Dear Church Family:
As you know, America is in serious trouble today. Cities are being burned and looted as angry mobs protest the heinous and criminal actions of a few. As a result, just and upstanding law enforcement officers are at risk. Hardworking store owners are at risk. Innocent bystanders are at risk. Make no mistake, racism is a despicable evil that desperately needs to be eradicated from America. The lawlessness must stop immediately, however. Perpetrators must be held accountable for their actions. Conversations must begin and personal responsibility must be taken so that true healing can ensue.
You may have wondered through it all, “Well, what can I do about it?” The answer is PRAY!
This Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m., I am calling our church together for the purpose of prayer. We want to put 2 Chronicles 7:14 into practice, “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Please join us in the gym (overflow in the Atrium) as we call upon the Lord in repentance and supplication. We can make a difference because God hears the prayers of His children. As the psalmist said, “I Love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live” (Psalm 116:1-2).
I hope to see you Wednesday night for an important time of prayer.
Love,
Pastor Jeff
Church Reconstruction Update:
WE ARE EXCITED TO BE WORSHIPING TOGETHER AGAIN, at 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
* For your safety, if you are deemed "at risk" according to CDC guidelines or don't feel safe going out in public yet, please stay home for now and watch via live streaming at 10:30. We want you to be wise and remain healthy!
Update for Saturday, May 16
Update for Monday, May 4
Update for Tuesday, April 28
Update for Friday, April 24
A Look What Has Happened...
Update for Monday - April 21:
Update for Monday - April 13:
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Update for Thursday - April 9:
Update for Tuesday - April 7:
Update for Saturday - April 4:
Update for Friday - April 3:
Update for Tuesday - March 31:
Update for Saturday - March 28:
Update for Friday - March 27:
Update for Monday - March 24:
Update for Saturday - March 21:
Update for Thursday - March 19:
Update for Monday - March 16:
Update for Saturday - March 14:
Dear Church Family,
Olin Owens, Grace Graham, Chris Schroeder, Marcus Bellamy and I met this afternoon with some medical professionals in our church—Dr. Troy Potter, Dr. Russell Mayo, Dr. Mark Gabbie, and NP Cara Cook. We convened around the subject of the Coronavirus and the prudent response our church needs to take to protect our members, attenders, and guests. After prayer and much discussion, it was determined by an 8 – 1 margin (who was the holdout?) that it would be wise to not gather tomorrow for church services.
Although I see the wisdom in this decision, I still hate it. Given the fire damage from last Sunday, I was greatly looking forward to being together as a church family to encourage one another in the Lord.
However, all is not lost. We will still live stream our service at 10:30 a.m. with the staff as an audience: www.fbctexarkana.org or First Baptist Texarkana Facebook Page. We will pray, worship, give online, and hear a Word from the Lord—WHEN DISASTER STRIKES (Habakkuk 3:16-19).
We will not meet for Tuesday Senior Adult Bible Study this coming week. We will make a determination concerning Wednesday night activities on Monday or Tuesday.
Please share this information with others in the church who may not be online or on email. We need to get the Word out ASAP.
Thanks for being such a great church. I am saddened by the events of this week, but I am determining to stay joyful and flexible—#JOYFLEX!
Love,
Pastor Jeff
Update for Friday - March 13:
Dear Church Family,
I am looking forward to Sunday so we can worship, pray, give thanks and be encouraged together! We will have two services at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. in the Atrium with overflow in the Gym (and Fusion if needed). There are no Bible Study Classes for this Sunday only. My message is titled, WHEN DISASTER STRIKES (Habakkuk 3:17-19). I think it will be a fitting subject for the circumstances surrounding us in our church and in the world.
As we begin this lengthy process of cleanup, demolition, and rebuilding, we want to be both joyful and flexible (#Joyflex tee shirts are on order) as God commands in James 1:2-3. Let’s model to the community and each other an attitude of gratitude and a countenance of committed faithfulness to our “Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.” FBC Texarkana is His church, and He will see us through.
ONE MORE THING
If you are sick or susceptible to respiratory issues, I would advise you to stay home and watch via live stream at www.fbctexarkana.org or the First Baptist Church Texarkana Facebook Page. (Note: We are convening a Coronavirus Task Force comprised of some medical professionals in our church to discuss and establish wise safety/health precautions, procedures, and policies for FBC moving forward.)
I hope to see you Sunday!
Love,
Pastor Jeff
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials (the church fire, Coronavirus, and stock market crash), knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:2-3
Update #2 for Thursday - March 12:
Dear Church Family,
We had a great time of prayer and encouragement last night as 600 of us gathered at the Texarkana Convention Center for our midweek service. Thank you to all who were able to participate and for all who could not come but are in prayer for the church.
Important things to note:
1. The Worship Center has significant and extensive smoke/soot damage and will have to be internally gutted and rebuilt (replacing the seats, carpet, walls, ceiling, sound panels, speakers, duct work, etc.). This will be a lengthy process, lasting an estimated 6 - 12 months. Please pray for God’s favor on this projected time frame. (Note: preliminary estimates on the organ and pipe cleanup is 18 months.)
