See below for safety guidelines and important information.
7/17/20
Dear Church Family,
As we continue to cautiously and appropriately return to a normal ministry schedule for our church, I want to let you know what our plans are for the month of August. Please note that these plans are subject to change depending on what transpires locally over the next few weeks in regard to public health. I encourage you to carefully read through all the details listed below.
SUNDAYS Beginning August 2:
- Sunday AM worship services will continue with a new start time – 9:30 AM(see below).
- The nursery ministry will resume for the AM services and Sunday School/Adult Bible Study hour.
- Junior Church will resume.
Children’s Sunday School/Teen & Adult Bible Study will resume with in-person classes.
- For the first 3 Sundays of August (8/2, 8/9, 8/16),we will have a combined Adult Bible Study / Teen lesson in the auditorium. Pastor John, Pastor Mark, and I will lead these lessons. Children will attend their individual classes.
- Beginning August 23, we will break out into our individual Adult Bible Study classes, taught by the ABS teachers.
- There will be a schedule change starting August 2 as well. The following schedule will be in effect for August (8/2, 8/9, 8/16): The AM worship service will start at 9:30 AM. At the conclusion of the morning service, and after a short break, the Sunday School/ABS classes will start. These classes will wrap up at approximately 11:30 AM.
- For the first three Sundays, we will continue in the auditorium for the Teen/ABS hour. Children will attend their individual classes.
- Starting August 23, all classes will proceed from the worship service to their individual classrooms.
- Starting on August 23 the AM worship service will start at 9:30 AM. The Sunday School/Teen/ABS classes will start at 11 AM and wrap up no later than noon. This will be the permanent schedule moving forward.
I am excited about this schedule change, and here are a few reasons why:
- It will highlight the primacy of worship. You have probably noticed how refreshing it has been over the last few weeks to come straight into the auditorium and worship. I think this change will cut down on some distractedness and will help us focus on the biggest reason we are gathered.
- Along with that, it will help with logistics. In the past, choir and orchestra members, AV team members, greeters, and others often had quite a busy Sunday morning, making sure they fulfilled all of their responsibilities and made it to ABS on time. Currently, many arrive on Sunday mornings with a focus on the worship service, hustle to class, and then re-focus on the worship service. The new schedule will allow our Sunday mornings to run a little more smoothly, be less hectic, and have a laser-like focus on worship.
- It will benefit our ABS classes. In the past, around 10:00 AM, there was often a “mass exodus” from ABS as many moved to their different responsibilities (ushers, nursery workers, etc.) Hopefully, ABS classes will be able to retain their members all the way until the end of class.
- It opens up doors for relationships. If we have a guest in the morning service, it will be only natural to invite them to join you for your ABS class. I also think it will be a lot easier for ABS classes to have a fellowship time or meal afterward since they will already be gathered.
In-person Sunday evening services will resume at 6 PM in the auditorium.
- At this time, the nursery ministry will not be available for the evening services until September.
SPECIAL NOTE:
Andy Gleiser and his family will be with us all day on August 2. Andy will be preaching in the a.m. service, and in the evening service he will give a detailed explanation about the church planting ministry in Reno, NV to which God has called them. We will be receiving a love offering for the Gleisers on August 2 to help them with the expenses of relocating, purchasing a house, and starting a new church. We love the Gleisers, and I encourage you to give generously toward this effort of spreading the gospel to a very needy place in our country!
WEDNESDAYS Beginning August 19 at 7 PM:
- Wednesday evening prayer meeting will resume. On August 5 & 12, Teen and Adult Bible Study classes will meet via Zoom for a time of prayer and fellowship.
- Truth Trackers will resume
- Teen Time will resume
I truly appreciate your prayers as we attempt to wisely take steps forward. If you have any questions, I am glad to hear from you.
May the Lord richly bless you!
Pastor Curtis
7/8/20
Dear Church Family,
I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge (Psalm 18:1-2). I am so glad that in the times of uncertainty in which we live, we can find our God to be an everlasting source of strength and help! He is the One who is a solid anchor for our soul!
As we continue to carefully and prayerfully develop plans for the gatherings and ministries of our church, I want to take a moment and let you know what our plan is for the rest of July.
Sunday 10:30 am Worship:
- Doors will continue to open at 10:10 am.
- Seating will continue to be available in alternate pews. The pews are clearly marked. Please feel free to sit together as a family, but allow a six-foot distance between family units.
- If you are experiencing symptoms of illness (fever, cough, sore throat, etc.), we invite you to join us via livestream from your home.
- Hand sanitizing stations are available at each entry/exit.
- In place of printed bulletins, you will continue to receive an e-bulletin via email.
