Important Updates
Click here for updates on in-person church activities
Date: 3/31/20 5:30pm
Subject: Closures through April 30
In keeping with Governor Abbott's extension of the Shelter In Place order, Columbus Avenue Baptist Church will take the following actions...
In-Person Activities suspension will be extended through April 30. Worship services will be live-streamed at 9am on the web and Facebook and at 11am on CW12.
Church Offices will remain closed to visitors through April 30. The staff will still be working remotely, so please continue to communicate via phone and email.
theCENTER will remain closed to visitors through April 30. April membership dues will not be charged until theCenter reopens. For more information regarding the closing of theCENTER, contact brandal.mccormack@cabcwaco.org.
The Child Development Center will remain closed through May 1. April tuition will not be charged until the CDC reopens. For information regarding the closing of the CDC, contact michelle.witt@cabcwaco.org.
Love Your Neighbor Ministry is a way to connect with volunteer opportunities related to the COVID-19 crisis. See ways to serve at cabcwaco.org/loveyourneighbor.
Online Content for preschool, children, youth, and college students can be accessed at cabcwaco.org/onlinecontent.
The following events have been canceled or postponed:
- Thursday Noon Prayer Gathering - canceled through April 30
- Men's Thursday Bible Study - canceled through April 30
- Neighbors International – canceled for the rest of the semester
- Creating a Financial Legacy – postponed. Date to be announced later.
- Adult Spring Banquet – postponed. Date to be announced later.
- Expecting Parents Breakfast – postponed. Date to be announced later.
- Aspire Women's Event – rescheduled for May 30.
- Road to Resurrection House of Prayer on April 8 - canceled
- Parents' Night Out on April 17 - canceled
- College Leadership Training on April 18 – canceled
- Connection Lunch on April 19 - postponed. Date to be announced later.
- Father/Son Campout on April 24-25 - canceled
- Family Avenue Parent Training on April 26 - postponed. Date to be announced later.
Date: 3/31/20 3:25pm
Subject: Closures through April 21
In keeping with the City Council's and Mayor Deaver's extension of the Shelter In Place order, Columbus Avenue Baptist Church will take the following actions...
In-Person Activities suspension will be extended through April 21. Worship services will be live-streamed at 9am on the web and Facebook and at 11am on CW12.
Church Offices will remain closed to visitors through April 21. The staff will still be working remotely, so please continue to communicate via phone and email.
TheCENTER will remain closed to visitors through April 21. April membership dues will not be charged until theCenter reopens. For more information regarding the closing of theCENTER, contact brandal.mccormack@cabcwaco.org.
The Child Development Center will remain closed through April 21. April tuition will not be charged until the CDC reopens. For information regarding the closing of the CDC, contact michelle.witt@cabcwaco.org.
Love Your Neighbor Ministry is a way to connect with volunteer opportunities related to the COVID-19 crisis. See ways to serve at cabcwaco.org/loveyourneighbor.
Online Content for preschool, children, youth, and college students can be accessed at cabcwaco.org/onlinecontent.
Date: 3/25/20 12:15pm
Subject: Closures through April 7
In keeping with the City Council's and Mayor Deaver's extension of the Shelter In Place order, Columbus Avenue Baptist Church will take the following actions...
In-Person Activities suspension will be extended through April 7. Worship services will be live-streamed at 9am on the web and Facebook and at 11am on CW12.
Church Offices will remain closed to visitors through April 7. The staff will still be working remotely, so please continue to communicate via phone and email.
TheCENTER will remain closed to visitors through April 7. April membership dues will not be charged until theCenter reopens. For more information regarding the closing of theCENTER, contact brandal.mccormack@cabcwaco.org.
The Child Development Center will remain closed through April 7. April tuition will not be charged until the CDC reopens. For information regarding the closing of the CDC, contact michelle.witt@cabcwaco.org.
Love Your Neighbor Ministry is a way to connect with volunteer opportunities related to the COVID-19 crisis. See ways to serve at cabcwaco.org/loveyourneighbor.
Online Content for preschool, children, youth, and college students can be accessed at cabcwaco.org/onlinecontent.
Date: 3/23/20 10am
Subject: Closures through April 3
In keeping with Governor Abbott’s Executive Order, Columbus Avenue Baptist Church will take the following actions...
In-Person Activities suspension will be extended through April 3. Worship services will be live-streamed at 9am on the web and Facebook and at 11am on CW12.
Church Offices will remain closed to visitors through April 3. The staff will still be working remotely, so please continue to communicate via phone and email.
