please be aware that the service will be different for awhile. Because of the New York State requirements and the CDC recommendations we are going to begin having two identical services each Sunday. This will allow us to maintain social distancing and still give most of our community the opportunity to come together. In order to maximize the number of families that we can get into the building we will ask each household to come to a specific service and sit in a specific location in the auditorium or in the Fellowship Hall. Each household will be spaced throughout these rooms to maintain social distancing requirements. We will be streaming the services into the Fellowship Hall.
We will dismiss everyone using all three of our exits in order to prevent congestion at the doorways. In between services we will have a team of volunteers that will clean the bathrooms and the pews as well as the doorways and other surfaces that are commonly touched or shared. If you would be willing to serve as one of those volunteers, please let us know!
In some ways the actual services will be similar and yet different. We are still going to take time to pray and encourage each other; we will still worship God; and we will still dig into God’s Word and work to apply it to our everyday life. Instead of taking an offering during the service, we have a collection box where you will be able to drop your offering while you enter or leave the service. Of course, you can continue to mail in your gifts or use our online giving. We are still working out some of the logistics when it comes to singing - there is a lot of conflicting information in that area, and we are trying to make sense of it all. Our time of Communion will be a bit different, but I am sure you have come to expect that from me!
The other major change for the foreseeable future involves our Student Ministries. When we gather for worship each Sunday we will not have a staffed nursery or Children’s Church. The nursery and the Quiet Room will be available but parents will need to be with their children while they are in the room, and they will be limited to one family per service. We are working on getting both audio and video into each of those rooms as well as other areas of the church in order to maximize our space. At this time there will also be no Sunday School classes for kids or adults - the size of our classrooms makes it very difficult to have these classes and follow all the recommendations and requirements that have been given to us. We have had to put away our kids “busy bags” and nursery toys for the time being but feel free to bring a few quiet activities for your children to play with during the service.
We will continue to send out more information in the coming days so keep watching for those updates. If you have any questions at any time, do not hesitate to contact me - we want everyone to feel comfortable with what we are doing and why we are doing it. I know that this is not ideal or what we really want at this time but it is what we have to do for now in order to worship together. Thank you for your patience and understanding and your willingness to work with the Church Board and the Leadership Team. Keep these men and women in prayer as they make decisions and work toward getting us back together as soon as possible.
Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!
Pastor Dan
Mark your calendars for July 5! That is the day we are planning to return to worshipping together if things continue as they are currently. Hopefully you have had a chance to read through the letter/email we sent out on June 2nd that provided an overview of some of the ways that we are working to provide a safe environment for everyone. Included in that letter/email, there was a survey we are asking everyone to complete and return to help us as we plan for July 5th. You can also take the survey online at our church web page at https://www.fbcmayville.com/return-to-worship-survey.html.
While it will be great to get back to worshipping together, please be aware that the service will be different for awhile. Because of the New York State requirements and the CDC recommendations we are going to begin having two identical services each Sunday. This will allow us to maintain social distancing and still give most of our community the opportunity to come together. In order to maximize the number of families that we can get into the building we will ask each household to come to a specific service and sit in a specific location in the auditorium or in the Fellowship Hall. Each household will be spaced throughout these rooms to maintain social distancing requirements. We will be streaming the services into the Fellowship Hall.
We will dismiss everyone using all three of our exits in order to prevent congestion at the doorways. In between services we will have a team of volunteers that will clean the bathrooms and the pews as well as the doorways and other surfaces that are commonly touched or shared. If you would be willing to serve as one of those volunteers, please let us know!
In some ways the actual services will be similar and yet different. We are still going to take time to pray and encourage each other; we will still worship God; and we will still dig into God’s Word and work to apply it to our everyday life. Instead of taking an offering during the service, we have a collection box where you will be able to drop your offering while you enter or leave the service. Of course, you can continue to mail in your gifts or use our online giving. We are still working out some of the logistics when it comes to singing - there is a lot of conflicting information in that area, and we are trying to make sense of it all. Our time of Communion will be a bit different, but I am sure you have come to expect that from me!
The other major change for the foreseeable future involves our Student Ministries. When we gather for worship each Sunday we will not have a staffed nursery or Children’s Church. The nursery and the Quiet Room will be available but parents will need to be with their children while they are in the room, and they will be limited to one family per service. We are working on getting both audio and video into each of those rooms as well as other areas of the church in order to maximize our space. At this time there will also be no Sunday School classes for kids or adults - the size of our classrooms makes it very difficult to have these classes and follow all the recommendations and requirements that have been given to us. We have had to put away our kids “busy bags” and nursery toys for the time being but feel free to bring a few quiet activities for your children to play with during the service.
We will continue to send out more information in the coming days so keep watching for those updates. If you have any questions at any time, do not hesitate to contact me - we want everyone to feel comfortable with what we are doing and why we are doing it. I know that this is not ideal or what we really want at this time but it is what we have to do for now in order to worship together. Thank you for your patience and understanding and your willingness to work with the Church Board and the Leadership Team. Keep these men and women in prayer as they make decisions and work toward getting us back together as soon as possible.
