Author: Rob Paul

October 4th is a day that many of us have awaited since March 15th. We are excited to announce the return to small groups (Sunday School). All adult classes will meet on the third floor of the A Building. Preschool and children will meet in their previously assigned room located in the music suite.

Sunday School will start at 9:30. The building will be opened at 9:15. We will continue to follow the protocols which have been in place since we returned to gathered worship in June. Everyone should plan to park in the worship center parking lot and enter through the worship center doors. Doors to the stairwells in the A Building will be propped open. If you require use of the elevator, we ask that only one person or family unit be on board at the time. Please follow social distancing and wear a face covering while moving through the building.

Classroom Assignments and Procedures

Room 310A

• Linda Word Class – Assembly Area
• Auston Young Class – Room 1
• Armstrong/Tanner/Worthington Classes –  Room 3

Room 320A

• Jack Green Class – Room 1
• Jim Dawson Class – Room 2
• Ed Wright/Steve Courson Classes – Room 3

Room 310A

• Linda Smith Class – Room 1
• Hasan Muhamad/Don Hazard Class – Room 2

If the class you normally attend is not listed, please contact the office. We will be happy to help you find a substitute group. Each room will be setup to maintain appropriate social distancing. Please do not move or add chairs. We highly recommend masks for everyone in the room. Individual groups that choose to make exceptions should consider the overall desires of those in attendance. Room assignments may change depending on attendance patterns and room capacity.

Deacon Nominations

Between now and October 31st, each member of Huffman Baptist Church is encouraged to nominate up-to twelve (12) church members for consideration to serve as Deacons. This is the first year of our updated selection process. Accordingly, the term of all current deacons will end on December 31, 2020. All active and inactive deacons are eligible to serve in 2021 provided they are nominated, meet the qualifications, and agree to serve. Nomination forms can be found on the church website or in the church office.

Ministry Partnerships

October will bring us another opportunity to make Jesus known across the street. We are partnering with Kingdom Family to assist families with food boxes. The utility companies will resume disconnecting services for non-payment in the month of October. We are taking names of families to provide food to enable families to use money from their food budget to pay their utility bills. Food boxes will include meats, fruits, vegetables and other nutritious items. Space is limited. If you know someone from our neighborhood who needs help, please ask them to call 205-407-7016. If you would like to volunteer, let me know.

On August 17 our pastoral staff met with our lay leadership council to discuss the post-Covid church. We are hopeful those days are not too far away. As we reimagined the post-Covid church, we evaluated and recommitted ourselves to Vision 2025, which the church adopted back in January. We believe that it states Jesus’ plan for HBC:

To become a family of churches who are sending transformed people to make Jesus known across the street and around the world.

The post-Covid church will be different from the pre-Covid church. We will continue many of the practices that were started these past six months. We will make use of technology. We will enhance our partnerships with other churches as we make Jesus known. And we will lead church members to become disciple-making disciples.

As we slowly return to some sense of normal, we want to focus on three areas: Gather. Grow. Go.

Gather

Gathering for corporate worship is the single most important thing that we do as a church. That’s why we never stopped worshiping together, even when we were “quarantined” at home. That’s why in-person worship was the first thing we added back to our calendar back in June. And it is why gathered worship is where we are focusing most of our energy as we move towards normal.

During August we modified our Gathered Worship Protocol and began standing while singing. Starting the first Sunday of September we will give worship attenders the choice to remove their face coverings during the preaching portion of the service. We will reserve the back half of the worship center for those who wish to wear their masks for the entire service and be around others who are doing the same. Everyone will continue to wear face coverings during the other portions of the service. Sometime during the month of September we anticipate adding a limited number of choir members in the loft.

Grow

The second purpose of the church is to make disciples who make disciples. We grow in groups. Throughout the pandemic many of our groups have continued to meet online. We are now allowing groups to meet in the Church Parlor. Requests are handled on a first-come, first-served basis with priority given to monthly gatherings of our Sunday School classes. Events have a two hour limit and must begin between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. Contact the Administration office or complete the online Request Meeting Space form to request a reservation.

