In this time of a worldwide pandemic, we have been able to offer live stream worship services and our food pantry continues to serve the community via a drive-up service. Our church has been drawing near to one another through different means than before, yet we are enduring and persevering as we trust in the Lord. The Lord has blessed us with mission trips to the Amazon River of Brazil where we partner with IMB missionaries, trips we hope to resume when society returns to normal (we had to cancel our planned trip for this year). Pastor Cory has been called to be Iowa’s International Mission Board trustee. If anyone would like to speak with Cory about the IMB, email cory.gonyo@fbcbettendorf.org. Please pray for our NAMB and IMB missionaries worldwide, that the Lord would uphold them and use them to boldly share the gospel. Let us all remain faithful to the written Word of God in Scripture and the Living Word of God in Jesus Christ. And may we renew commitment to our Cooperative Program partnership so that the gospel may reach to the ends of the earth.

Please pray with us for the body of Christ to continue to be the body in a new context, to take advantage of new opportunities to grow and share the gospel. Please pray that each local church will be healthy inwardly and bold with the gospel outwardly. We believe that we cannot “cancel church” but that we need to be the body in a new and challenging situation. The gospel of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the power of salvation for all who would believe. We believe that it is no mistake that we, all of us as Christians and churches, celebrated Easter right in the middle of the pandemic. May the Lord use this to humble the nations to come to Christ for their salvation and His glory. Please pray for those who are at most risk and for our churches to experience revival and revitalization both during and as we come out of this current crisis.