As a reminder, the First Baptist Church of Dallas will be having Sunday School and worship services on Sunday, March 15, 2020, at its normal times of 9:15 and 10:50AM.
In light of recent developments related to COVID-19, however, First Dallas will be taking the steps necessary to comply with the requirements of the order issued by Dallas County regarding Community Gatherings on March 12, 2020, by utilizing various venues available to us.
Importantly, we intend to fully cooperate with Dallas County and to comply with its order, which expressly permits gatherings under 500 people in one room in a single building or facility. For example, Dallas County has noted that office buildings, shopping malls, and movie theaters may continue normal operations because they do not typically host more than 500 people in a single room at the same time. Dallas County has also explained that traversing such facilities to reach a particular venue is permissible but encourages reasonable social distancing and good hygiene. Unlike the above-referenced commercial spaces, the venues for our worship services will not be in immediate proximity to each other as we utilize the Worship Center, Historic Sanctuary, Truett Chapel, and CenterStage.
At First Dallas, the health and safety of our members and guests is an utmost priority. Though we are not aware of anyone associated with First Dallas that has tested positive for COVID-19, we have proactively taken additional steps to minimize any risk to our church family. For example, in recent weeks, we increased our already stringent cleaning and sanitization efforts throughout the entire campus. We are discouraging direct physical contact (i.e., shaking hands), and continue providing hand sanitizer throughout our campus.
We urge everyone to follow the CDC’s guidance regarding disease prevention by practicing good hygiene, and thoroughly washing their hands.
If you or any of your family members are feeling ill, or if you may be categorized as high risk for any reason, please remain at home and join our worship services online.
Additionally, if you have recently traveled internationally to areas where COVID-19 has been diagnosed, please remain home for the recommended fourteen days before returning to church.
If you are not able to attend church for any reason, we invite you to worship with us live online through our First Dallas iCampus by visiting icampus.firstdallas.org. Through our iCampus, you may also choose to interact with members of our ministry team or submit prayer requests.
Remember, God is sovereign and remains in control of all our circumstances. “[He] has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV). We are committed to exercising wisdom, discernment, prudence, and caution as we move forward together. In the meantime, continue recalling God’s Word to us – “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything” (Phil. 4:6, TLB).
March 14, 2020