We anticipate resuming Sunday School on a limited basis in October! We will meet with our Sunday School teachers in the next week or so to determine who is willing to teach. We will follow our Covid Protocol including social distancing and wearing masks. Stay tuned for more details.

Go

Being salt and light is the third purpose of the church. And I am so proud of our church for continuing to serve even during the pandemic. In our August Family Meeting, Linda Johnson reported that We Sew Love delivered its eighteen thousandth mask since March! That’s amazing! And so many of our members have gotten involved in serving this way. Back in May we collected 2020 pounds of food for the Christian Service Mission.

Beginning September 8th we have another opportunity to make Jesus known across the street. Working with Kingdom Family, we will provide Remote Education Support for up to 40 children in grades K-8. As you may know, the Birmingham City Schools will begin the school year completely online. Many of these children do not have sufficient internet access or parental supervision during. We are hiring teacher aids to manage and monitor the classrooms, but we also need volunteers. If you are willing and able to serve an hour or two a week, please email me at info@huffmanbaptist.org.

I am excited about what God is doing at Huffman Baptist Church!

“For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another” (Galatians 5:13-16).

On July 4th we will celebrate the 244th birthday of our beloved United States of America. A nation that was birthed with the revolutionary idea that “All men are created equal, and they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness” (Declaration of Independence). It took revolution against the British Empire to establish independence. And it has taken nearly two-and-one-half centuries to pursue the full extent of “liberty and justice for all.” We have come a long way. But we still have a way to go.

As followers of Jesus we have a freedom that goes beyond government guarantee. We have a freedom that was bought with the price of Jesus’ blood. As Paul wrote, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). Of course, Paul is referring to freedom from slavery to sin. A freedom that also makes us citizens of Heaven.

I am proud to be an American. I believe that in spite of our many faults, this is the greatest country on earth. But sometimes, I can get my perspective out of whack. I place more value on being a citizen of the USA than on being a citizen of God’s Kingdom. Vance Havner said, “If you are a Christian you are not a citizen of this world trying to get to heaven; you are a citizen of heaven making your way through this world.” That’s perspective!

Independence

Freedom releases us from dependence. For the fledgling American colonies in 1776 that was freedom from dependence on Britain. For believers it is freedom from dependence on sin and and self. But as Paul wrote in Galatians 5:13, our freedom in Christ is not to fulfill the desires of the flesh. We are no longer dependent. But it is unwise, if not sinful, to become totally independent. We are made to live in community with others. And by necessity that means my rights, my independence, must be balanced with the greater good.

Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).

Responsibility

The year 2020 has challenged much of what we have understood about freedom and independence. For three months we suspended gathered functions as a church. And even as we have begun to regather, we have done so with the utmost attention to our responsibility to be good neighbors.

We had hoped to be in position to return to Wednesday night gatherings during the month of July. But as the number of Covid-19 cases per day continues to rise in Jefferson County, we believe the responsible course of action is to hold off a while longer. Our Leadership Council will evaluate the situation in early July and keep you updated.

In the meantime, we will continue to hold our mid-week prayer service online via Zoom and Facebook. We will also continue gathering on Sunday mornings for worship at 10:30, following the Return to Gathered Worship Protocol. And we are excited to announce that sometime in July we will transition from a pre-recorded online worship experience to a true live-stream of the Sunday morning worship service. We are awaiting word from our vendor concerning an installation date for the equipment that will make this possible.

I hope that you will join me in thanking God for the freedom that we have in Christ as well as the freedom that we have as Americans. I also hope that you will join me in advancing the American dream of “liberty and justice for all.” We have come a long way in the past 244 years. But we still have a way to go.

Revised August 23, 2020

As we anticipate returning to gathered worship on June 7^th your Leadership Council has developed the following protocol for the safety and reassurance of our members and attenders. Even though June 7^th is several weeks away, we are releasing this information today so that you will have sufficient time to become familiar with the Return to Worship Protocol and plan accordingly.

Please note that this protocol is based on what we know right now and is subject to modification as more information becomes available. On Friday, May 8^th, Governor Ivey lifted the portion of the public health order that restricted non-work gatherings to 10 people or less. This action makes it possible for us to proceed with our plans for returning to gathered worship.