- You may continue to give online, by mail, or by placing your offering in the giving box that is available at the Information Desk.
- You will continue to be dismissed at the end of the service by sections. When you are dismissed, we ask that you go directly to the parking lot and fellowship with others while maintaining proper social distancing of at least six feet. Please avoid congregating in the building.
- Masks are required
In an effort to comply with the requirement established by Mayor Hogsett and the Marion County Public Health Department, beginning on July 12 a mask must be worn from the moment you enter the church building and until you exit the church building. The only exception is for those 2 years of age and younger or for those who have a physical, medical or health-related reason. Please bring your own mask if at all possible. If you do not have a mask, we will have a supply available. Wearing a mask is not only compliance with the requirement established by our city officials, but it is also a demonstration of love to others in our church by taking appropriate steps to be safe.
Please note:
No one, myself included, enjoys these requirements. We must understand that our local government officials are not asking us to sin; they are simply asking us to wear a mask. Therefore, we have a responsibility, according to Romans 13:1, to obey our God-ordained authorities. We hope these requirements will soon be lifted, but until that time occurs we plan to insist that masks be worn. If you do not wish to wear a facemask (and the health exception above doesn’t apply), we ask that you join us from your home via livestream. Thank you for your attention to this important detail!
- Nursery and Children
Ø The nursery will not be available.
Ø Junior Church will not be available.
Ø We are sorry that we are unable to offer our nursery and junior church ministries at this time. However, in an effort to help families with young children, we are showing the livestream video in the Fellowship Hall and have tables and chairs available. We ask that there be only one family per table and that you involve your children in quiet activities such as coloring. Please do not permit your children to run around the room. We ask that all families with young children start out in the Auditorium and move to the Fellowship Hall only if necessary. Prior to the preaching, we will give an opportunity to transition to the Fellowship Hall if needed.
Sunday 6 pm Gatherings:
- Each Sunday evening in July – outdoor Picnic and Praise
- Time of singing and a brief study in God’s Word
- Please bring your own food (this is not pitch-in), lawn chairs, and yard games
- Tents will be set up to provide some shade and a more enjoyable experience
Other Opportunities:
- Teen and Adult Bible Study classes will meet via Zoom on Wednesday evenings.
- Pastor Mark will continue to provide a weekly children’s video that is available on our church website.
- Backyard Bible Clubs July 20-22
I know there are many details listed above, but I hope this helps you to know what to expect and how to plan for our in-person and virtual gatherings for the rest of this month. I am excited to worship and fellowship with you in the days to come!
Next week I look forward to sharing with you our future plans starting in August!
Pastor Curtis
6/4/20
Dear Church Family,
Last Sunday was a great day! What a joy it was to gather as a church family to worship our God! As we anticipate another wonderful opportunity to gather for worship this coming Sunday at 10:30 a.m., I want to remind you of several important items of information and necessary guidelines.
General
- Doors will open at 10:10 am. Once you enter the building, we encourage you to go directly to the auditorium and find a seat. We look forward to gathering to sing praise to our God as well as hear from His Word! Praise the Lord!
Guidelines
The following guidelines are established by the Marion County Public Health Department and the state of Indiana.
- If you are experiencing symptoms of illness (fever, cough, sore throat, etc.), we ask that you join us via livestream from your home.
- If you are 65 years of age or over or have some underlying health conditions, we encourage you to continue to stay home and join the worship service via livestream.
- PLEASE wear a mask – the only exception is for those 2 years of age and younger. Please bring your own mask if at all possible. If you do not have a mask, we will have a supply available on Sunday. Wearing a mask is not only compliance with the requirement established by our city officials, but it is also a demonstration of love to others in our church by taking appropriate steps to be safe.
- Seating will be available in alternate pews. The pews will be clearly marked. Please feel free to sit together as a family, but allow a six-foot distance between family units.
Precautions
- Hand sanitizing stations will be available at each entry/exit.
- In place of printed bulletins, you will receive an e-bulletin via email.
- In order to avoid multiple people touching the same offering plates, you may continue to give online or place your offering in a giving box that will be available at the Information Desk.
- You will be dismissed at the end of the service by sections. When you are dismissed, we ask that you go directly to the parking lot and fellowship with others while maintaining proper social distancing. Please avoid congregating in the building.
- Handshaking and hugs are strongly discouraged.
Nursery and Children
- The nursery will not be available.
- Junior Church will not be available.