Looking forward to seeing everyone soon!
Pastor Dan
May 29 Newsletter
Dear church family,
Another week into our isolation, and yet I continue to hear more and more accounts of how our church is taking care of each other! I love to hear the stories of how God is using your gifts and talents to help each other out during this difficult time. When so many churches are struggling we seem to be thriving and that is because of God’s blessing and our willingness to love and care for each other. Keep it up!
I was excited to hear last week that churches across the state have been released to allow small groups to gather as long as they follow the social distancing/masks requirements. This means that a few of our activities may resume. We should be able to hold our board meetings together and some of our Life Groups may be able to meet as well. However, it must be noted that any church event or meeting will be expected to maintain social distancing of 6’ or wear the appropriate face mask while meeting together.
I realize that not everyone sees the risk in the same way, but as Christians we are called to do several things that I think come into play in our current situation. Romans 13:1 calls us to be “subject to the governing authorities” because it is God who ultimately has given them their positions. To fail to submit to our government, except when they call us to clearly go against God’s Word, is to “resist what God has appointed”. As a church, these last months have certainly been difficult because we have had to change how we worship, but we are still allowed to worship, and we are not being persecuted so we are called to be obedient.
Then we read in Romans 12:9-13 that our “love should be genuine...love one another with brotherly affection...outdo one another in showing honor...contribute to the need of the saints...seek to show hospitality.” As a Christian, we are called to love each other and to never be a stumbling block to another believer. If my refusal to social distance or to wear a mask means that my brother or sister in Christ is unwilling or afraid to join together with us, it is my responsibility to accommodate their concerns and wear the mask and practice social distancing.
Our current expectation is that we will be meeting again for Sunday Worship services beginning July 5th, IF our region continues to meet the metrics the State of New York has put in place. I personally cannot wait for that day to come! But I want you to realize that our services will look and feel different for some time. We will be able to meet, but we will certainly have to maintain the use of masks and social distancing as we meet together. I can tell you that we will need to have two services with reduced seating in order to accommodate most of our families. We will continue to stream our services live on Facebook and YouTube.
Over the coming weeks we will continue to let you know of other changes as we get more information, and we will be asking for your input - please help us as we plan by responding to any questions or surveys that we send out. We need your involvement in this process if we are going to have a smooth transition in coming back together.
Keep up the good work of caring for each other. Keep up your faith and confidence in God during these difficult and frustrating times. This Sunday we are going to look at Psalm 139 and be reminded of God’s great power and wisdom and how they are personalized in the life of a believer. Make sure you invite someone to join us online this Sunday.
God bless,
Pastor Dan
Dear church family,
Another week into our isolation, and yet I continue to hear more and more accounts of how our church is taking care of each other! I love to hear the stories of how God is using your gifts and talents to help each other out during this difficult time. When so many churches are struggling we seem to be thriving and that is because of God’s blessing and our willingness to love and care for each other. Keep it up!
I was excited to hear last week that churches across the state have been released to allow small groups to gather as long as they follow the social distancing/masks requirements. This means that a few of our activities may resume. We should be able to hold our board meetings together and some of our Life Groups may be able to meet as well. However, it must be noted that any church event or meeting will be expected to maintain social distancing of 6’ or wear the appropriate face mask while meeting together.
I realize that not everyone sees the risk in the same way, but as Christians we are called to do several things that I think come into play in our current situation. Romans 13:1 calls us to be “subject to the governing authorities” because it is God who ultimately has given them their positions. To fail to submit to our government, except when they call us to clearly go against God’s Word, is to “resist what God has appointed”. As a church, these last months have certainly been difficult because we have had to change how we worship, but we are still allowed to worship, and we are not being persecuted so we are called to be obedient.
Then we read in Romans 12:9-13 that our “love should be genuine...love one another with brotherly affection...outdo one another in showing honor...contribute to the need of the saints...seek to show hospitality.” As a Christian, we are called to love each other and to never be a stumbling block to another believer. If my refusal to social distance or to wear a mask means that my brother or sister in Christ is unwilling or afraid to join together with us, it is my responsibility to accommodate their concerns and wear the mask and practice social distancing.
Our current expectation is that we will be meeting again for Sunday Worship services beginning July 5th, IF our region continues to meet the metrics the State of New York has put in place. I personally cannot wait for that day to come! But I want you to realize that our services will look and feel different for some time. We will be able to meet, but we will certainly have to maintain the use of masks and social distancing as we meet together. I can tell you that we will need to have two services with reduced seating in order to accommodate most of our families. We will continue to stream our services live on Facebook and YouTube.
Over the coming weeks we will continue to let you know of other changes as we get more information, and we will be asking for your input - please help us as we plan by responding to any questions or surveys that we send out. We need your involvement in this process if we are going to have a smooth transition in coming back together.
