Past Statements on Covid-19

We will continue to stream worship services online, as well as having our doors open for Sunday Worship in Person on Main Street.

We are holding Sunday School classes as follows:

9:30 AM: Large Adult Class - Downstairs

9:30 AM: Parents Class - Upstairs

9:30 AM: Student Classes - K-12

We plan to continue following local guidance regarding masks until further notice.

To the Church Family of FBCC,

The Elders had a zoom meeting on Monday, November 16, 2020 to discuss the emerging circumstances concerning the Covid-19 virus.

So that you know, we are presently aware of 3 confirmed cases of the virus in our church (at the writing of this letter). Pastor Jason is one of those. We also know that there are several others either waiting for the results of testing or displaying various symptoms of sickness.

We want to assure you that we are not alarmed or fearful, but we only desire to be prudent and caring for as many people as we can. Therefore the Elder Board has decided to suspend all activities other than Sunday AM Worship until December 6. To be clear we will not be having Sunday School or Thursday AM Bible study for the next couple of weeks.

We also decided to close the office and have all staff members work from home until December 1. We will meet again on Nov. 30 to re-evaluate the situation at that time.

One of our priorities is trying to keep the worship service going, we think this is extremely important. We will continue to have the church open for worship on Sundays for those who desire to come. Please, if you have any signs of not being 100% well, refrain from in person worship and opt for the online service.

In order to have the ability to continue the online services the balcony will be locked so a single tech team can run the service for the next few weeks. There will be no seating available in the balcony.

Dear brothers and sisters, things are difficult for everyone right now and frustrations are running high. We simply want to assure you that we love and care for each one you deeply. More importantly God loves you and His presence is with us.

Allow God’s word to be an encouragement to you.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Jesus is Lord

The Elder Board of FBCC

To the Church Family of FBCC,

   Governor Wolf signed a new order that went into effect today July 16, 2020 at midnight which states among other things that  “Indoor events and gatherings of more than 25 persons are prohibited.”

   According to the Governors original executive order where he shut down all “non-essential” businesses from March 19, 2020 and a spokesman from Rep. Oberlander’s office churches as religious organizations “may continue physical operations”. Furthermore, FBCC has been very diligent in following the mitigation protocols recommended by the CDC by wearing masks and social distancing. Therefore the Elders have agreed that we will continue to hold our 10:30 Sunday service just as we have been doing since the beginning of June.

   With that said let me once again reiterate that if you are concerned about your own personal risk factors, or if you have any symptoms of illness we encourage you to remain safe at home and utilize the online service options to stay connected with your church family.

   This is all in an effort to follow the all instructions of the scriptures to the best of our ability. Our prayer is that He continues to guide us in Growing Together in Grace and Truth for His glory.

In the Love and Service of the Christ, Jesus

​Pastor Jason

To the FBCC Family,

The elders met on Tuesday, June 30th and reviewed the reopening of worship services that were held over the past four weeks. Multiple considerations were discussed including the offering of two services, reopening Sunday school and a plan for gatherings such as the church picnic scheduled in August. As information is changing rapidly the elders have decided to continue with the current plan for returning to the building and constantly reevaluate the conditions with the commitment to meet as often as necessary. We pray that all decisions made corporately as a church and individually as ourselves would be for the purpose of honoring God and loving our neighbor. This time is stressful and many Christians and non-Christians are facing difficulty and frustration. We ask you to pray for the church and its leadership during this time as we continue to uphold one another. Our greatest desire is to publicly display the humility, love, concern, care, and forbearance of Jesus Christ as we do our best to minister to our congregation and community.



In the Love of Christ,

The Elder Board of FBCC

FBCC - Returning to the Building

Personal Decisions- I Can Not stress this point enough! You must decide for yourself what is in your best interest as it relates to attending worship services at FBC Clarion. We understand and highly encourage anyone who feels at risk, concerned, apprehensive, or just wants to be safe and not sorry please stay at home with our blessing. We completely affirm that this in absolutely no way represents a lack of faith, being led by fear, or being manipulated by the media. Each person must get alone with God and their own conscience and decide what is the appropriate for the best interest at this time and we the church will both respect and support those decisions. We love you all and want only what is best for our brothers and sisters.

With that said here are the procedures and protocols we will be attempting to follow so that you can make the most informed decisions.

Worship - We will return to the church on June 7th for a Worship Service only at 10:30. We plan on having only worship for the month of June. We plan to reevaluate throughout the month.

Entering- Both the front doors and the side door on 7th Ave. will be open for entering the worship service. We ask that upon entering you proceed to your seat and try to remain there unless there is an emergency. Feel free to wave and say hi to one another as you find your seat just try to keep space between one another.

Seating and Social Distancing - We ask everyone to sit in their family groups spacing themselves out in the sanctuary. We plan to use the ends of every other pew.