- We are sorry that we are unable to offer our nursery and junior church ministries at this time. However, in an effort to help families with young children, we will show the livestream video in the Fellowship Hall and have tables and chairs available. We ask that there be only one family per table and that you involve your children in quiet activities such as coloring. Please do not permit your children to run around the room. We ask that all families with young children start out in the Auditorium and move to the Fellowship Hall only if necessary. Prior to the preaching, we will give an opportunity to transition to the Fellowship Hall if needed.
Other opportunities
- The Sunday evening services will continue to be available online.
- Teen and Adult Bible Study classes will meet via Zoom on Wednesday evenings.
- Pastor Mark will continue to provide a weekly children’s video.
- On Tuesdays, check out the weekly encouragement videos from the pastoral staff.
Let’s remember to bear “with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:2-3). Let me encourage all of us to sweetly comply with all of the necessary guidelines, to refrain from a complaining spirit, be kind and gracious to one another, and be exceedingly glad that we have the privilege of gathering in-person to worship together!
I can’t wait to seeing you on Sunday!!!!
Pastor Curtis
5/27/20
Dear Church Family,
Excited, overjoyed, and exceedingly happy are words that I would use to describe my emotions as I announce to you that our church will gather for an in-person worship service this coming Sunday (May 31) at 10:30 am. Below you will find important information and necessary guidelines for our worship service.
General
• Doors will open at 10:10 am. Once you enter the building, we encourage you to go directly to the auditorium and find a seat. We look forward to gathering to sing praise to our God as well as hear from His Word! Praise the Lord!
Guidelines
The following guidelines are established by the Marion County Public Health Department and the state of Indiana.
• If you are experiencing symptoms of illness (fever, cough, sore throat, etc.), we ask that you join us via livestream from your home.
• If you are 65 years of age or over or have some underlying health conditions, we encourage you to continue to stay home and join the worship service via livestream.
• PLEASE wear a mask – the only exception is for those 2 years of age and younger. Please bring your own mask if at all possible. If you do not have a mask, we will have a supply available on Sunday. Wearing a mask is not only compliance with the requirement established by our city officials, but it is also a demonstration of love to others in our church by taking appropriate steps to be safe.
• Seating will be available in alternate pews. The pews will be clearly marked. Please feel free to sit together as a family, but allow a six-foot distance between family units.
Precautions
• Hand sanitizing stations will be available at each entry/exit.
• In place of printed bulletins, you will receive an e-bulletin via email.
• In order to avoid multiple people touching the same offering plates, you may continue to give online or place your offering in a giving box that will be available at the Information Desk.
• You will be dismissed at the end of the service by sections. When you are dismissed, we ask that you go directly to the parking lot and fellowship with others while maintaining proper social distancing. Please avoid congregating in the building.
• Handshaking and hugs are strongly discouraged.
Nursery and Children
• The nursery will not be available.
• Junior Church will not be available.
• We are sorry that we are unable to offer our nursery and junior church ministries at this time. However, in an effort to help families with young children, we will show the livestream video in the Fellowship Hall and have tables and chairs available. We ask that there be only one family per table and that you involve your children in quiet activities such as coloring. Please do not permit your children to run around the room. We ask that all families with young children start out in the Auditorium and move to the Fellowship Hall only if necessary. Prior to the preaching, we will give an opportunity to transition to the Fellowship Hall if needed.
Other opportunities
• The Sunday evening services will continue to be available online.
• Teen and Adult Bible Study classes will meet via Zoom on Wednesday evenings.
• Pastor Mark will continue to provide a weekly children’s video.
• The daily video encouragements from the pastoral staff will continue as a weekly video on Tuesdays.
It goes without saying that this is going to be a different experience than we are used to! Through all of this, let’s remember to bear “with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:2-3). Let me encourage all of us to sweetly comply with all of the established guidelines, to refrain from a complaining spirit, be kind and gracious to one another, and be exceedingly glad that we have the privilege of gathering in-person to worship together!
I look forward to seeing you on Sunday!!!!
Pastor Curtis
4/29/20
Dear Church Family,
The pastoral staff has been discussing initial steps to safely and wisely reunite our church family for worship. We will wait until after the governor’s announcement this Friday , May 1, before we begin to solidify the plan. The health and safety of our church family is a high priority. Once our plan is formulated, we will communicate all the details via email.
We eagerly look forward to the day when we can once again have in-person worship services!
Pastor Curtis
3/24/20
Dear Church Family,
Good afternoon! I want to remind us of a verse in Psalm 9:1.
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
God is good, and He is graciously providing for our needs. Let’s be quick to give thanks to the Lord for who He is and all that He does.
For the foreseeable future all activities at the church remain cancelled until further notice.
