To: FBCF Church Family

From: Pastor Bill

Sunday, April 5, 2020

Hi Folks.

I hope that you have been able to watch today’s message and that you heard about our plans to have a Drive-in Easter service.  And I assume you have a few questions.  This email is an attempt to address most of those.

We had been working on this for several days when Governor Lee’s executive order put it into question.  But we have investigated and found that we are not only fully within our legal rights to have such a service, but I have read that the state is actually encouraging such services due to the current increase in the suicide rate.  So, Governor Lee, who is a believer, knows that people need hope, and the people of God are the ones who can offer it.  We had been struggling with the idea that having a service could be a bad testimony, as has been the case with some churches that have continued to hold services, but this information led us to the conclusion to go with it.

With that said, there are some guidelines that we will need to follow, so please keep these things in mind come Easter morning…

  • we will meet in the parking lot of the Friendsville Elementary School at 10:15 a.m. on Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020 (our parking lot is too spread out, all around the buildings)
  • all car windows must remain up at all times (we are serious enough about this that we are not even going to take an offering, if you can believe that!)
  • no car doors should open during this service
  • since there will be cars with babies, small kids getting squirrelly, and no restroom facilities (you might want to go easy on the coffee that morning), it will be a shortened service (probably a few songs, a short message, a closing song)
  • if you are not comfortable coming, for any reason, please stay home (the message will be prerecorded, as we have been doing, and will be available that morning on the website)
  • since this is an unusual time and people’s hearts are open, I want to encourage you to invite as many people as you can to come (especially those family members, neighbors, workmates and schoolmates that do not normally go to church, but might try a drive-in service)
  • we will get more information out later in the week after we test the equipment that will send out an FM signal so that you can hear the message on your radio
  • we will also get out information about traffic flow, parking instructions, etc.

If you still have questions, please contact the church office tomorrow and we will try to answer them.  Until then, pray that this comes together, that our people are blessed, that guests come and receive truth, and that the Lord is honored.

Finally, I also mention at the end of the message a 2-part sermon that I preached a couple of years ago.  We have not been able to pull it out of the archives yet, so I have attached my sermon notes for you to read if this is something you are interested in.

Love and miss you folks.  Take care.

In Him,

Pastor Bill

Bill Gowder

Lead Pastor

First Baptist Church Friendsville

bill@fbcfriendsville.com

(865)995-2130