SENIORS ALIVE Ministry

Mission statement: To provide worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and evangelism to our church’s seniors to the Glory of God.

Elders, Grandparents, Senior Saints, Regardless of what others call us, we, the older members of the People Church possess a treasure of experience, knowledge and wisdom gathered during our life’s journey. What are we doing with this treasure? If we do not share it, our treasure is gathered for naught. It disappears when we pass on. Consider how we can share our experiences, knowledge, and wisdom with our church family and our community.

Proverbs 23:26: “My child, give me your heart, and let your eyes observe my ways”

We like to do activities together as a group to help and inspire and just get to know each other better and have fun while we serve the Lord together. Key word together.

How these five areas: worship, fellowship, discipleship, ministry and missions have been accomplished in the past:

Hymn sings, Bible studies, speakers, going on trips together, camping, meals together, Reaching out to unbelievers and new believers, encouraging Care group attendance, helping those in need, Blessing bags with Bibles to homeless, singing at Senior center and in the park.

Calendar of events 2020

January: Inductive Bible study. February:  Valentine Party. May: Camp meeting Ute Lake, cancelled. July: Senior High School gifts given. August: Senior Banquet. October: Get pumpkins for Oct 31 event. November: Blessing bags to Coronado Park. December: Christmas Party & Foster parent ministry.

If you would like to be a part of the Seniors Alive group, and are 55 years old or more, please give your name and email or phone to the church office. If you are a member of FBC Moriarty, and at least 55 Please consider being a part of the Seniors Alive Committee that plans events for the year and volunteer by contacting the church office (505) 832-6385.

Why Did Jesus Pray?

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why did Jesus have to pray; He was God?” In the book A Praying Life, Paul Miller describes three reasons why Jesus needed to pray.

First, it was “his identity”. Jesus was God, and He was also the Son of God. During prayer Jesus revealed His need to draw closer to His Father. As parents, our kids need our direction and comfort. Jesus needed His heavenly Father’s comforting hand. As children of God we must learn to pray because we need God’s hand of direction and wisdom in our own lives. (John 10:30)

Second, it was “his example of love”. We love in personal relationships, one on one. I can show love to all my kids but that love is intensified as I spend one on one time with them. Repeatedly, Jesus reflected this loving personal relationship by intentionally getting alone to pray specifically to His Father. (John 15:13)

Finally, Miller writes, it was “his humanity” that drove Jesus to seek His Father’s will above his own. Jesus willingly set aside some portion of His deity and clothed himself in skin for our sake. Because he was human he needed to pray for strength and guidance. In His prayer time He set the perfect example for our lives. (Luke 22:42)

On Mission,

Pastor Johnny

Reopening for In-Person Bible Study Groups – Sunday, June 21st

Current Status & Path Forward

The CoronaVirus Response Team (CRT) has monitored the situation, including additional governmental guidance, and has developed the following phased Regathering Plan. Our goal as the CRT, the Church Ministry Council and the Church will continue to be to use wisdom and prudence to determine the exact dates of the various phases. Note that the entire building has been deep cleaned.

Phase One – Regathering Plan: Sunday Morning Worship Service Only

The start date for Phase One was Sunday, May 24, 2020.

Phase Two – Regathering Plan: Adding Bible Study Care Groups

The start date for Phase Two is Sunday, June 21, 2020.

• The Worship Service will be held on Sunday Mornings in the building with many of the same provisions as Phase One:
  • Seating will be by family units with 6-foot separation between units. (Note that the available seating is approximately 25% of our maximum seating capacity but allows for our average worship attendance.) Note that overflow Worship Service seating will be provided in the Children’s Chapel, if needed.
  • Parents will be expected to maintain the “distancing” of their children while they are not in childcare.
  • Hand sanitizer stations and masks will be available as you enter the building.
  • Your tithes and offerings can be placed in the Offering Box at the entrance into the auditorium. (Alternatively your tithes and offerings may be mailed to the church, dropped off at the church Monday-Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., or made online at the church’s website www.thepeoplechurch.org.)