Keep up the good work of caring for each other. Keep up your faith and confidence in God during these difficult and frustrating times. This Sunday we are going to look at Psalm 139 and be reminded of God’s great power and wisdom and how they are personalized in the life of a believer. Make sure you invite someone to join us online this Sunday.
God bless,
Pastor Dan
May 24 Newsletter
We have had some encouraging news this past week! As many of you probably know, our region was allowed to begin the first of four phases allowing NY workers to get back to work. If our region is able to meet the state guidelines for two weeks, the next phase will be allowed to open, followed by another two weeks of monitoring and then the process repeats. Churches are a part of phase 4 which means that if all four phases open in two-week increments, we could be having services again as early as July 5!
Now, please remember that there are still many unknowns and “what-if” scenarios that could prevent us from meeting at that time, but it is still very encouraging to see some progress being made to getting the state back up and running.
At FBC Mayville, our Deacons and Trustees as well as our Ministry Leadership Team have been working on plans to make sure that we are ready to open our doors when the time is right. One thing we realized very quickly is that our way of doing things in July is going to be very different compared to what it was in early March before things were shut down. Because of social distancing requirements, we will most likely need to have multiple worship services to accommodate everyone. These worship services will take on a bit of a different feel depending on what restrictions remain in place. Our Kid’s Ministry will not be reopened right away which means there won’t be any nursery, Children’s Church or Sunday School classes until the social distancing restrictions are removed. For our adults, we will continue to emphasize our Life Groups but will not be restarting our adult Sunday School classes for the time being.
There are still many questions as to what expectations and restrictions will be in place when churches are allowed to reopen so please understand that not much is set in stone at this time. But do realize that we are actively planning to bring everyone back together at the earliest and safest time that we can. We are also using this time to really evaluate every ministry we were running to make sure that we are working effectively and efficiently to build the Kingdom of God and to reach our community. We will get more information and details to you as things become more certain.
One thing that is certain is that we do not have to live in fear! This Sunday, we are going to be looking at Psalm 91, which in my opinion is the most joy-giving psalm ever. It is also a passage that is often misinterpreted and misapplied so we need to make sure that we understand the true message of these verses. Our Life Groups will continue to dig into this psalm, and I strongly encourage you to get connected with a group if you are not already.
Please continue to hold each other up in prayer. Make sure you are checking the church app prayer wall throughout the week and watching your email for prayer news. Please keep the leadership of the church in prayer – we have a difficult job in trying to work through all of the information and expectations to get the church open. There is so much information and much it seems to conflict with other information, we need godly discernment as we plan. Thank you for your faithfulness in attending our online worship services and in your giving. I miss you greatly and I am so looking forward to the day we are all together again – I am so tired of sitting in an empty building on Sunday mornings, but I am so thankful that we are not restricted to this building. Go be the church and be safe!
Pastor Dan
We have had some encouraging news this past week! As many of you probably know, our region was allowed to begin the first of four phases allowing NY workers to get back to work. If our region is able to meet the state guidelines for two weeks, the next phase will be allowed to open, followed by another two weeks of monitoring and then the process repeats. Churches are a part of phase 4 which means that if all four phases open in two-week increments, we could be having services again as early as July 5!
Now, please remember that there are still many unknowns and “what-if” scenarios that could prevent us from meeting at that time, but it is still very encouraging to see some progress being made to getting the state back up and running.
At FBC Mayville, our Deacons and Trustees as well as our Ministry Leadership Team have been working on plans to make sure that we are ready to open our doors when the time is right. One thing we realized very quickly is that our way of doing things in July is going to be very different compared to what it was in early March before things were shut down. Because of social distancing requirements, we will most likely need to have multiple worship services to accommodate everyone. These worship services will take on a bit of a different feel depending on what restrictions remain in place. Our Kid’s Ministry will not be reopened right away which means there won’t be any nursery, Children’s Church or Sunday School classes until the social distancing restrictions are removed. For our adults, we will continue to emphasize our Life Groups but will not be restarting our adult Sunday School classes for the time being.
There are still many questions as to what expectations and restrictions will be in place when churches are allowed to reopen so please understand that not much is set in stone at this time. But do realize that we are actively planning to bring everyone back together at the earliest and safest time that we can. We are also using this time to really evaluate every ministry we were running to make sure that we are working effectively and efficiently to build the Kingdom of God and to reach our community. We will get more information and details to you as things become more certain.
One thing that is certain is that we do not have to live in fear! This Sunday, we are going to be looking at Psalm 91, which in my opinion is the most joy-giving psalm ever. It is also a passage that is often misinterpreted and misapplied so we need to make sure that we understand the true message of these verses. Our Life Groups will continue to dig into this psalm, and I strongly encourage you to get connected with a group if you are not already.