2. Sunday Worship will take place using the Gym, Atrium, and Fusion Areas.
This Sunday only, March 15, we will have no Sunday School Classes. Services will be at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. in the Atrium with overflow in the Gym (and secondary overflow in Fusion). Children’s Worship will be at 10:30 in Kids U.
From Sunday, March 22 and following, we will have live worship in the Gym with overflow in the Atrium (and secondary overflow in Fusion). Note: the live streaming of the service along with the radio and TV broadcast will not be interrupted.
3. Our regular weekly activities will resume on Monday, March 16 with everything open except the West and Central Foyers and the Worship Center. Please do not try to poke your head in these areas as the air quality is very poor.
4. Saturday Night Prayer Time (6:30 p.m.) will move to the Atrium for this Saturday.
5. We are convening a Coronavirus task force in the next few days consisting of key staff and healthcare professionals to devise safe policies and procedures for the church moving forward. Remember, God wants us to be wise, not fearful.
6. Easter Weekend (April 10-12) is quickly approaching. Thanks to the generosity of Paul Norton and TISD, we will be meeting at the Sullivan Performing Arts Center on Summerhill Road. This beautiful facility has approximately 1000 seats, so we have added service times for Easter.
Good Friday Communion
One service at 7:00 p.m.
Easter Celebration (four service times with onsite childcare, birth - 4 years)
Saturday at 6:00 p.m.
Sunday at 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 a.m.
Note: Since we had 3500 in attendance on Easter 2019, we ask our members to try to come Saturday night or Sunday at 8:00 to free up space for guests coming at 9:30 and 11:00.
7. We are providing video updates on a regular basis via the FBC website and Facebook page to keep you current. We have introduced the word Joyflex during this time of loss, change, and transition. We want to be joyful (James 1:2-3) and flexible, trusting God to work this all for good every step of the way. Tee shirts are being made to use as a witnessing tool during this time in our church.
8. Please pray daily for Olin Owens. He is an amazing man and Facility Director par excellence. He is so critical to our clean up, demolition, and rebuilding process. Pray for health, safety, wisdom, and protection for him and his sweet wife Anita during this important time.
FBC Texarkana is a special church, filled with God’s blessings and favor. Thank you for being a wonderful congregation. We love and appreciate you!
Pastor Jeff
Update for Thursday - March 12:
VIdeo Update from Pastor Jeff and Debbie:
Update for Wednesday - March 11:
VIdeo Update from Pastor Jeff and Debbie:
Update for Monday - March 9:
Sunday afternoon fire broke out in the television and media offices and control rooms under the balcony in our worship center. Our state-of-the-art fire system performed as it was supposed to and the Texarkana, Texas Fire Department was on the scene in less than five minutes. Other departments soon arrived to help fight the fire. While the fire damage itself was contained in the area under the balcony and a part of the worship center, water and smoke damage is immense. Every surface in our entire facility is covered with a layer of black soot. The air quality in the entire complex is so bad that workers have to wear special masks.
The worship center is off limits and, while there is no set time, it could be several months before we are back in our regular worship setting.
Obviously we are having to make adjustments in our schedule and will modify it as we go through this process of cleaning, restoration, and rebuilding.
This Sunday, March 15th, we will have two worship services in our gym with overflow space in the Atrium. Times of the services will be at 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. This week only, there will be no Sunday School, only the two services.
Next week all regular activities will resume including Sunday School. We will maintain the two worship service schedule for the foreseeable future.
While our facility is damaged immensely, we are so grateful no one was injured and that the building was almost empty at the time the fire broke out.
We are so grateful for the incredible support from throughout our community. Walnut Church of Christ, Downtown First Baptist, and Williams Memorial United Methodist Church have graciously offered the use of their facilities if needed. Chapelwood and Texarkana Funeral Homes helped us reschedule two funerals which were scheduled for our facility on Monday. Texarkana College today sent lunch for those working in the buildings. The Daugherty family has graciously offered to let us use their facility for our Wednesday prayer meeting this week and other events which might require a meeting place.
And we are still overwhelmed by the determination, professionalism, and skill of our firemen who even stayed all night at the church to make sure there were no secondary flare ups. A BIG thank you to Texarkana, Texas Fire Department; Texarkana, Arkansas Fire Department; Wake Village Fire Department; Liberty Eylau Fire Department, C5 Fire Department, Pleasant Grove Fire Department, and Nash Fire Department. Additionally, the Hooks Fire Department and Cass County WSD #2 responded to cover the city during the fire operation. At least a dozen off duty fireman voluntarily came to support the efforts of their teammates. Also, we are grateful for the assistance of LifeNet EMS and the Texarkana, Texas Police Department. We have always loved our First Responders and that love has increased even more after this difficult experience.
First Baptist Church has been a light for the Lord in Texarkana for over 140 years. While the fire damaged our facility, the church of Jesus Christ is alive and well and continuing to impact our city and community with the love of God. As our church family regroups and rises to the occasion, we are praying God will get the glory for all of the wondrous miracles in the days ahead. Thank all of you for your concern, offers of assistance, and, most of all, your prayers. See you Sunday morning!