We will follow all applicable state, county and city guidelines when returning to gathered worship. Please note, the City of Birmingham currently requires the use of masks or other face-coverings when in a public venue. You will be required to wear an appropriate face-covering while on our campus. The Birmingham City Ordinance has expired. We are currently under a statewide Health Order that exempts churches from compliance. We will continue to require face coverings except during the preaching portion of the worship service.

For those who are in an at-risk category or who are unable or uncomfortable returning to gathered worship at this time, we will continue to provide the modified on-line worship experience. If you are showing any symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, fever, chills, muscle pain, sore throat, or loss of taste or smell) or have been around someone who is sick, please continue participating in our on-line service until you have been tested, cleared, and pose no obvious health concern for others.

As previously announced, all other services and activities on our campus are cancelled until further notice. As the pandemic subsides and other restrictions are lifted, we will complete and implement other phases of the reopening plan. Visit our church website at huffmanbaptist.org for the latest updates. We are exploring the possibility of resuming on-campus Sunday School classes in October and will provide updates when they are available.

• Parking
  1. We will reserve the Welcome Center parking lot for those who require use of the elevator.
  2. All others should park in the Worship Center lot or one of the Recreation Center lots.
  3. Because the ability to visit in the Worship Center will be limited, we encourage you to visit with one another in the parking lot while maintaining social distancing.

• Enter via Worship Center and Welcome Center doors.
  1. The Worship Center and Welcome Center doors will open at 10:00. All other doors will be secured.
  2. The Welcome Center entrance is reserved for worshipers who require use of the elevator.
  3. For others who are not comfortable or who cannot climb the stairs, we encourage you to use the ramps at the front of the Worship Center. Please use the handrails for your safety.
  4. We ask that you maintain appropriate social distancing as you approach the entrance.
  5. We will have three Greeters at the Worship Center doors and two at the Welcome Center.
     • Our Greeters will wear facemasks and gloves and will open the door for you.
     • If a Greeter is not available to open the door for you, please wait for one to return or proceed to another door that has a Greeter present.
  6. As a matter of utmost caution, someone will scan your temperature and gently turn you away if you have a temperature of 99.5 or higher.
  7. Since our goal is to provide you with a “no-contact” entrance into the worship center, we will have no bulletins to hand out.
  8. We will have hand sanitizing stations inside the Worship Center and Welcome Center lobbies for you to use prior to entering the Worship Center.

• Hallways, bathrooms, and the elevator.
  1. If you must use a hallway, please follow social distancing protocols by maintaining six feet of separation.
  2. Bathrooms on the first floor of the A Building, the Choir Suite, and the Fellowship Hall will be opened for emergency use.
     • We ask that no more than one person be inside the restroom at the time, unless it is absolutely necessary.
     • Please wash your hands upon entering the restroom and prior to leaving.
     • Bathrooms will be cleaned and disinfected prior to the service.
     • Bathrooms will not be cleaned or disinfected during the service.
  3. We will limit the elevator to those who must use it and to one person or family at a time.

• Worship Center
  1. We will have two hosts inside the Worship Center to assist worshipers with understanding and following these guidelines.
  2. We will not have children’s church until further notice. Families will need to sit together.
  3. Every-other pew will be closed to seating in order to maintain appropriate distancing.
  4. The transepts and balconies will be closed to general seating. Members of the worship team and their families may sit in the lower transepts as long as they follow social distancing protocols.
  5. Hymnals and pew Bibles have been removed from the racks and placed in the seats of closed pews. Please do not handle them.
  6. The knitted shawls have been taken to the cleaners and will be stored for future use.
  7. Sit beginning at the ends of the pews that are open with everyone maintaining six feet of separation from others except those who reside in the same household.
  8. We will greet one another with a holy wave (no physical contact).
     • We want you to enjoy conversations with one another from your seats.
     • Only the church staff, worship team, greeters, and worship center hosts should be walking around inside the Worship Center.
  9. Our Greeters will prop open the exit doors at the end of the service so that you may leave the Worship Center with no contact.
     • We will dismiss in an orderly manner, much like we left the cafeteria when we were in elementary school (except we won’t be holding hands}.
     • Following the service, ushers will be stationed at the exit doors to receive your tithes and offerings without contact.
     • Please use the handrails as necessary for your safety as you leave.
  10. Please visit with one another in the parking lot as you maintain appropriate distancing.

