There are some big changes coming up at Second Baptist Church of Dover!
The first thing I would like to announce is that we have a new Pastor coming on board! We will be welcoming Rev. Walter Grovesnor officially on October 24. This is actually more of a church marriage situation, as Rev. Grovesnor has been leading another church in the area, and we are endeavoring with God's help to merge the two congregations into one. We are very excited, and believe he, his family, and the members from his church will be a great addition to our church family. If you are in the area, we encourage you to come by and see what we are doing, and if you are following from afar, we covet your prayers as we go through this transition!
The second change is a restructuring of our Christian Education program. For many years, we have held Sunday School on Sunday mornings before the church service. This has sometimes been only adults, sometimes only kids, and sometimes both. We have also had a midweek Bible study for adults. At this time, we are going to split the programs up a bit.
During the morning worship service, we are adding a short Children's Church. This will take place only during the sermon portion of the service. During that time, children from pre-school through 4th grade will be welcome to leave the service for a short lesson and activity. We hope that this will allow them to learn about Jesus on their own level, and also allow their parents to be able to attend to the sermon without worrying about their kids.
For the older kids, grade 5 and up, we will be changing the Sunday School format. The kids will meet after the worship service instead of before it, and will have a longer session. They will be meeting twice a month, on the 1st and 3rd Sundays. This will give us a longer time to delve into the lessons, as well as time for the kids to connect socially.
If you look on the Sunday School page, you will find information about our Christian Education kickoff party! We will be meeting at the church on Reformation Day, October 31, at 1:00 p.m. for a Renaissance themed party. (If you don't know what Reformation Day is, you can also find out on the Sunday School page). This would be a good time to meet some of us, and also ask questions about our education programs. You can rsvp to the phone number listed on the page, or let us know at church. You can also register for Sunday School and Children's Church in person, or on the website on the Sunday School Registration page.
Stay tuned for more information about prayer meeting and adult Bible Study! Things are still being ironed out. Also, look for more social media options as we go forward.
If you haven't been to church in a while, we urge you to come back. Hebrews 10:23-25 reads:
23 So now wrap your heart tightly around the hope that lives within us, knowing that God always keeps his promises!
24 Discover creative ways to encourage others and to motivate them toward acts of compassion, doing beautiful works as expressions of love.
25 This is not the time to pull away and neglect meeting together, as some have formed the habit of doing. In fact, we should come together even more frequently, eager to encourage and urge each other onward as we anticipate that day dawning. (The Passion Translation)
We were made to be in community. As Christians, we are to collectively be the body of Christ. We can't be one body if we insist on living apart from each other. If you're local, we welcome you to join us at the Second Baptist Church. If you're not, or if you're looking for a different type of congregation, we encourage you to find somewhere that you can join together with other believers. We need community. And our communities need us.