TheCENTER will remain closed to visitors through April 3. April membership dues will not be charged until theCenter reopens. For more information regarding the closing of theCENTER, contact brandal.mccormack@cabcwaco.org.
The Child Development Center will remain closed through April 3. April tuition will not be charged until the CDC reopens. For information regarding the closing of the CDC, contact michelle.witt@cabcwaco.org.
Love Your Neighbor Ministry is a way to connect with volunteer opportunities related to the COVID-19 crisis. See ways to serve at cabcwaco.org/loveyourneighbor.
Online Content for preschool, children, youth, and college students can be accessed at cabcwaco.org/onlinecontent.
Dear church family,
I have received many notes of gratitude for the televised and streamed worship service on Sunday morning, and I hope that you experienced God’s gracious presence wherever you were worshipping! What a comforting and awe-inspiring thought that the Lord has “encircled me” and “placed His hand on me” wherever I may be (Psalm 139:1-6)! We have great confidence and hope because He is leading us in the “everlasting way” (Psalm 139:24). Join us again via TV or web on Sunday as we worship our omnipresent God!
As we continue into the uncharted waters ahead, our ministry team and church leadership have been working to respond wisely and quickly to the changing guidelines from our national, state, and local officials. We have developed a plan for our church to continue our ministry during the “15 Days to Slow the Spread” outlined by President Trump yesterday as well as to prepare for how we will do ministry after the 15 day timeframe.
15 Days to Slow the Spread – Columbus Avenue Updates
- Church offices will close to visitors from March 18-31. The staff will still be working remotely, so please continue to communicate via phone and email.
- In person activities suspension will be extended through March 31. Worship services, Sunday school, ColumbusU, and special events will not meet in person during this time. Worship services will be live streamed at 9am on the web and Facebook and at 11am on CW12.
- Funeral and memorial services will still be held but will be open for family and close friends only. Live stream of the services will be provided for those who want to participate but cannot attend in person. Go to https://cabcwaco.org/stream to access the live stream at the time of the service. Our facilities utilized during an event will be disinfected after each event. This will apply to the funeral service for Ruth Brattlof on Wednesday at 1pm.
- TheCENTER will be closed to visitors through March 31.
- The CDC will remain closed to visitors through March 27 and will reopen with revised drop off/pick up and operational procedures provided by the Texas Department of Health and Human Services.
- Prayer requests and pastoral care needs can be shared to prayer@cabcwaco.org.
- Volunteer opportunities and requests for help will be facilitated through our new “Love Your Neighbor” ministry. More information about the “Love Your Neighbor” ministry will be shared in the Avenuer tomorrow, but it will help us respond to needs and opportunities created by the COVID-19 crisis.
- Sunday school classes and Community Groups will receive information later this week about how they can meet remotely.
- New, online content created and curated by our ministry staff team will also be announced in the Avenuer tomorrow. Watch out for “The Shelley Show” coming in the afternoons for kids as well as for preschool ministry content from preschool volunteers such as Mrs. Christi!
Our hope is to return to regular operations after the “15 Days to Slow the Spread” horizon. However, we have plans in place for our ministry to continue even if some restrictions are still in place in April. We will communicate those plans as we receive further guidelines from national, state, and local officials.
While our circumstances have changed, our mission to joyfully live and lead others to a Jesus-shaped life has not! Let’s look for ways to love our neighbors. Today, pray today for the protection of our health care workers, especially those in emergency rooms and clinics. Pray as well that the peace of Christ would rule our hearts (Colossians 3:15) so that we can point others to that peace!
Josh Vaughan, Senior Pastor
Columbus Avenue Baptist Church
Date: 3/15/20 10:50am
Subject: Spain Team
The team has arrived safely in Waco! They will be self-quarantined for the next 14 days. Church members are working to coordinate meal trains for them and their families.
Date: 3/15/20 5:35am
Subject: Spain Team
The team has arrived safely in Houston!
Date: 3/14/20 8:00am
Subject: Spain Team
The Spain Team has arrived safely in Frankfurt and is awaiting their connecting flight. They will travel to San Francisco and then catch another flight to Houston. They are scheduled to arrive at 5:26am on Sunday, 3/15.
Date: 3/13/20 4:00pm
Subject: All in-person church activities postponed...
Dear Church family,
As I’m sure you are aware, our area school districts are extending Spring Break as a precaution to limit the spread of COVID-19. We too can “love our neighbors as ourselves” in a practical way by not gathering in large groups for a season. Therefore, we will be making the following adjustments:
- All in-person church activities including worship services, Sunday school, ColumbusU, and special events will not be held until after March 27.