Masks - Since the purpose for wearing masks is not to protect you from getting the virus but to ensure others safety from the wearer, and since we are taught to think of others over ourselves (Phil. 2:4) we are asking everyone to wear a mask while in the building.

Exiting - We ask everyone to slowly exit out the front doors of the church onto the main street sidewalk. Starting with those in the back first and then by rows proceeding toward the front. Those in the Balcony should be the last to exit. Please move away from the doors so there is room for those exiting if you want to visit with others outside.

Offerings- There will be plates (and baskets for the Fellowship Fund) at entrances and exits you can give as you enter or leave when you pass by. We will not pass the plates. 

Communion -Being the first Sunday of the month, we will provide individually sealed communion servings as you enter the building in order to observe the Lord’s Supper. 

Children - There will be no child care provided so children will need to sit with and be attended to by their parents. The nursery will be clean and open for parents to use in the care of their children if a need should arise.

Personal Interactions - We know how desperately you want to be in contact with one another, however we ask that you avoid physical contact with one another as we ease back into our public gatherings over this next month and see how it goes.

Live Streams - We will be broadcasting the service live on both YouTube and Facebook for those who want to participate digitally. You should be able to access the same as you have before or you can go to fbcclarion.com and find a link on the front page. They will also be recorded if so they can be viewed at a later time.

Overflow - We will have the service live streamed in the fellowship hall to give additional room and spacing in case the available area is used up in the sanctuary, or if you just would like more spacing.

IF- you do not feel well or have any concerns or questions about your health please don’t disregard that. We ask you to refrain from coming until you are certain of your health. We don’t want to put you or anyone else at greater risk. 

To reiterate- that you should feel no pressure to return to the worship services before you are completely ready. We trust each of you to discern what is wise and prudent for your life and we 100% affirm your choice.

To the FBC Clarion Family,

We are postponing our time of physical gathering for the next two weeks (March 22-29) in an act of overabundance of love for each other. We will miss our fellowship greatly BUT we will remain connected by the Holy Spirit. In an attempt to keep life normalish we will be airing a digital service at 10:30am on Sunday so that we can remain devoted to the word as we continue our journey of “Growing Together in Grace and Truth”. We will be constantly evaluating situations as they unfold and will make decisions about more long range plans in the coming weeks.

In Sincere Love

Pastor Jason

Dear FBCC Family,

The Elders wanted to take a minute to communicate with you about the ongoing concerns over COVID-19. Like you, we are watching things unfold in real time and are striving to be wise about any response that we need to make as a church family. We want to find a healthy balance between overreaction and non-action. Both seem to be unhelpful at this time.

From a Biblical perspective, this is our belief and our ultimate hope: God is in control (Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 10:28-31) and does not want us to live in fear (2 Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:18). God also commands us to call on Him for wisdom when we need it (James 1:5) and when we feel anxious about the things of life (Philippians 4:6-7).                  

From a practical level, the elders are considering what are the next steps, in case COVID-19 is found to be confirmed in our area. In the meantime, we believe ​that there is wisdom in making changes as individuals and as a church family to limit possible exposure.            

First​,​ if you have been diagnosed with the virus, please let one of the elders know. This will help us lead well ​and make well informed decisions on further changes moving forward.            

Second​,​ as with any other virus, we encourage good hygiene like hand washing, use of hand sanitizer, covering coughs ​and staying home if you or your kids have a fever or contagious symptoms of any kind.

Third​,​ in regards to our public worship gatherings, if you are uncomfortable with shaking hands, that’s ok. Please be respectful of how others are choosing to take personal precautions. We are encouraging you (like in case of winter weather) look out for yourself. If you deem it is best to stay at home because of your risk factors by all means please do. We are working on the ability for you to view the service online live, or access it later from our website. If you are concerned about your tithes you can mail those in or use the online giving platform found at fbcclarion.com/give         

Should COVID-19 be found in our region, the elders will consider making any changes necessary to help prevent its spread.      

Finally​,​ as followers of Jesus, we have the opportunity to set a tone within our neighborhoods, workplace, and with our family. We encourage you to be mindful of your witness. Don’t allow fear or cynicism to rule. People may be thinking more these days about their mortality. This may lead some of those close to us to be more responsive to the truth of Jesus in our conversations. Show love and respect. Pray for the sick to recover. Pray for those who are in high risk regions to be protected. Pray for in all things God will be glorified. This is a great time for us to be salt and light in this darkening world.               

If you have any questions, concerns, or additional thoughts please feel free to contact one of us. Praying that God gives you peace and confidence in following Him in the coming days.   

The Elders of FBCC

PS - Thanks to my Brother Trent Kirkland for letting me copy this. I made only a couple of minor adjustments for FBCC. I think he captured well the things we have been discussing.    -Jason