I just want to take a moment to remind you of all the opportunities we are providing in an endeavor for us to stay connected as a church family:
Sunday morning worship service at 10:30 a.m. (livestream) – We will continue to broadcast the music from a previously recorded service and have a “live” message from God’s Word. We plan to place the music at the beginning of the live stream service in order to duplicate the flow of a normal church service. I want to encourage you to actively participate in these worship services by praying, listening and responding to God’s Word, singing, and giving.
Sunday evening message – We plan to resume our Disciple-Making at Ground Level series this coming Sunday (March 29). These messages will be available on the church website on Sunday afternoons and can be accessed at any time after they are posted.
Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. (livestream) – The pastoral staff is collectively teaching and discussing the current week’s Gospel Project lesson. Please join us by connecting through the church website. We invite your comments and interaction with us via Facebook. By Wednesday afternoon you will receive an email containing an updated prayer bulletin. I want to encourage you to take some time on Wednesday evening as well as other times during the week to uphold one another in prayer.
Teen Time Online at 7:45 p.m. – Immediately following the 7 p.m. livestream, teens will be gathering at 7:45 p.m. via a live Zoom meeting. Information on how to join the meeting will be emailed to all teen parents by Wednesday afternoon.
Children – We are making available a video Bible lesson for all children to view during the livestream on Wednesday evening or at any other time. This lesson will be available on the church website. To access this video please use the following code: BTBCkids
Daily Update – We are posting daily videos on Facebook to keep you encouraged in God’s Word and give you any needed updates.
Senior citizens – I want to remind our senior citizens that if you need someone to run errands for you (grocery store, pharmacy, etc.), we are glad to help. Just call the church office and let us know. We have a group of people who will gladly serve you. If you would like to be a part of the team helping our senior citizens, please contact the church office as well.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials (I Peter 1:3-6).
May we keep our eyes on Christ and eternity!
With much love and prayers,
Pastor Curtis
3/17/20
Dear Church Family,
Rejoice in the Lord always (Philippians 4:4)! In the midst of uncertain times, we can rejoice in God’s amazing grace and love to us!
Here are some ways we plan to use our live streaming in addition to Sunday mornings.
- Wednesday evenings at 7 pm – The Pastoral Staff will be collectively teaching and discussing the current week’s Gospel Project lesson. Please join us by connecting through the church web site, and we invite your comments and interaction with us via Facebook. By Wednesday afternoon you will receive an email containing an updated prayer bulletin. I want to encourage you to take some time on Wednesday evening as well as other times during the week to uphold one another in prayer.
- Teen Time Online at 7:45 pm – Immediately following the 7 pm livestream, all teens will be invited to join a livestream via the church website or Vimeo page for a fun time of encouragement and prayer. This livestream will require a password to access which will be sent to all teen parents via email.
- Children – We will be making available a video Bible lesson for all children to view during the livestream tomorrow night or some other time. This lesson will be available on the church website or Vimeo page and also will require a password to access.
- Daily Update – We will post daily videos on Facebook to keep you encouraged in God’s Word and keep you updated on what we are doing to stay connected during this time.
Pastor Curtis
Click here to watch the video.
3/13/20
Dear Church Family
All services and activities at Burge have been cancelled for this week but will live stream a morning worship service at 10:30 am.
The leadership of Burge Terrace desires to comply with Governor Eric Holcomb’s guidelines of non-essential gatherings being limited to no more than 250 people. Therefore we have made the following decisions:
All services and activities at Burge Terrace Baptist Church have been cancelled through March 28. This includes the following:
- Sunday services
- Sunday school & Adult Bible Study
- Wednesday Truth Trackers, Teen Time & Prayer meeting
- Caleb’s Kin
- Bible studies (men & women)
- Burge Terrace Christian School & Burge Terrace Home Educators
Sunday am services will be livestreamed at 10:30 am. You may access the livestream via Facebook or the website livestream page. We are working on a plan to use livestream on Wednesday evenings as well. Details will be forthcoming. For Sunday evenings we encourage you to go to SermonAudio or the livestream archives and listen to a sermon.
We will continue to monitor the situation and communicate updates as circumstances warrant. We plan for the church office to remain open (M-F 8:30 am-4:30 pm) 317.862.6109
This is not a time for us as believers to worry or be discouraged. Remember the truth found in Isaiah 41:10.
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
God can use these challenging days to further grow us as a church into the likeness of Jesus Christ!
Let me remind you to be faithful in the following areas:
- Time in God’s Word
- Prayer
- Serving (Caring for one another as needs arise.)
- Giving (The expenses of ministry are ongoing whether or not we gather in person. You may give online, or you may use regular mail to give your offering.)
Todd Curtis
Lead Pastor