Please continue to hold each other up in prayer. Make sure you are checking the church app prayer wall throughout the week and watching your email for prayer news. Please keep the leadership of the church in prayer – we have a difficult job in trying to work through all of the information and expectations to get the church open. There is so much information and much it seems to conflict with other information, we need godly discernment as we plan. Thank you for your faithfulness in attending our online worship services and in your giving. I miss you greatly and I am so looking forward to the day we are all together again – I am so tired of sitting in an empty building on Sunday mornings, but I am so thankful that we are not restricted to this building. Go be the church and be safe!
Pastor Dan
May 15, 2020
Hello church family! I hope that this newsletter finds all of you doing well and staying sane! I know that it has been difficult to spend the last few months cooped up at home and not being able to do many of the things that we want to do. I also realize that many of our families have suffered loss in some way over these last weeks. Please know that we are praying for you and are here to help in any way that we can. Do not hesitate to reach out to your church family for help.
I am so thankful that we can at least gather online each week but it’s just not the same. I miss the personal interaction and the closeness we have when we are together. I also miss the ability to share information that, while important to us, does not necessarily need to be broadcast over the internet so I wanted to use this weeks newsletter to update everyone on how the church is doing in several key areas of the church.
Finance – As you might remember, in January we voted to increase our church budget to expand our ability to minister to our church and community. Any time an increase like this happens, it usually takes a few months to get our giving in line with the need. In the first quarter of this year we received 81% of our General Fund need. April was a bit better at 85% which puts us around 82% year to date.
Sadly, just because our church building is closed, we still have to pay many of the same expenses. Our property and liability insurance has not changed, our utility costs have not changed that much and we continue to pay our missionaries each month. The biggest expense we can control is with payroll and we have already implemented a few changes in that area to help keep our costs as low as possible.
I know that many of you are facing financial difficulties during this time and yet you continue to give faithfully and I thank you for that generosity. I am reminded of the widow in Mark 12:41-44 who had very little money and yet gave freely to the Temple. Jesus held her up as a shining example of giving, not because of the amount that she put in offering but because of the heart she had as she gave. I am convinced that God is not as concerned about the amount that you give as he is with the attitude you have in giving. I would ask that we all be very wise stewards when it comes to our giving and trust that God will continue to supply as he has been.
Services – We continue to meet each week online in a variety of ways thanks to technology. Our Sunday morning worship services have been very well received and shared hundreds of times each week. We are also able to minister to other churches that don’t have pastors thanks to Facebook and YouTube. I am so thankful for Pastor Kerry and his family as they take time to come in to the church throughout the month and record music. And thank you to all who have sent in video greetings that help make the online experience better. I am going to continue to ask for your help with things like the greetings and Scripture reading as we go forward, so be ready to step up!
Our Life Groups continue to meet each week and are now all focused on digging deeper into the Sunday morning text. Our online prayer group meets each Wednesday night to pray together and I am so encouraged by the number of people who are consistently taking part. I am also trying to work out the logistics to do some other online workshops for those who want to learn more about counseling and discipleship as well as putting our FBC101 class online for the time being.
Outreach – It is extremely difficult to do our traditional outreach events in our current circumstances but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still getting out into our community. The Project Pen Pal and Senior Busy Bags for Absolut Care have been a great success and I hope that they will continue to be used to encourage others. A great big THANK YOU to our ladies in our children’s church ministry for working so hard to send out craft packages to our kids and then doing online Bible lessons with them. Roger and Stacy have been doing a phenomenal job in trying to stay connected with our teens and have been doing their Sunday School classes and their Youth Group meetings all online.
One of the more frustrating things for me in the area of outreach is that our plans for our Community Block Party to celebrate our 200th anniversary have been put on hold indefinitely. I know how much we were looking forward to celebrating this milestone and using it to build relationships with our neighbors and please know that we are still planning on have this party – we just don’t know when yet.
Planning – When I went to seminary to get my degree and to “learn how to be a pastor” I must have missed the class on watching way too many government press conferences and trying to decipher the differences between what they say and what they really mean! I can’t even count the number of hours I have spent watching press conferences and webinars on government programs trying to figure out what we can and can’t do and when we might be able to get back together again. Needless to say, our church leadership has already developed a “restart plan” for our church that will go into effect when we are able to once again meet. I will share more details in the coming weeks but please know that we will do everything we can to provide a safe environment for everyone.
Please understand that our ministries and our practices will be different than they were in March. Some ministries will not start up right away and a few may not come back at all. We are trying to use this time to align our ministries with our mission and to make the necessary changes we need to make to be sure that we are carrying out exactly what God wants us to do in our community. Our programs may change but our purpose will always be to connect people to God and the church and to encourage and equip them to serve him.
Again, thank you for your faithfulness to the church and to Jesus Christ. Continue to care for each other and continue to pray for each other. If there is anything that you need or have questions about, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Deacon or to Pastor Kerry or myself. We miss you very much and cannot wait for the day we are back together again!
