Bro. Chris Hunnicutt did not greet members at the church doors as they arrived this Sunday morning. Instead, he was at home with his family sporting a t-shirt and jeans rather than his usual suit and tie.

Likewise, our deacons didn’t congregate in the fellowship hall prior to Sunday School to discuss prayer needs and church business. They too were home with their families congregating around smartphones, laptops, and internet-enabled televisions.

Fellowship Baptist decided Thursday evening to suspended on-campus services until further notice due to the COVID-19 outbreak. But that decision didn’t mean the church wouldn’t continue to have services. Families began gathering in their living rooms a few minutes before 10:00 this morning, some posting photos with the hashtag #fellowshipfamily, in preparation to have “church from home.”

At 10am sharp, a prerecorded Sunday School lesson taught by Marie Black “went live” on Facebook and YouTube. A playlist of worship songs followed her lesson before Bro. Chris’s sermon began broadcasting at 11am. By 11:30, our members had heard both the teaching and the preaching of God’s Word and had been given the opportunity to worship Him in song. And they had done these things together, even if they hadn’t been under the same roof.

While our church observes this period of necessary “social distancing,” we will continue broadcasting online during our normal Sunday morning service times. Furthermore, we anticipate offering even more opportunities for our members to engage online with God’s Word and each other. Interactive midweek Bible studies, video Bible stories for our children, and video conferencing for young adults and youth are just some to the ideas we are working on. Stay tuned!