• Beth Aultman, the Children’s Ministry Director and Sid Ware, the Student Ministry Director stated that their areas of ministry will be ready to teach and care for children/students on the first Sunday of Phase Two.

• Adult Bible Study Groups may meet at the church during the regular Bible Study time, being mindful of the prescribed safety precautions, or they may continue to meet remotely via Zoom. The decision will be left to the Group Leader and their class members.

• Morning Worship Services will continue to be broadcasted for the foreseeable future via Facebook.

• All attendees are expected to:
  • Come in person only if you are healthy (not exhibiting symptoms such as dry cough, shortness of breath, fever, runny nose, headache), and you are personally comfortable with the regathering.
  • Vulnerable individuals should be deliberate in their decisions to attend in person.
  • Follow the recommended “distancing” guidance – no hugs, handshakes, avoid touching your face, etc.
  • Wear masks if you wish but they are not required.
  • Sing or not sing as you desire.

Phase Three – Regathering Plan: Return to non-distancing Normal

Phase Three will start as soon as practical after the start of Phase Two.

• Details to be determined

Reopening for In-Person Worship Service – Sunday, May 24th

Current Status & Path Forward

The CoronaVirus Response Team (CRT) has monitored the situation, including additional governmental guidance, and has developed the following phased Reopening Plan. Our goal as the CRT, the Church Ministry Council and the Church will continue to be to use wisdom and prudence to determine the exact dates of the various phases. Note that the Children’s wing and the adult classrooms have been deep cleaned; the rest of the building including the auditorium will be deep cleaned before we reopen.

Phase One – Reopening Plan: Sunday Morning Worship Service Only

The start date for Phase One is Sunday, May 24, 2020.

• Initially, only the Worship Service will be held on Sunday Mornings in the building with the following provisions:
  • Seating will be by family units with 6-foot separation between units. (Note that the available seating is approximately 25% of our maximum seating capacity but allows for our average worship attendance.)
  • Parents will be expected to maintain the “distancing” of their children at all times. No childcare will be provided during this phase. Note that additional Worship Service seating will be provided in the Children’s Chapel for families with small children, if they so desire.
  • Hand sanitizer stations and masks will be available as you enter the building.
  • Your tithes and offerings can be placed in the Offering Box at the entrance into the auditorium. (Alternatively your tithes and offerings may be mailed to the church, dropped off at the church Monday-Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., or made online at the church’s website thepeoplechurch.org.)

• All attendees are expected to:
  • Come in person only if you are healthy (not exhibiting symptoms such as dry cough, shortness of breath, fever, runny nose, headache), and you are personally comfortable with the regathering.
  • Vulnerable individuals should be deliberate in their decisions to attend in person.
  • Follow the recommended “distancing” guidance – no hugs, handshakes, avoid touching your face, etc.
  • Wear masks if you wish but they are not required.
  • Sing or not sing as you desire.

• Bible Study Groups are encouraged to meet remotely via Zoom or in homes or the church, maintaining the suggested separation. Classes may choose to meet in the Children’s Chapel, but this should be scheduled with the church office to eliminate “double-booking” on any given day and time. Meeting at the church during the regular Bible Study time is discouraged at this time.
• Morning Worship Services will continue to be broadcasted for the foreseeable future via Facebook.

Phase Two – Reopening Plan: Adding Bible Study Care Groups

Phase Two will start as soon as practical after the start of Phase One.

• Details to be determined

Phase Three – Reopening Plan: Return to non-distancing Normal

Phase Three will start as soon as practical after the start of Phase Two.

• Details to be determined

Coronavirus Response Team (CRT) Update – May 12, 2020

Current Status & Path Forward

The CRT has monitored the situation, including additional governmental guidance, and has developed the following phased Reopening Plan. Our goal as the CRT, the CMC and the Church will continue to be to use wisdom and prudence to determine the exact dates of the various phases. Note that the Children’s wing and the adult classrooms have been deep cleaned; the rest of the building including the auditorium will be deep cleaned before we reopen.