Pastor Dan
Hello church family! I hope that this newsletter finds all of you doing well and staying sane! I know that it has been difficult to spend the last few months cooped up at home and not being able to do many of the things that we want to do. I also realize that many of our families have suffered loss in some way over these last weeks. Please know that we are praying for you and are here to help in any way that we can. Do not hesitate to reach out to your church family for help.
I am so thankful that we can at least gather online each week but it’s just not the same. I miss the personal interaction and the closeness we have when we are together. I also miss the ability to share information that, while important to us, does not necessarily need to be broadcast over the internet so I wanted to use this weeks newsletter to update everyone on how the church is doing in several key areas of the church.
Finance – As you might remember, in January we voted to increase our church budget to expand our ability to minister to our church and community. Any time an increase like this happens, it usually takes a few months to get our giving in line with the need. In the first quarter of this year we received 81% of our General Fund need. April was a bit better at 85% which puts us around 82% year to date.
Sadly, just because our church building is closed, we still have to pay many of the same expenses. Our property and liability insurance has not changed, our utility costs have not changed that much and we continue to pay our missionaries each month. The biggest expense we can control is with payroll and we have already implemented a few changes in that area to help keep our costs as low as possible.
I know that many of you are facing financial difficulties during this time and yet you continue to give faithfully and I thank you for that generosity. I am reminded of the widow in Mark 12:41-44 who had very little money and yet gave freely to the Temple. Jesus held her up as a shining example of giving, not because of the amount that she put in offering but because of the heart she had as she gave. I am convinced that God is not as concerned about the amount that you give as he is with the attitude you have in giving. I would ask that we all be very wise stewards when it comes to our giving and trust that God will continue to supply as he has been.
Services – We continue to meet each week online in a variety of ways thanks to technology. Our Sunday morning worship services have been very well received and shared hundreds of times each week. We are also able to minister to other churches that don’t have pastors thanks to Facebook and YouTube. I am so thankful for Pastor Kerry and his family as they take time to come in to the church throughout the month and record music. And thank you to all who have sent in video greetings that help make the online experience better. I am going to continue to ask for your help with things like the greetings and Scripture reading as we go forward, so be ready to step up!
Our Life Groups continue to meet each week and are now all focused on digging deeper into the Sunday morning text. Our online prayer group meets each Wednesday night to pray together and I am so encouraged by the number of people who are consistently taking part. I am also trying to work out the logistics to do some other online workshops for those who want to learn more about counseling and discipleship as well as putting our FBC101 class online for the time being.
Outreach – It is extremely difficult to do our traditional outreach events in our current circumstances but that doesn’t mean we aren’t still getting out into our community. The Project Pen Pal and Senior Busy Bags for Absolut Care have been a great success and I hope that they will continue to be used to encourage others. A great big THANK YOU to our ladies in our children’s church ministry for working so hard to send out craft packages to our kids and then doing online Bible lessons with them. Roger and Stacy have been doing a phenomenal job in trying to stay connected with our teens and have been doing their Sunday School classes and their Youth Group meetings all online.
One of the more frustrating things for me in the area of outreach is that our plans for our Community Block Party to celebrate our 200th anniversary have been put on hold indefinitely. I know how much we were looking forward to celebrating this milestone and using it to build relationships with our neighbors and please know that we are still planning on have this party – we just don’t know when yet.
Planning – When I went to seminary to get my degree and to “learn how to be a pastor” I must have missed the class on watching way too many government press conferences and trying to decipher the differences between what they say and what they really mean! I can’t even count the number of hours I have spent watching press conferences and webinars on government programs trying to figure out what we can and can’t do and when we might be able to get back together again. Needless to say, our church leadership has already developed a “restart plan” for our church that will go into effect when we are able to once again meet. I will share more details in the coming weeks but please know that we will do everything we can to provide a safe environment for everyone.
Please understand that our ministries and our practices will be different than they were in March. Some ministries will not start up right away and a few may not come back at all. We are trying to use this time to align our ministries with our mission and to make the necessary changes we need to make to be sure that we are carrying out exactly what God wants us to do in our community. Our programs may change but our purpose will always be to connect people to God and the church and to encourage and equip them to serve him.
Again, thank you for your faithfulness to the church and to Jesus Christ. Continue to care for each other and continue to pray for each other. If there is anything that you need or have questions about, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Deacon or to Pastor Kerry or myself. We miss you very much and cannot wait for the day we are back together again!
Pastor Dan
March 19, 2020
Dear church family,
You can imagine that the last few days have been filled with a lot of conversations with our ministry teams about how we as a church are going to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This statement will help explain our plans but please remember that everything is so fluid right now and things are changing very quickly. As things change, we will keep you updated as best we can.
It has been a long-standing policy that when the school closes during the week, we also close our ministries on those days. For the foreseeable future we will not be hosting our Wednesday Night Family Night activities – no Simple Supper, no student ministries and no adult studies.
