Author: Jonathan Wilson

As We Move Forward…

Written by Jonathan Wilson on . Posted in Response. Leave a Comment

 

We continue to monitor official updates regarding Coronavirus/COVID-19 as it impacts Fruit Cove and our community. All regularly scheduled on-campus ministry and programming events remain suspended until further notice. If you are not receiving regular email updates from us use the Connection Card to request being added to our email list.

Sunday Worship Plans

  • Facebook Live and LiveStream will air at 9:30 am and 11 am
  • Listen live on radio 94.1 FM (Jax Country) at 9:30 am and 100.7 FM (The Promise) at 11 am
  • NEW Download Fruit Cove KIDS listening guide here
  • NEW Fruit Cove Worship Spotify playlist here

Sunday School Plans

  • Use this the in-home teaching guide for personal Bible study or to guide your family
  • Weekly guides will be posted by Friday and can be found at Fruit Cove Sunday School
  • If you would like to connect with one of our Sunday School classes that are meeting via Zoom email Jonathan Wilson

NEW Community “Thanks” Initiative  

  • As a church we want to reach out to the Medical, Law Enforcement, and Fire/Rescue personnel in our area to let them know we appreciate them and are praying for them as they are on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19. We’d love for your class to be activated and mobilized to focus on Medical, Law Enforcement, and Fire/Rescue Personnel in our area. To maximize our resources class assignments have been made, but if there are existing relationships your class has with a specific hospital or fire station please continue in that direction:
  • Focus on Medical personnel at local hospitals/ERs. Ask class members and their families to write notes of encouragement and thank you cards to hospital/ER staff teams…mail or drop them off in person.
    • [9:30am classes that meet in the ROC buidling] Baptist Medical Center South, 14550 Old Saint Augustine Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32258
    • [9:30 classes that meet anywhere BUT the ROC building] Baptist Medical Center, 800 Prudential Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32207
    • [11am classes that meet in the ROC building] St Vincents Southside, 4201 Belfort Rd, Jacksonville, FL 32216
    • [11am classes that meet anywhere BUT the ROC building] Memorial Hospital, 3625 University Blvd S, Jacksonville, FL 32216
  • Focus on Law Enforcement. Cards and notes from your class families would mean a lot to these guys! For classes with families that include younger kids ask them to send some artwork as well!
    • NW SJSO 725 Flora Branch Blvd, Saint Johns, FL 32259
    • Main SJSO 4015 Lewis Speedway Rd, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
  • Focus on Fire/Rescue personnel in our area. Cards, notes, dropping off snacks/food are just a few ideas.
    • [9:30am classes that meet in the ROC buidling] Jax Fire and Rescue Station 42…2948 Delor Dr Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL 32223 (Off of San Jose in Mandarin)
    • [9:30 classes that meet anywhere BUT the ROC building] Jax Fire and Rescue Station 62…14279 Bartram Park Blvd, Jacksonville, FL 32258
    • [11am classes that meet in the ROC building] St Johns County Fire and Rescue Station 2…1120 Sheffield Rd, Saint Johns, FL 32259(Off of SR 13)
    • [11am classes that meet anywhere BUT the ROC building] St Johns County Fire and Rescue Station 17…10001 Cartwheel Bay Ave, 10001 Cartwheel Bay Ave (Off of 210)
NOTE: Ask class members to sign their names, put the name of your class and Fruit Cove Baptist Church. If class members are unable to get out for stamps, cards/letters can be dropped off at the church for mailing. Just make sure envelopes are addressed and marked “needs postage”.

MidWeek@Home Plans

  • MidWeek options for children, students and adults will be posted at MidWeek@Home

I Need Help

  • If you find yourself in need of an encouraging phone call, urgent supplies or a personal shopper for a grocery store run contact us at info@fruitcove.com and we’ll see how we can help

How Can I Help?

  • Prepare to minister to fellow church members and neighbors, especially those who are older. If you live beside or are in close contact with families who have high-risk individuals in their homes, reach out to see if they need anything. Maybe that means offering to pick up supplies on your next trip to the store or dropping off some food if they’re unable to get out.
  • Look for opportunities to share the gospel. When conversations of fear and uncertainty arise with neighbors, talk about the hope you have in Jesus. Many people are looking for answers that only He can provide. Click on our Jesus link for help in communicating the Good News!
  • Here’s an easy way to let your neighbors know you are there to help. Print this out as a postcard or full sheet and place in mailboxes or on doors of homes on your street
  • Download the Help Postcard

How Can I Pray?

2 Timothy 1:7 says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” As believers, we can trust that God brings triumph in our trials. As believers, we have the authority through Christ to pray against the spread of any disease and to pray for healing for those who have the Coronavirus.