Phase One – Reopening Plan: Sunday Morning Worship Service Only

The start date for Phase One is a Sunday soon.

• Initially, only the Worship Service will be held on Sunday Mornings in the building with the following provisions:
  • Seating will be by family units with 6-foot separation between units. (Note that the available seating is less than 50% of our normal seating capacity, but allows for our average worship attendance.)
  • Parents will be expected to maintain the “distancing” of their children at all times. No childcare will be provided during this phase. Note that additional Worship Service seating will be provided in the Children’s Chapel for families with small children, if they so desire.
  • Hand sanitizer stations and masks will be available as you enter the building.
  • Your tithes and offerings can be placed in the Offering Box at the entrance into the auditorium. (Alternatively your tithes and offerings may be mailed to the church, dropped off at the church Monday-Wednesday, 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., or made online at the church’s website thepeoplechurch.org.)
• All attendees are expected to:
  • Come in person only if you are healthy (not exhibiting symptoms such as dry cough, shortness of breath, fever, runny nose, headache), and you are personally comfortable with the regathering.
  • Vulnerable individuals should be deliberate in their decisions to attend in person.
  • Follow the recommended “distancing” guidance – no hugs, handshakes, avoid touching your face, etc.
  • Wear masks if you wish but they are not required.
• Bible Study Groups are encouraged to meet remotely via Zoom or in homes or the church, maintaining the suggested separation. Classes may choose to meet in the Children’s Chapel, but this should be scheduled with the church office to eliminate “double-booking” on any given day and time. Meeting at the church during the regular Bible Study time is discouraged at this time.
• Morning Worship Services will continue to be broadcasted for the foreseeable future via Facebook.

Phase Two – Reopening Plan: Adding Bible Study Care Groups

The anticipated start date for Phase Two is the Sunday 4 weeks after the start of Phase One.

• Details to be determined

Phase Three – Reopening Plan: Return to non-distancing Normal

The anticipated start date for Phase Three is the Sunday 4 weeks after the start of Phase Two.

• Details to be determined

An Update from Our Pastor

Church family,

I want to start by saying what an awesome privilege it is to be your pastor. I want to encourage you with the words of the Apostle Paul, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12-14)

This passage encourages us to press on in the faith and in life! We do not press on just because we have the will power to, but because Christ Jesus has taken hold of us! God has an amazing plan for your life and this church, and I look forward to the day when we will worship together again soon. But until that day, press on to the upward Call of Christ! It will be easy to dwell on our past struggles & mistakes, but give those to God and allow Him to take you forward to new paths of serving Him in the coming days. Remember, the prize is a simple phrase, “well done good and faithful servant!” Pray hard and walk by faith today!

Our Current Plan is as follows:

Worship Service Plan (Sunday, May 3, 2020)

• We will not have an “in person” Worship Service on Sunday, May 3, 2020.
• We will continue to broadcast our worship service beginning at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday morning, on the church’s Facebook page The People Church | First Baptist Moriarty. We want to encourage all our members and guests to worship through this broadcast.
• The recorded audio broadcast of the worship service is available on our website on Monday following the service.
• The Pastor’s message will be broadcasted at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon on the local radio station – KXNM – 88.7 FM.

Future Worship Services

• The CRT will monitor the situation, including any additional governmental guidance and will provide updates on a weekly basis. Our goal as the CRT, the CMC and the Church will be to use wisdom and prudence to determine when indeed we meet again.

Reopening Plan

• The Children’s wing and the adult classrooms have been deep cleaned; the rest will be deep cleaned before we reopen.
• Initially, only the Worship Service will be held on Sunday Mornings in the building with the following restrictions:
  1. Seating will be by family units with 6-foot separation between units.
  2. Possibly add additional seating in Children’s Chapel.