In an effort to follow the Federal, State and County guidelines regarding social distancing we are also going to suspend our Life Groups and our Sunday Morning services for the time being. Trust me when I say that this was a difficult decision to make, and it was covered in hours of prayer by our ministry teams.
While we may not be meeting here at the church this Sunday, we will continue to meet through our livestream on our church Facebook page. Many of you know that we have been streaming our services for a number of months now, and we are ready to make the transition to a virtual service for the time being. You can watch the service at our normal time on Sunday morning at 10:45. It will be a shorter service, realizing how difficult it might be to stay focused in an online situation while most likely in your pajamas. But we will still have all the components of our normal gathering time, and I think it will be a great encouragement to you.
Just because we are going to stop having “normal” church services does not mean that we are not still doing church! We have spent every Sunday this year looking at the importance of the church and what it really means and how important your role in the church is. We know it’s not about the building but the people. We now have an amazing opportunity to be the church in our community. We are going to be shifting much of our effort at this time to doing things online and using the technology we have available to us. We hope that very soon we will be able to host virtual Life Groups so that we can continue this valuable discipleship tool.
In an effort to be the church in our community, we are looking for ways to step up and step out during these weeks. I have already had several of our church family reach out to me and let me know that they are willing to help out in the community, running to the grocery store or pharmacy for those who cannot get out. The church is going to be hosting a blood drive in the Fellowship Hall with ConnectLife on Wednesday the 25th – this will be “by appointment only” in order to maintain the regulations on social distancing. You can find more information on our web page and on Facebook or you can call me directly.
And there are so many other ways you can be the church. We will continue to post ideas and opportunities on our church Facebook page. In a time when so many people are living in fear and frustration, we need to stand out for our confidence in Christ.
In the meantime, we still have bills to pay, missionaries and staff to support and ministries to run so let me encourage to continue to give faithfully. You can give online through our church app or our webpage at fbcmayville.com – there is a button in the top right corner that you can click that will take you to a secure giving page. If you need help getting things set up, do not hesitate to call me. You can also send your offering to the church office at 59 South Erie Street, Mayville, NY 14757.
Our prayer is that we will be able to meet together again on Easter Sunday – what a great symbol of the resurrection that would be! Our leadership team will continue to talk, and we will make that decision as we get into the opening days of April. Stay tuned to our church Facebook page, web page, church app and email/phone tree as we will be using those tools to communicate with you.
As weird as this may sound, I am genuinely excited for our church right now. I have been praying that God would give us this community and that we would be able to make a major difference in the life of Mayville and our surrounding area. I am convinced that God will use this time of fear and uncertainty and bring some beautiful things out of it. And I am even more confident that this church needs to be ready to step up and to step out and do whatever we can to shine the Light of Christ.
In Christ,
Pastor Dan Prewitt
Dear church family,
You can imagine that the last few days have been filled with a lot of conversations with our ministry teams about how we as a church are going to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This statement will help explain our plans but please remember that everything is so fluid right now and things are changing very quickly. As things change, we will keep you updated as best we can.
It has been a long-standing policy that when the school closes during the week, we also close our ministries on those days. For the foreseeable future we will not be hosting our Wednesday Night Family Night activities – no Simple Supper, no student ministries and no adult studies.
In an effort to follow the Federal, State and County guidelines regarding social distancing we are also going to suspend our Life Groups and our Sunday Morning services for the time being. Trust me when I say that this was a difficult decision to make, and it was covered in hours of prayer by our ministry teams.
While we may not be meeting here at the church this Sunday, we will continue to meet through our livestream on our church Facebook page. Many of you know that we have been streaming our services for a number of months now, and we are ready to make the transition to a virtual service for the time being. You can watch the service at our normal time on Sunday morning at 10:45. It will be a shorter service, realizing how difficult it might be to stay focused in an online situation while most likely in your pajamas. But we will still have all the components of our normal gathering time, and I think it will be a great encouragement to you.
Just because we are going to stop having “normal” church services does not mean that we are not still doing church! We have spent every Sunday this year looking at the importance of the church and what it really means and how important your role in the church is. We know it’s not about the building but the people. We now have an amazing opportunity to be the church in our community. We are going to be shifting much of our effort at this time to doing things online and using the technology we have available to us. We hope that very soon we will be able to host virtual Life Groups so that we can continue this valuable discipleship tool.
In an effort to be the church in our community, we are looking for ways to step up and step out during these weeks. I have already had several of our church family reach out to me and let me know that they are willing to help out in the community, running to the grocery store or pharmacy for those who cannot get out. The church is going to be hosting a blood drive in the Fellowship Hall with ConnectLife on Wednesday the 25th – this will be “by appointment only” in order to maintain the regulations on social distancing. You can find more information on our web page and on Facebook or you can call me directly.
And there are so many other ways you can be the church. We will continue to post ideas and opportunities on our church Facebook page. In a time when so many people are living in fear and frustration, we need to stand out for our confidence in Christ.