  • Begin your prayer time by praising God for His sovereignty. He still is and always will be in control of all things. Pray that we will trust Him to help us navigate this season of uncertainty.
  • Pray for wisdom for government leaders, the CDC, researchers, other medical personnel, and leaders in churches and other strategic places to respond wisely and appropriately.
  • Pray for the protection of doctors, nurses, crisis response teams, emergency first responders, researchers and other medical professionals who risk their lives to protect ours.
  • Pray for comfort and healing for those stricken with this virus. Pray they will receive the quality health care they need to regain health and strength. Pray for their healing and for a vaccine to cure and eradicate this virus.
  • Pray for peace and calmness, as well as freedom from fear, anxiety, and panic among individuals and communities.
  • Pray that we would be proactive in proclaiming the gospel and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Pray that this event would be a catalyst for revival in Northeast Florida and around the world.

Continue to give 

  • Fruit is a generous church and we want to demonstrate our faith by giving in this time of crisis
  • The funds given help us to minister to many local, national and international agencies who will bring relief to those affected by Coronavirus.
  • You can send your tithes/offerings to 501 SR 13-St Johns FL-32259, stop by the church office and drop an envelope through office foyer door mail slot, or  Give Online

Daily Video Updates

Look for daily video updates posted by our staff team members on Facebook and Instagram.

Palm Sunday – Special Lord’s Supper Service

Written by Jonathan Wilson on . Posted in Uncategorized. 5 Comments

April 5, 2020 @ 9:30am & 11am

It has been tradition for our church to take the Lord’s Supper on Palm Sunday for many years.  This year will be no different…except it will be different.  On Sunday, April 5th we will be hosting a Family Lord’s Supper Service via our online broadcasts at 9:30am and 11am.  What that means is families will be taking the Lord’s Supper together in their own homes, while being led by Pastor Tim during our online broadcasts.  This is a chance for our Church Family to join together, no matter where you are located and worship together in this special way.

There are a couple of ways you can do this as a family:

  • Bake your own Communion Bread at home.  This is a great opportunity for a fun family project where kids and parents can join together in baking their own Communion Bread.  Below is Pam Maynard’s unleavened bread recipe. Bake your own bread, then all you need is some juice and you are all set.

1 cup unbleached flour

1/3 cup cup water, room temperature

1/4 tsp salt

Combine the flour and salt. Add enough water to make a dough that will clean the sides of the bowl and can be gathered into a ball. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and knead 10 minutes. Shape into a ball and cut in half. Roll each piece out until very thin. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 500 degree oven for 5 minutes or until lightly colored, blistered, and crisp. 

  • Use Crackers as a bread substitute.  If you don’t have the time or means to bake your own bread then substitute the bread with crackers.  Many missionaries in the field use whatever they have at their disposal to partake in the Lord’s Supper together.

The main point is for us all to worship together in taking the Lord’s Supper.  It isn’t about whether or not you have bread, crackers, grape juice or Kool-aide.  What is important is the meaning behind those items and that is Jesus Christ!

We love you and cannot wait to worship with you in person, but in the meantime let’s continue to be the church activated and mobilized in our homes and neighborhoods!

-Your Fruit Cove Baptist Church Staff Team

Connection Card

Written by Jonathan Wilson on . Posted in Connection Card. Leave a Comment

Connection Card

Connection Card for First Time Guests, Contact Info Updates, Prayer Requests, or Church Membership/Salvation Decisions

ALL ON CAMPUS ACTIVITIES SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE //

Written by Jonathan Wilson on . Posted in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment

We’ve made the call to go ahead and cancel all on-campus activities until further notice including Sunday morning worship.
We will have worship services online at 9:30 and 11am tomorrow on https://www.fruitcove.com/live/ and Facebook Live (@FruitCoveBC). Please make plans to join us online.
The church office will be closed next week.
Why this decision?
  1. We want to honor the wishes and requests of our local, state and federal governments.
  2. We are loving our neighbors by protecting our neighbors.
  3. We are not being fearful, we are being responsible.
  4. This is what love requires of us in this season.
With these changes come unique opportunities. One major opportunity is to worship together online. We have some information on our Facebook page that you can share with friends. If you are not on Facebook share the https://www.fruitcove.com/live/ link with people you know. For a world suddenly thrown into chaos, an invitation from you to a friend to “join us for worship online” may just be the start of some great gospel conversations!

This is an evolving situation so stay up to date on how our church is responding at this website and our social media channels @FruitCoveBC (Facebook, Twitter, Insta).

UPDATE: 03/12/2020 2pm

Written by Jonathan Wilson on . Posted in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment

We’ve had several questions about plans for this coming Sunday, March 15. At this time all regular Sunday programming is on, Sunday School/Small Groups at 9:30am and 11am, Worship services at 9:30am and 11am.