Bible Study Groups are encouraged to meet in homes or at the church, maintaining the suggested separation. Classes may choose to meet in the Children’s Chapel, but this should be scheduled with the church office to eliminate “double-booking” on any given day and time. Meeting at the church during the regular Bible Study time is discouraged at this time.

On Mission,

Pastor Johnny

Student Ministry Update

I hope that this finds you well and that you are all surviving this social distancing. Please know that you and your students are being prayed for through this. Your youth leaders are working to get set up to do Zoom meetings where we will have Bible study and fellowship online. Please send an updated email address that we can use to connect with your student as we move toward our Zoom group meetings.

With this new obstacle (social distancing) comes new opportunities, and we are trying to connect with our students via social media including a new Loft TikTok account. Social Media is always a concern with all the negative influences that are out there, but I believe that with close and consistent monitoring, social media can be an avenue to build our students up, especially during this time of social distancing. Some of the upcoming Social Media events that I am considering are scavenger hunts, talent shows, and TikTok duet competitions.

I have added a list of our social media options below.

        Instagram  –  @loft_student_ministry

        Facebook  –  @theloftnm

        TikTok  –  @loft_student_ministry

        YouTube  –  Loft Student Ministry

Please be in prayer for our students and our staff as we navigate this unprecedented time of social distancing.

Sid Ware – sid@thepeoplechurch.org

Student Ministry Director

Home Discipleship Opportunities for Children During School/Church Closures – shared by Beth Aultman

• Challenge kids to read the book of Luke together or individually. (Here is a challenge from last year with age-appropriate segments of Luke divided out. bcnm.com/nm-kids-reading-gods-word
• Have your kids choose a Bible story and put together a dramatic re-enactment of it. Record it and post on social media for others to see.
• Write and decorate cards to thank those who are part of your child’s development.
• Play board games together or provide kids with a file folder and encourage them to make up their own board game.
• Challenge your kids to memorize Bible verses or passages like Psalm 23. Award prizes for accomplishments.
• Start a Bible verse challenge. Have your kids create motions for a verse.  Record your kids making the motions, send it to another family, and ask them to do the same and keep passing it on.
• Do random acts of kindness like super-secret spies. Bake cookies and leave them on doorsteps without anyone seeing you.
• Make a ‘blessings’ board and write down everything we’re thankful for that God has provided for us.
• Start a ‘generations’ book and call grandparents and other family members and ask them how they came to know Christ as their Savior. Write down the stories in a book to keep the legacy of how God has been working in your family.
• Study a Biblical map of Jesus’ journeys or Paul’s travels and find the Bible stories that relate to the locations.
• Try to reduce screen time, but a Google search can help you find Bible story videos. Watch the video then and compare it to what’s actually in the Bible.  Make a chart of differences.
• Take misc. items from around the house and have each member of your household create a sculpture or art project based on their favorite Bible verse. Post on social media allowing others to vote for their favorite.
• Put the first letter of the books of the Bible on paper. Put one letter per paper.  Spread the papers out in a room and have the kids jump on the letter as you say the books of the Bible.  Make it a game by timing it and seeing if they can do it faster each time.  Use one testament at a time for younger kids.
• Make rock art with simple encouraging messages such as God loves you or Be Joyful. Paint the rocks, once dry, walk around your neighborhood and leave them in places where people might see them.
• Write out parts of a Bible story on paper and cut into strips. Hide the strips.  Have children search for them and then ask kids to put the strips in correct order.
• Serve others. One of my Facebook friends is offering to take her kids and shop for older adults that don’t need to be out.  What can your family to for someone else during this time?
• Decorate a ‘giveaway’ box with encouraging Bible verses, clean out rooms and find things you can put in it to give to others in need.

List created by Krista Peterson, the Baptist Convention of NM’s associate director of children’s leadership development.

Words from Pastor Johnny

Church family,

As you most assuredly know, the Coronavirus has reached New Mexico. Although the Secretary of Health has issued a prohibition against mass gatherings, thankfully churches are exempt. However, we will use wisdom and prudence should the need arise to change our structure for meeting together.

