COVID-19 information page for gbc family


If joining us in person:

Please refer to the important information below concerning our Sunday services, which has been determined after careful consideration by our elders following the guidance of medical professionals. We ask that these be followed with graciousness and love as we seek to demonstrate the love of Christ to those around us:


WHO SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS OF ATTENDING SUNDAY SERVICES?

We encourage those with compromised health situations to be cautious. 

This includes, but is not limited to, those 60 and older, those with cancer, uncontrollable diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, immune compromised, or congestive heart failure.

If you are uncertain, you may discuss your situation with Dr. John Galdamez.

If you have any illness symptoms, you should not attend.



PLEASE FOLLOW THESE SAFETY GUIDELINES WHEN WE MEET TOGETHER:

  • Please be mindful of others' comfort level with social distancing.
  • The service is held in the sanctuary and is also live-streamed in the Gym, located behind the church in the southwest corner of the parking lot. In the Gym masks are required for the entire length of service.
  • Face masks are optional for everyone in the sanctuary; masks are encouraged for anyone participating in times of singing.

  • The church has masks available for those who do not have their own.

  • There should be at least 6 feet of space between groups that do not live together while inside the building.  
  • There is a Children's Church class offered after the singing portion of the worship service for ages 2-4 years.  We will provide pew activities that correspond with the sermon message for all other kids in a Quiet Bag full of age-appropriate activities. Please leave the toys and coloring utensils in the bag, and then the bag in your seat, each week to be refilled. All of our printable kids' activities can be found at Grace Baptist Church | Children's At-Home Resources (gbctahlequah.org)

Philippians 4:4–7 - "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. [5] Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; [6] do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. [7] And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (ESV)

How to Prepare for Sunday Worship at Home:

1. Begin Sunday Morning Worship on Saturday evening.

 

Go to bed on time. Remind your kids how important Sunday worship is with your church family, and that even though we can’t meet together this week, tomorrow is still a special day to worship God and hear from His Word.

 

Plan ahead. GBC will begin a Facebook livestream at 10:30am sharp. So before that, start with a short time of prayer, and determine when you’ll begin that before the sermon.

 

For families with little kids: Bring quiet toys into the room for your littlest children, like blocks and crayons with paper. Download printables for your school-aged children (either to print or to edit in a photo editing app). Taking 5 minutes to look at and download these things on Saturday night will help your time go more smoothly on Sunday morning.

 

2. Wake Up with a Purpose.

 

Even though you’re not meeting with us in person for corporate worship, it is still the Lord’s Day. This is a special day to worship God together, hear from His Word together, and encourage one another together. The only difference is that it will be just your family, not your “church” family.”

 

Use your time getting ready for the day to glorify God (1 Cor.10:31), and especially to prepare your hearts for worship.

 

Remove distractions. This might (or probably) means leaving your phone in another room (unless that is how you are streaming the service). Be there to worship God, not pass the time on social media.

 

3. Worship God through Prayer.

 

Corporate Worship should also be a time of encouraging your church family (Col.3:16; 1 Cor.12:7). We’re in a great time of need. You may not be able to meet the needs of your church family in person or encourage them in person, but you can pray for your local church family and the universal Church.

 

4. Worship God through the Reading and Teaching of the Word.

 

Read the passage of Scripture together before you listen to the sermon livestream. There is usually a kid-friendly video of the sermon text that your family could also view before or after the livestream on the Children's At-Home Resources. Then listen attentively with your family. Take notes if that helps. Have your children work on the printables you downloaded earlier. Follow along in your Bibles. Model how to actively listen to your children.

 

When the livestream is over, take a few minutes to talk about the sermon with your family. Ask your kids what stood out to them. Ask if they have any questions about what they heard.

 

Talk about a few simple ways you can practically apply the truths of the passage to your personal lives this week. Then pray for God to help you live out those truths, and encourage one another in them throughout the week. 

Ministry Opportunity

Would you like a ministry opportunity during these trying times? Send a message of encouragement to our local health care workers to lift their spirits. You can make your note to an individual, a department, or the workers in general. Let them know you appreciate their dedication and hard work. Send your emails to "encouragement@NHS-OK.org."


Proverbs 10:11a - "The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life." (ESV)


Posted 4/1/2020

grocery shopping & errands

GBC Family,
If you are over 60 or are immune-compromised, we have folks that can run errands for you. Please contact Ryan or Shelly and we will gladly help get this lined up. (3/20/2020)

pursuing unity in a time of isolation

Proverbs 18:1 says “Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire; he breaks out against all sound judgment.”

How do we fulfill the call to oneness in our local church while also remaining in self-isolation during a global pandemic?

Here are four practical ways that you can BE THE CHURCH while also exercising wisdom during this COVID-19 crisis:

1) Stay in the Word.

While your work and personal schedules have been altered, use any extra down time to feast on the Word of God. Let the Bible be the topic of conversation in your homes (Josh. 1:8; Deut. 6:4-9; Matt. 4:4). Use this time to actively grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18).

2) Help Your Pastors Shepherd You.

Give your pastors grace in this time. Remember that they, like you, have never faced a situation like this. Your pastors/elders are prayerfully seeking to shepherd you in way that they have never had to before. If you have questions, reach out to them and ask. Be patient with them as they seek to determine God’s will in this time.

This also means letting your pastors know if/when you have a need, whether spiritual or physical (James 5:14).

And perhaps most importantly, pray for them! Pray for their holiness. Pray for protection from temptation and despair. Pray for strength and grace for them. Pray that God would give them discernment to shepherd their church family with faithfulness and wisdom.

3) Be Intentional with Your Church - Right Now!

Don’t use this time as an excuse to put church life on hold. Find new ways to intentionally grow closer with your church family.

Talk to and encourage your church family through appropriate channels by calling, texting, or Facetime. Point your church family to Jesus. Talk about God’s Word together (1 Thess. 5:11; Col. 3:16; Eph. 4:29).

We’re still trying to figure out the best ways for our Community Groups at Grace Baptist Church to stay involved in each other’s lives through formal Community Group meetings. But in the meantime, talk to other members about the sermon you (hopefully) watched or listened to online last week.

Call church members who live alone or have limited resources. Check in on elderly church members and find a way to serve them while also using wisdom and caution by practicing Social Distancing.

Check in on young singles and college students who are in self-isolation by themselves and let them know you’re thinking about them and praying for them.

4) Pray Hard!

Our loving God holds all things in His hands – from the cosmic level down to the microscopic. Pray for God to move through medical professionals to stop this pandemic soon (Psalm 127:1; James 5:16-18).

Pray that God will use this difficult situation to bring glory to Himself (Matthew 6:10), to give you greater faith in Him (Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4), and to refine and strengthen His Church.


A Message from the president of the southern baptist convention

In this video from JD Greear, the president of the Southern Baptist Convention, we are reminded of comforting theological truths, and encouraged with practical ideas for us as members of local churches during the COVID-19 crisis. 

Click here to watch the 9-minute video.