We have decided to make the following postponements:

  • Caregivers Conference scheduled for March 14
  • Car Show and Spring Fest scheduled for April 4
  • Spring Break Mission Trips to London, Puerto Rico and Jersey City

UPDATED: What About Missions Trips

Written by Jonathan Wilson on . Posted in Uncategorized.

3/12/20

In conversations with the International Mission Board and our church planting partners on the ground in London we have decided to postpone the HS Senior mission trip to London. This was a hard decision to make but we feel it is the right decision. You can read the full IMB statement here https://www.imb.org/2020/03/09/imb-recommends-volunteers-postpone-travel/.

We have also decided to postpone the 10th and 11th Grade Mission Trip to Jersey City as well as the MSM Family Mission Trip to Puerto Rico. We will be working with airlines, hotels and car rental companies in the next few days to determine what costs can be recouped or transferred to a future mission trip, so if you were one of the team members impacted by this decision please bear with us as we seek to gather that information. Once we have enough information to share we will do that with the Mission Team Leaders and participants.

At this time the Miami Family Mission Trip is still on. We feel good about this in that families are responsible for getting themselves to South Florida via personal vehicles and our participants will not be crossing state lines. We continue to monitor the situation and will make any updates as needed.

These decisions have been hard but at the end of the day necessary. In closing I wanted to share one of the messages we’ve received from field partners as we’ve relayed our postponement news to them:

Thanks for being willing to send these guys. Even though they’re not coming, it’s not been a waste. They stimulated us into thinking how we can keep on reaching our neighbourhood. We’ve accelerated some plans for questionnaires. We’d be delighted to host them again at some point in the future. – Richard Perkins, London

All is not lost. Fruit Cove will continue to mobilize people to the ends of the earth for the sake of the gospel. But for now, our mission efforts in Jersey City, Puerto Rico and London will be concentrated on praying for those churches and their leaders. Would you join me this week in praying for:

  • Harvest City Bible Church in Jersey City, Pastor Ed Ramos
  • Iglesia Bautista La Gracia in Yauco Puerto Rico, Pastor Junior Martinez
  • Bridge Church Peckham London, Pastor Richard Perkins
  • Chiswick Baptist Church London, Pastor Steve Messersmith

 

Jonathan Wilson
Pastor to Families and Missions
Fruit Cove Baptist Church

 

 

Praying for our schools

Written by Jonathan Wilson on . Posted in Engage the Culture Stories, Uncategorized.

This Sunday, August 14 prayer walks are scheduled for Duval & St. Johns County Schools:

  • 2pm- elementary campuses
  • 3pm- middle schools
  • 4pm- high schools

Participate in the prayerwalk at the school(s) you are zoned for.

Here are 10 prayers for schools:

  1. Love. “Father, may the students and staff of this school experience Your love through the Christians they know in profound and authentic ways” (John 13:35).
  2. Truth. “Lord, release truth in this school. Help students to rightly discern truth and not believe false teachings” (Proverbs 23:23).
  3. School board. “I pray blessings on each school board member (try to pray for them by name). Father, may your will be done at board meetings” (Romans 13:1).
  4. Principal, Faculty and Staff. “May (name of principal) recognize the God-given responsibility he/she has for the best interests of the children who attend the school. May the faculty and staff walk in wisdom, integrity, grace, and truth” (Proverbs 2:1-11).
  5. Failing students. “Lord, I ask you to encourage those children who are struggling with their studies. Strengthen their minds. Help their teachers and parents know how to help them learn. Protect them from feelings of worthlessness and shame” (1 Thessalonians 5:14).
  6. Violence. “Lord, stay the hand of violence against the children and staff of this school. Dismantle any plan to bring harm to them. Expose any weapon brought into the school premises and render it harmless” (Psalm 34:7; 54:1).
  7. Christian programs. “Father, I pray for abundant blessings on programs that bring Christ into this public school. Help the groups who sponsor such programs function according to your Word and in harmony with each other. Bless the leaders and bring forth new and growing believers” (1 Corinthians 12:12,13).
  8. Christian students. “Grant the Christian students who attend this school wisdom and boldness in living out their faith. Help them share effectively the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ with their classmates” (1 Timothy 4:12).
  9. A chosen generation. “Father, may your kingdom come. From the students at this school, raise up a generation of people who worship you in spirit and in truth” (John 4:23,24; 1 Peter 2:9).
  10. An open door. “Lord, may there be an open door in this school for the gospel to be shared with students and staff. Allow full advantage to be taken of every opportunity to name the name of Jesus” (Matthew 7:7; 1 Corinthians 16:9).
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