Huffman Baptist Church and Kingdom Family Christian Fellowship collected 2020 pounds of food on Monday, May 18th!

For the past two months, Kingdom Family has been distributing food boxes from the Christian Service Mission to neighborhood families in need. This is our chance to participate in that incredible ministry by helping to restock the warehouse at the Christian Service Mission.

On the 18th we asked members and friends of Huffman Baptist Church and Kingdom Family Christian Fellowship to bring specific food items to the Recreation Center Drive Through between the hours of 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. We asked. And you came. And kept on coming. By the time we loaded up the busses to deliver the food to Christian Service Mission, you had brought 2020 pounds of food. That’s enough food to feed 37 families in our community!

Christian Service Mission partners with churches and organizations to build healthy communities that reflect oneness with Christ in our city. During the COVID-19 crisis, they have assisted churches and organizations across Birmingham in serving more than 5,000 families through food distribution. To find out more about CSM, visit their website at https://csmission.org/

Thank you friends and members of HBC and KFCF.

When can we gather again? Our Leadership Council is meeting regularly to answer that question. We want to care well for our church family and our neighbors. We also want to submit to our governing authorities. Because of that we don’t know for sure when we will gather again.

As you know, our church family includes people who fall into multiple at-risk categories. Caring well for everyone means that we must take the time to ensure that the gathered worship experience is safe. For that reason, our return to gathering on-campus will take place in phases. I want to share with you what we know right now about the first two phases. Keep in mind that much of what I am sharing with you today will likely look different when we finally return to 700 Huffman Road.

Phase 1 | Preparation | May

As I mentioned in Sunday morning’s message, we are figuring out what living in an on-going CoViD-19 world looks like. Our facilities staff is working diligently to complete projects they started during the shut-down and to prepare the campus for reentry. The entire campus has been cleaned and sanitized and will be again prior to our reopening.

For the past month-and-a-half we have relied on our Sunday School classes and informal church networks to keep everyone connected, to communicate, and to meet ministry needs. With an extended time of social isolation and only a tentative return date, we will implement in May a more formal plan to reach out to our membership. During the month of May either a deacon, a staff member, or someone else from the church will contact every family which had active members or regular attenders prior to March 13. We will be asking you at least four questions:

1. How are you doing?
2. How can I pray for you?
3. Do you need anything?
4. Are you able to connect with the online worship services?

Phase 2 | Return to Campus | Begins June 7

We anticipate beginning Phase 2 on the first Sunday of June but that date depends upon our ability to meet all guidelines issued by Governor Ivey’s office as well as the Alabama Department of Public Health, the Jefferson County Health Department, and the City of Birmingham once they are announced. We will post updates as needed during the month and in the June edition of The Source.

Under our current plans, Phase 2 will only involve Sunday morning worship services. All other activities and gatherings will remain cancelled until further notice. As the pandemic subsides and our civil authorities release the restrictions, we will begin to implement other phases of our plan.

We are excited about the possibility of returning to gathered worship. But as you would expect, it will not be worship as usual. We will implement a social distancing plan as well as other safeguards for the health and well-being of our members and neighbors. We will communicate these details in the June edition of The Source and post them on our website.

In the meantime, I hope that you are able to connect to our “live” stream worship on Sunday mornings. The links are available on the website, Facebook and YouTube. If you need help, let us know. Keep praying for HBC at 7:00 every morning. Keep reading the Bible daily. And keep praying for, investing in, inviting, and sharing with your One! Know that I love you and look forward to seeing each of you, once again!

NOTE: This article was written for my website where I offer encouragement and resources for pastors. I share it here to give you insight into the crazy life of your pastor. Thank you for your continued prayers for your church staff. Please pray that God would guard our hearts!

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What do you do when your best doesn’t feel good enough? Over the past six weeks, I have talked to numerous pastors and other church leaders who are struggling with this question. These leaders are dealing with circumstances they never imagined. And for which we were not prepared.