In the meantime, we still have bills to pay, missionaries and staff to support and ministries to run so let me encourage to continue to give faithfully. You can give online through our church app or our webpage at fbcmayville.com – there is a button in the top right corner that you can click that will take you to a secure giving page. If you need help getting things set up, do not hesitate to call me. You can also send your offering to the church office at 59 South Erie Street, Mayville, NY 14757.
Our prayer is that we will be able to meet together again on Easter Sunday – what a great symbol of the resurrection that would be! Our leadership team will continue to talk, and we will make that decision as we get into the opening days of April. Stay tuned to our church Facebook page, web page, church app and email/phone tree as we will be using those tools to communicate with you.
As weird as this may sound, I am genuinely excited for our church right now. I have been praying that God would give us this community and that we would be able to make a major difference in the life of Mayville and our surrounding area. I am convinced that God will use this time of fear and uncertainty and bring some beautiful things out of it. And I am even more confident that this church needs to be ready to step up and to step out and do whatever we can to shine the Light of Christ.
In Christ,
Pastor Dan Prewitt
March 17, 2020
Dear church family,
As you already know, Chautauqua Lake Schools have cancelled classes for the foreseeable future. Our church policy has been that when the school cancels, we cancel our Wednesday Night Family Night. While that is normally limited to bad weather, we feel that this is the best course of action at this time as well. Effective immediately, we will not be holding any of our Wednesday Night Family Night activities. We will continue to evaluate the situation and let everyone know when these activities will resume.
It has been tough to stay up to date with the many announcements and expectations being released at the Federal, State and County level in regards to meeting together as a church. As we make decisions as to how we will follow these expectations in our various ministries, we will continue to update everyone through our Facebook page and our church app. We will also be sending emails and making phone calls to those who have signed up for the phone tree to do our best to make sure everyone is aware of what is going on.
Please remember that this is not a time to panic. As I mentioned on Sunday, God is still on throne and he is still in control. Right now, we have an opportunity to be a positive influence in our community. Let me encourage you to put into practice “3 C’s” – Caution, Confidence, Christ.
We need to be cautious. Be cautious in how you interact with others to avoid spreading germs. Be cautious in how you communicate with others. I have had so many conversations with people over the last few days and whether they are concerned about this pandemic or think it is overblown hype, every one of them have expressed their fear to me. Hours at work are being cut. Schedules are being completely rewritten. Finances are being strained even more than normal. Please do not add to the fear. As you talk with people and as you use social media, be a source of confidence and joy.
Be confident. Know that God is in control and that he is faithful in all things.
And above all, keep your eyes on Christ. Look for opportunities to show the love of Christ to those around you in very tangible ways. As a church, we are looking for ways that we can volunteer and serve in our community and we will let you know how you can help when those opportunities become available. Make the phone call to a neighbor. Check on your loved ones, especially those who are alone. Be an active voice for Christ in your community.
With all the uncertainties we are facing I want our church family to be a source of peace and confidence. We will continue to keep you updated on our schedules and plans moving forward. Please share and forward this letter on social media so everyone is aware of the schedule change.
God bless!
Pastor Dan
Dear church family,
As you already know, Chautauqua Lake Schools have cancelled classes for the foreseeable future. Our church policy has been that when the school cancels, we cancel our Wednesday Night Family Night. While that is normally limited to bad weather, we feel that this is the best course of action at this time as well. Effective immediately, we will not be holding any of our Wednesday Night Family Night activities. We will continue to evaluate the situation and let everyone know when these activities will resume.
It has been tough to stay up to date with the many announcements and expectations being released at the Federal, State and County level in regards to meeting together as a church. As we make decisions as to how we will follow these expectations in our various ministries, we will continue to update everyone through our Facebook page and our church app. We will also be sending emails and making phone calls to those who have signed up for the phone tree to do our best to make sure everyone is aware of what is going on.
Please remember that this is not a time to panic. As I mentioned on Sunday, God is still on throne and he is still in control. Right now, we have an opportunity to be a positive influence in our community. Let me encourage you to put into practice “3 C’s” – Caution, Confidence, Christ.
We need to be cautious. Be cautious in how you interact with others to avoid spreading germs. Be cautious in how you communicate with others. I have had so many conversations with people over the last few days and whether they are concerned about this pandemic or think it is overblown hype, every one of them have expressed their fear to me. Hours at work are being cut. Schedules are being completely rewritten. Finances are being strained even more than normal. Please do not add to the fear. As you talk with people and as you use social media, be a source of confidence and joy.
Be confident. Know that God is in control and that he is faithful in all things.
And above all, keep your eyes on Christ. Look for opportunities to show the love of Christ to those around you in very tangible ways. As a church, we are looking for ways that we can volunteer and serve in our community and we will let you know how you can help when those opportunities become available. Make the phone call to a neighbor. Check on your loved ones, especially those who are alone. Be an active voice for Christ in your community.
