Dear Church Family,

            We are going to move the worship service inside this week. The worship service will begin at 10:30 in the sanctuary. We are asking that you help us by noting several changes to how we will sit and interact while we are in the building. Our goal is to worship Jesus and we must not lose sight of that as our priority. Please help us by following a few guidelines as we gather inside to worship. 

• You will be able to enter through 1 of 3 entrances. Either the main street entrance, the entrance under the drive through near the apartment or the rear entrance. Other entrances will be closed to limit traffic in parts of the building. 

• Please, do not plan to come if you feel sick, have been sick recently or you may be running a fever. We understand and ask that you take care of yourself and not risk infecting others. 

• If you are not comfortable gathering in person with us, the service will be streamed live via our church facebook page, 1^st Baptist Church of Walton, Ky. We do not want anyone who is not comfortable yet to violate their own conscience.  Take care of yourself and join us via the live service online. 

• As you enter, there will be a table with hand sanitizer, masks, and gloves. You are not required to wear a mask, but I recommend it if it helps you feel more comfortable as you worship with others. 

• The pews are marked, and every other pew is closed to allow for us to separate ourselves safely and still worship together. Family groups may sit together on one pew as long as you do not get closer than 6’ to another family or individual. lease respect one another’s space.  While you may not be concerned about getting sick, or you don’t have much regard for the spacing and masks, please respect others who are concerned and are taking additional precautionary steps.  

• There is seating available in the balcony as well. The pews are marked, and some are closed.  

• If the sanctuary becomes full and there is no more available seating following our spacing guidelines, the chapel will serve as an overflow room and the service will be shown there on a TV. 

• You will have an opportunity to give an offering at the close of the service as you leave the building.  

• At the close of the service, you may exit by any of the three entrances/exits that are open. Please choose the exit closest to where you are sitting. This will minimize the risk of contact with others. Please be considerate of others and maintain a safe distance as you enter and leave.  

• Please avoid hugs, handshakes, etc. I know this is counterintuitive because we love one another, but it is a small sacrifice to prevent anyone from getting sick. If you must, be sure it is by mutual consent.  

• The only restrooms available will be those located in the hallway behind the sanctuary.  We are asking that only one person at a time use these restrooms.  

• We will not have any childcare available for this service.    

In my conversations with folks, both in our church and at large, some are very concerned about getting sick, some are not concerned at all and a large portion are concerned but determined to do all that they can to live life in a regular routine but exercise caution. I am not sure which group you are in, but I will say there are still folks who are getting sick from the Covid19 virus. I believe concern, precautions and care are warranted.  Please respect the fact that the spacing, masks, and other precautions are not to make people happy, but hopefully to have some measure of safety. Please abide by them. And respect others who may be even more at risk or more concerned than you. 

I am looking forward to seeing everyone on Sunday. God is good and He is working in all of this. Please pray that God will move in the heart of someone on Sunday to address the need for repentance, forgiveness and faith in Jesus Christ. 

Pastor David