The Comparison Trap

Ministry has always lent itself to comparisons. We preacher-types gather with other preacher-types on a Monday morning and ask the question, “How was yesterday?” This question appears in many different forms. “How many did you have in attendance?” “How was your offering?” “Did you have any baptisms?” The questions are innocent. But for a pastor whose church is not growing. Those questions often lead to a feeling that “My best doesn’t feel good enough.”

And that’s during “normal” days. Now, all of the sudden, we are all thrown into the world of online church. We scrambled to make the best of it. We put forth a great effort. But the online production of my church can not compare to the online production of a larger church. We don’t have the equipment. And we don’t have the manpower. Still, I find myself wanting to keep up. I want to present a finished product that is at least “good.”

My Best Effort

Perhaps that is why yesterday was so frustrating for me. I am writing this on Sunday after the airing of our fifth online worship service. Each week, we have improved the quality of our production. And I am grateful for that. This past week we added a personal touch. Our staff recorded videos at their homes welcoming our folks to worship and offering encouragement. It was incredible!

As I worked on the content of the message during the week, I grew more and more excited. I believed that God could use my feeble efforts to make a difference in someone’s life. I also began thinking about the “filming”  process. Lighting. Staging. Etc. I planned to video on my back porch where I’ve been doing some Facebook Live prayer meetings on Wednesday nights. It’s a great space, but the lighting is iffy.

I finished writing the sermon on Friday. And Saturday morning I set up my studio (see the picture attached to this article). I borrowed Melanie’s lamp that she uses in her sewing room. I bought a new external microphone. It looks totally bootlegged. But I felt pretty creative.

Once the set was set, I put on a clean and pressed shirt. Yes, it was untucked. And yes, I was wearing jeans and running shoes. I made sure the cameras were in the right position. Readjusted the lighting. And started to “preach.” I think it was the best delivery I have ever had of a sermon. And I know God would have used it in mighty ways. If I had actually pressed the record button!  It’s okay to laugh at me here. I laughed at myself.

No worries. It was just a warmup. Take 2 would be even better. And it was. I maintained more eye contact with the camera. The lighting was unbelievable. I even remembered to press the record button!

Not Good Enough

After lunch, I started editing the video and adding it to the rest of the service. That involved separating the welcome from the pastoral prayer and the sermon. Adding subtitles. Everything was coming together incredibly well. I felt like our “product” would be almost as good as churches with way more resources.

And that’s when my editing software sent a message. “You are almost out of disk space.” Still, I finished the edit and started to upload the video. That’s when I got another message. There is not enough memory to complete this task. I panicked. By this point I had spent about five hours setting up, recording and editing.

In my panic, I made a horribly bad decision. I started deleting files from my hard drive to free-up space. Sounds logical, right? I started with videos that were already saved in other locations. No need for duplicates when you need the space. And then…

I deleted the recording of the message. I deleted it. And then emptied the trash. I read the warning. Are you sure you want to empty the trash. Files will be permanently deleted. No problem, I had already imported it into my software. And now I would have the space to upload the finished worship service.

Some of you already know what happened next. I went back to the video software. And I saw empty video frames where my sermon had been before. And another message. Source file can not be located. Well, of course it can’t. I deleted it. PERMANENTLY! I’m not gonna lie. I cried.

Not Good Enough – Part 2

What do you do when your best doesn’t feel good enough? You start over. I quickly set the stage for round three. Lighting. Sound. Location. It wasn’t the same. But it wasn’t horrible either. I decided to go with one camera. Trying to sync two had been a major frustration. And then I pressed record.

I use Zoom to record from my computer. It’s a good product. And it provides an option. Record to your computer, which I had done before. Or record to the cloud. I recorded to the cloud to save disk space on my laptop. The recording went well. Not as good as before. But not too bad, either.

And then I went back to editing. And that’s when I saw the next problem. Recording to the cloud meant using the internet. And apparently my connection wasn’t great. The video was fuzzy. The audio wasn’t synced with the video. It was horrible.