With all the uncertainties we are facing I want our church family to be a source of peace and confidence. We will continue to keep you updated on our schedules and plans moving forward. Please share and forward this letter on social media so everyone is aware of the schedule change.
God bless!
Pastor Dan
March 13, 2020
Dear church family and friends,
In light of all the concerns over Covid-19, I wanted to touch base to let you know how we are planning on handling the next weeks or months or however long this situation lasts. First of all, let me encourage you to not let fear rule your hearts and minds. There is so much misinformation in the media from both extremes that it is very hard to determine the truth. But as I have written in our readings and devotionals for Lent over the last days, one truth remains – our God is still in control. It may feel like chaos all around us but God is still on the throne and he is still the same God he has always been.
That being said, we are also called to act responsibly in light of our circumstances. There are some very tangible things we can do to help reduce our risk and we should definitely be doing those things every chance we get. At this point, we will continue with our Sunday services as planned. We will have our Sunday School at 9:45 am and our Worship Service at 10:45 am. Our Life Groups and our Wednesday Night Family Night activities will meet according to our normal schedule except that we will be suspending our Simple Supper indefinitely. We will reevaluate this after the school’s spring break.
If the state or federal government releases new restrictions on meeting then we will adjust our schedules and events. If we are asked to stop meeting for a time, we will continue to stream some type of Sunday morning service through our Facebook page and will look for other avenues to continue to connect, encourage and equip our church family and friends in every way possible. We will do our best to inform everyone of any schedule changes through our church notification system (app, Facebook, phone calls, etc.)
We will spend some time this weekend doing some disinfecting and deeper cleaning of the church to make sure our facilities are as safe as possible. In the meantime, please help keep everyone healthy by following these recommended practices:
The Center for Disease Control has provided some great information that lists common symptoms and what to do if you are sick with the virus – you can find that information at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Please take a few minutes to review these items and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me or your Deacon. And if there is anything that we as a church can do for you during this time, please reach out to us and we will do whatever we can to help.
In Christ,
Pastor Dan Prewitt and the Church Board
First Baptist Church Mayville
Dear church family and friends,
In light of all the concerns over Covid-19, I wanted to touch base to let you know how we are planning on handling the next weeks or months or however long this situation lasts. First of all, let me encourage you to not let fear rule your hearts and minds. There is so much misinformation in the media from both extremes that it is very hard to determine the truth. But as I have written in our readings and devotionals for Lent over the last days, one truth remains – our God is still in control. It may feel like chaos all around us but God is still on the throne and he is still the same God he has always been.
That being said, we are also called to act responsibly in light of our circumstances. There are some very tangible things we can do to help reduce our risk and we should definitely be doing those things every chance we get. At this point, we will continue with our Sunday services as planned. We will have our Sunday School at 9:45 am and our Worship Service at 10:45 am. Our Life Groups and our Wednesday Night Family Night activities will meet according to our normal schedule except that we will be suspending our Simple Supper indefinitely. We will reevaluate this after the school’s spring break.
If the state or federal government releases new restrictions on meeting then we will adjust our schedules and events. If we are asked to stop meeting for a time, we will continue to stream some type of Sunday morning service through our Facebook page and will look for other avenues to continue to connect, encourage and equip our church family and friends in every way possible. We will do our best to inform everyone of any schedule changes through our church notification system (app, Facebook, phone calls, etc.)
We will spend some time this weekend doing some disinfecting and deeper cleaning of the church to make sure our facilities are as safe as possible. In the meantime, please help keep everyone healthy by following these recommended practices:
- If you are not feeling well, please stay home and get the rest you need. You can watch our Sunday morning service live stream on Facebook during the service time and it is available online any time after that (search for First Baptist Church – Mayville). You can also watch our previous services on our YouTube channel (search for First Baptist Church Mayville) or listen to previous sermons through the church app or the church web page (fbcmayville.com). You can also give to the church online through the church app or webpage or by mailing your gift in to the church.
- Avoid any unnecessary physical contact. We are a very friendly church that loves to shake hands and hug but those actions are not helpful in reducing the spread of germs at a time like this. Please find another way to express your love for each other – bump elbows, tap feet, smile and wave…
- Practice good hand hygiene. We have hand sanitizer available and plenty of soap and water so please use them, especially after coughing or sneezing. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover all sneezes and coughs. Sneeze or cough into your elbow or a Kleenex instead of your hand. And please throw away your used tissues instead of leaving them in the pew or classroom.
The Center for Disease Control has provided some great information that lists common symptoms and what to do if you are sick with the virus – you can find that information at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Please take a few minutes to review these items and if you have any questions, feel free to contact me or your Deacon. And if there is anything that we as a church can do for you during this time, please reach out to us and we will do whatever we can to help.
In Christ,
Pastor Dan Prewitt and the Church Board
First Baptist Church Mayville