We understand you may have serious concerns about COVID-19 (commonly called the Coronavirus).

At this time your staff and leadership team are continuing to meet and evaluate the situation. We want to help provide an environment for you to worship our Lord. We want to encourage you to make use of the hand sanitizers that are placed throughout the church building. We want to discourage you from shaking hands. However, we continue to encourage you to welcome guests and visitors with kind words and a warm smile. We encourage you to stay home if you feel sick, have not been fever free for 24 hours, or if you have severe underlying health conditions and are greatly concerned about coronavirus.

As always, if you cannot come, we would love for you to worship with us through our Facebook page , feel free to send a friend request to johnnycandacespicer on Facebook. Currently, our services are streamed live on our personal page weekly.

In times like these, let us not lose sight of the Hope that we have. Possibly, during this kind of climate – people we have been praying for will be most sensitive to the truths of the gospel.

We encourage you to be open to the questions of others and sharing with others about the hope you have in Jesus during this time. We will continue to update you about plans and services at FBC Moriarty as conditions change and are warranted.

First, unless you hear otherwise, all First Baptist Church Moriarty events will go on as scheduled.

Additionally, we want to remind all what this means to us as believers in Christ. Remember that “God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). While none of us hopes to catch this or any other sickness, we have confidence and peace knowing we belong to and are under the sovereign watch-care of the Lord! We want to fall somewhere in between the extreme of dismissing this (or any other sickness) as insignificant, and the other extreme of hysteria encouraged by some in the media and others.

Finally​, join us in asking God to use this virus scare for the good of His Kingdom. (Romans 8:28) Pray that many will open their hearts to Christ as they ​are forced to consider life and death. Pray that churches will be strengthened during this time rather than weakened. Use this window of opportunity to talk to people about eternity and your assurance because of your relationship with Jesus.

My prayer for my life and yours is that we will choose Faith over fear, prayer or panic, and joy over despair. God is good and we are hopeful for how He will use this situation for His good.

Your pastor, staff & deacons are praying for you to our unchanging God during these ever-changing times that we live!

On Mission,                                                                                                                                   

Pastor Johnny  

2 Peter 1:3-4                 

Initial Coronavirus Response Plan (COVID-19)*

Recommended Precautions:

• Washing hands frequently (using warm/hot water and soap and the ideal duration is the time it takes to say “The Lord’s Prayer” twice.)
• Do not touch your mouth, nose or eyes.
• Greet one another without hand shaking (elbow bump or wave).
• Anyone who is sick needs to stay home.  Fever free for 24 hours.
• Be sure the church has your current contact information (forms at Welcome Center).
• Continuous cleaning and sanitation practices (all areas of the church will be cleaned).

Weekly church services can be viewed on-line on Facebook; johnnycandacespicer– feel free to send a friend request. The audio recorded messages are also available on our website; www.thepeoplechurch.org

Children’s Ministry Update

On March 21st the Baptist Convention of NM will host its annual Young Lives Ablaze Children’s Evangelism Conference. We have 5 kids, in grades 3rd through 6th currently signed up to attend. If you missed the early deadline, it’s not too late to attend the conference. Contact Beth for details and to register your child. The conference is held at Eastern Hills Baptist Church from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is a fun filled, faith building day!

Secondly, we are excited to have recently added a Two-year old Bible Study Class on Sunday mornings! It is our joy to partner with parents as they train up their children in the love and instruction of the Lord. If you have a desire to work with kids birth through 5th grade, please contact Beth to find out the current needs in our Children’s Department.

Finally, save the date and spread the word! Vacation Bible School is right around the corner! It is scheduled for June 1-5 for children 4 years old through those who have completed 5th grade. This VBS is an exciting Wilderness Escape where children will experience first-hand that God guides and provides.

Beth Aultman – Beth@thepeoplechurch.org
Children’s Ministry Director