Not Good Enough – Part 3

What do you do when your best doesn’t feel good enough, again? You don’t start over. By this point I was frustrated. And I was resigned to the fact that the finished product wasn’t going to be “good.” So I edited again. But I kept getting the messages. “Memory is running low.” I pressed on. I finished the edit. And uploaded the video to the cloud. I watched it before uploading to YouTube. The video froze about 2/3 of the way in. The same point where the “low memory” message had appeared. It was 9:00 PM, and I had nothing to show for twelve hours of work!

Revealing My Heart

At that point God spoke to me. Not in an audible voice. But clearly. I had made preparation of the worship service about my gratification. I wanted to compare favorably with others. And I wanted my church members to be proud of our efforts. God showed me the ugly side of my heart. The side that is prideful. I had been short with Melanie. I had thought ugly words towards my computer. How dumb is that?

I found a way to get the video finished and uploaded to YouTube about midnight. You can watch it here. I asked God to forgive me and to use my best efforts for his glory and for the good of his people. And I joined my wonderful faith family online at 10:30 this morning. I have also apologized to my sweet wife!

Your Best is Good Enough

Fellow pastors. I hope my experience can be a blessing to you. If nothing else, you can laugh at me from a distance as you imagine my day! But I’m guessing someone else is thinking that my best doesn’t feel good enough.  Be encouraged. God doesn’t even ask for you best. He just asks you to be faithful and obedient.

We will keep working to improve our “production.” But I am not a video expert. I am a preacher of the gospel. And that’s what really matters!

 

All on-campus gatherings of Huffman Baptist Church are suspended until further notice. Please check back for updates. In the meantime, this is your complete guide to staying connected to your church family during this time that we are not together. If anyone needs help with using technology, please contact the church office, and we will be happy to assist you.

How to Contact the Church Office

• Fill out the contact form on our Contact Page.
• Email info@huffmanbaptist.org
• Call the church office. NOTE: During this time many of us are primarily working remotely; however, staff will periodically check their voicemails. Follow the prompts from our automated operator.

How To Worship Online

• Access the streaming video on Sunday mornings at 10:30 AM using one of three ways:
  • Our Online Worship Page
  • Our YouTube Channel – Accessing through YouTube gives you the opportunity to interact via the chat feature during the “live” stream.
  • Our Facebook Page
• Click the Play Button in the Video Box.
• Wait for the video to start
• The worship service will continue to be available for playback on the website until the next “live” service.
• Past sermons are archived on our YouTube Channel and can be accessed from the Sermon Page on our website.
• For a DVD of the service contact the church office.

How to Financially Support the Ongoing Ministry of HBC

While we are not gathering together for worship or small groups, the ministry of Huffman Baptist Church is ongoing. We appreciate the steady support of our faithful givers.

• Give online by visiting our Online Giving Page.
• Give via text message. Details at https://huffmanbaptist.org/give/ 
• Download our giving app. Details at https://huffmanbaptist.org/give/
• Leave your offering in the drop box located in the Welcome Center driveway. You don’t even have to get out of your car.
• Old Fashioned Mail –

Finance Office

Huffman Baptist Church

700 Huffman Road

Birmingham, AL 35215

How to Participate in Invite Your One

• Continue praying for your one using the 30-Day Prayer Guide.
• Check on your one and ask how you can pray for them during this crisis.
• Invite your one to worship with us online. Then follow up to see if he or she has any questions.
• Be prepared to share the gospel using the 3 Circles Tool. You can find an explanation in the Gospel Opportunities sermon on our YouTube channel.
• When the crisis is over and we resume gathered worship, be sure to invite your one to join you!

How to Pray for One Another

• Request prayer or an updated prayer list by emailing prayer@huffmanbaptist.org
• Contact your Sunday School teacher to connect with your class prayer ministry

How to Volunteer to Serve

• Email info@huffmanbaptist.org
• Visit our Contact Page and complete the form.
• Visit the We Sew Love group page on Facebook for opportunities to participate in the Face Mask Project.

How to Meet Together Online

We suggest that you check out Zoom, an online meeting platform that allows for up to 100 people to participate in a video meeting for up to 40 minutes without charge. We are using this platform for staff meetings and committee meetings. And at least one Sunday School class is using Zoom for to stay connected.