- Our TV broadcast will continue at 11:00 am on theCW and live stream will be on our website and Facebook page at 9:00 am. Music will be led this Sunday by both Dr. Paul Etter and Will Norvell. Our sermon series, Family of Faith, walking through the Gospel According to Luke will continue with Pastor Josh preaching.
- The Child Development Center and theCENTER will be closed through March 27.
- The church office will be closed Monday, March 16, but will reopen during regular hours on Tuesday, March 17.
Continue to pray for our Spain mission team as they make their way home this weekend.
While we are temporarily adjusting our way of life, our mission to joyfully live and lead others to a Jesus-shaped life has not changed! Pray for opportunities to point people to the one place of true stability and peace, Jesus Christ!
For the glory of God and the good of others,
Josh Vaughan
Senior Pastor
Columbus Avenue Baptist a Church
Date: 3/13/20 2:30pm
Subject: Spain Team
The team has had to change flights due to cancellations. They will now fly out of Frankfurt to Newark to Houston. They will now be arriving in Houston at 8:28 PM tomorrow, March 14.
Date: 3/13/20 8am
Subject: Spain Team
The Spain team is confirmed for an early flight out of Valencia on 3/14 and is expected to land in Houston at 5:10pm CST. Two Baylor students who returned early are safely home.
Date: 3/13/20 12am
Subject: Utah Team
The Utah Team has returned safely to Waco.
Date: 3/12/20 4:45 pm
Subject: church activities
We are continuing to follow the guidelines outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for “faith-based organizations” as well as our local health department. Since Waco is currently a low risk community, we will continue our ministry functions as planned. Our Building Service Staff has increased the frequency of disinfecting our facility with special attention to door handles, railings, and push plates and will have hand sanitizer available at Guest Central and other high traffic areas across the campus.
As is always the case, we should lead out in “loving our neighbors as ourselves” in practical ways such as washing our hands and staying home if we are sick, regardless of what illness we have! Remember, if you do need to stay home because you are ill or feel that you are vulnerable (see the CDC guidelines on who is most vulnerable), you can participate in worship on TV and online. You can stay up to date on activities and continue to give through the Columbus Avenue App and online.
Date: 3/12/20 4:31 pm
Subject: Child Development Center
For the safety of everyone, children and/or staff in a home where a 14-day travel or exposure quarantine is in place may not be readmitted until the quarantine is completed. For more information on self-quarantine procedures, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/checklist-household-ready.html.
Date: 3/12/20 4:30 pm
Subject: Spain Team
The Spain team has secured a new flight out of Frankfurt, Germany departing 1:30pm on 3/14. We are grateful for the Lord’s provision and specifically for the agent in Valencia who worked tirelessly to get our team new flights!
Date: 3/12/20 11:30am
Subject: Utah Team
The Utah Team has secured a flight back to DFW tonight and anticipates arrival at 9:20pm. They will ride together back to Waco.
Subject: Spain Team
The original flight from Frankfurt, Germany has been canceled. The team is working on other arrangements to return to the US. If they need to split up into smaller groups to secure travel, they will follow our procedures of pairing experienced travelers with inexperienced travelers and not traveling alone.
When they return, they will follow CDC guidelines for self-quarantine for 14 days.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/index.html
Date: 3/12/20 7:00am CST
Subject: Spain team
One student secured her own flight back to the US and is en route. The team is standing by at the airport hotel until arrangements can be made. They are calm, safe, and ready to wait until their original return flight if necessary.
Date: 3/11/20 10:00pm CST
Subject: mission teams
Both mission teams (Spain and Utah) have suspended their mission work and are securing travel to Waco at the earliest possible opportunity.
We do not anticipate the Spain team being denied entry even if they travel after the travel ban goes into effect (https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/03/11/homeland-security-acting-secretary-chad-f-wolf-s-statement-presidential-proclamation).
Date: 3/11/20 10:00pm CST
Subject: church activities
We are continuing to follow the guidelines outlined by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) for “faith-based organizations” as well as our local health department. Since Waco is currently a low risk community, we will continue our ministry functions as planned. Our Building Service Staff has increased the frequency of disinfecting our facility with special attention to door handles, railings, and push plates and will have hand sanitizer available at Guest Central and other high traffic areas across the campus.
As is always the case, we should lead out in “loving our neighbors as ourselves” in practical ways such as washing our hands and staying home if we are sick, regardless of what illness we have! Remember, if you do need to stay home because you are ill or feel that you are vulnerable (see the CDC guidelines on who is most vulnerable), you can participate in worship on TV and online. You can stay up to date on activities and continue to give through the Columbus Avenue App and online.