 

 

Dear Church Family,

This morning our senior leadership met to discuss our next steps going forward. In light of the best information we have received from federal, state and local officials, and with an abundance of caution for the health and well-being of our church family and our broader community, we made the difficult decision to cancel all on-campus gatherings through March 31st.

While we are cancelling all on-campus gatherings, we are not cancelling church. We will continue to be the church on mission to make Jesus known across the street and around the world. Here are some of the ways we will continue to be the church:

• Worship – Even though we will not worship together at 700 Huffman Road, we will air a video worship on the next two Sundays at 10:30 AM via our Facebook Page (@HuffmanBaptist)  God is good and is worthy of our praise!
• Pray – Pray for our leaders. Pray for those who are sick. Pray for those who may be lonely.
• Check on Others – With today’s technology it is easy to check on friends, neighbors, family, etc. I am hopeful that all of our Sunday School classes will keep in touch with every member, especially those in nursing homes and homebound.
• Live with Faith – This outbreak has not caught God by surprise. May we have the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who knew that God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace. But whose faith was firm, even if God did not deliver them (Daniel 3:16-18).
• Share the Gospel – This crisis provides opportunities for us to engage people’s fear and brokenness with the life-giving message of the gospel. In today’s message, I taught a simple gospel presentation that you can use to share with those who are fearful during this global pandemic. It will be available on the website by Tuesday afternoon.
• Give – Please continue to give your tithes and offerings so that we can continue to make Jesus known across the street and around the world. If you are not able to attend, you can mail your contribution or drop it by the office (unless you are sick) during regular business hours. We are also working on the possibility of providing online giving options.
• Stay informed – We will keep you updated on the latest at HBC via our website and Facebook page. But keep up with reputable news services and the CDC updates.
• Be kind and helpful – As testing increases, confirmed cases will also increase. Don’t panic. Be vigilant. Be smart. Be kind. Be helpful. This is real. But so is God.

The church calendar will be updated in the next two days to reflect our current reality. While there will be no on-campus gatherings or activities, your church staff will continue to work and be available. Let us know if you need anything. We are praying for one another.

 

Church Family,

Wow, the past forty-eight hours have been incredible with announcement after announcement related to COVID-19. This morning, the Alabama Department of Public Health announced the first case in our state and the number continues to grow.

National, state, and local officials have asked that we avoid large gatherings in an effort to prevent additional risk. While our Sunday gatherings are smaller than the threshold set by health officials, we have a disproportionate number of members who fall into the “at-risk” population.

In light of this information, I met with our senior leadership Friday afternoon to consider our next steps. It is our decision at this time to continue with our regularly scheduled Sunday School and worship services this Sunday, March 15^th with the following precautions:

1. If you have any flu-like symptoms, please stay home. These include fever, cough and shortness of breath. For more information visit the Centers for Disease Control website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
2. Please refrain from shaking hands or hugging.

Our leadership team will meet again Sunday morning to determine our response going forward. In the meantime, this crisis presents us with tremendous opportunities to…

• Live with faith instead of fear (Philippians 4:6-7). This outbreak has not caught God by surprise. May we have the faith of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who knew that God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace and from the hand of Nebuchadnezzar. But even if he did not deliver them, they would stand firm in their faith (Daniel 3:16-18).
• This crisis also provides some amazing gospel opportunities. We will talk more about this Sunday morning, but continue to live as those who are sent across the street and around the world. These are uncertain times, but we serve an unchanging God. Listen to your friends and family. Pray for them. Have gospel conversations.
• If you are a regular giver, please continue to be faithful to support our ongoing ministry at HBC, even if you are out for one or more Sundays. When you continue to give, your financial support allows us to continue making Jesus known across the street and around the world. You can give by mail or you may bring your tithes and offerings to the church office during regular business hours (unless you are sick).
• If you have to miss a Sunday, we will have sermons up on the website by the following Tuesday afternoon. All of the messages are gospel centered, so invite others to watch!

Now would be a good time for all of our members to connect with each other and with our larger church family via social media. We anticipate making this Sunday’s service available online from our Facebook page:

Know that we are praying for you, and we ask you to join us in trusting God’s presence, plan and provision in the days ahead.