The COVID-19 disease is sweeping the planet and forcing people to keep their distance from one another.

The following churches are making adjustments to their services to adhere to the medical experts’ urging of “social distancing,” which is to try and keep a distance of six feet between you and another party.

Eufaula First Baptist church

Pastor J. Ingram announced on March 17 that the church Trustees decided to cancel all Worship services and activities until Palm Sunday, April 5.

“We will meet later and determine if this needs to continue,” he said.

The hiatus includes the regularly scheduled Deacons meetings, Wednesday Night activities and other Church activities throughout the week.

The Church office will remain open.

“We are doing this with heavy hearts but we do it for best reasons – the health and safety of our Church and community. We believe that taking a break for the next two Sundays is a prudent and wise action that will help slow any potential spread of COVID-19,” Ingram announced on Facebook.

Until the congregation meets again, services will be live-streamed.

“We are putting together what that will look like exactly and I will send out an email and post on Facebook with links for you to participate in the live-stream,” he said.

An online offering alternative will be available to the Church.

You can mail your offering to First Baptist Church at 400 West Foley, Eufaula, Okla. 74432, bring it by the office or call (918) 689-2437 and the church will send someone to pick it up from you.

“First Baptist Church has served this Community for almost 130 years. We have endured world wars, depression, recession and disease. We will come through this time a stronger and better Church. Thank you for your personal service and sacrifice in loving Jesus and this Community,” he said.

North Fork Baptist Church

“As I have mentioned to you before, some healthcare professionals in our church family, Blair Monhollon, Dennis Staggs and Jeff Pippenger, are helping us monitor this coronavirus situation and giving us advice and wisdom concerning how we as a church family should respond,” Pastor Eric Fletcher wrote on the church’s Facebook. “As this situation has developed and more information and projections have been made available, we have come to the conclusion that in the best interests of our church family and our community, we need to temporarily postpone our public gatherings.”

The public gatherings will be postponed until after April 5.

“Then (we will) reassess the situation at that time. Church public gatherings include Sunday Morning Worship and Sunday School, Wednesday Night Bible Studies and Activities, WOM, the Sewing Group, Precepts, Bootcamp, etc. Basically all organized groups that meet in the church building will be temporarily postponed,” Fletcher said. Fletcher and Worship and Media Pastor Greg Spena will keep regular office hours through the week.

“It is our hope and prayer that this season of social distancing and quarantine will be short and that we will be able to get back to our public worship services very soon (especially for Easter),” Fletcher said.

Online worship services will be offered through the church’s Facebook page and YouTube page.

“It is our goal to not only offer these on Sunday mornings but to also offer other Bible studies and content at different points during each week. I really hope that you take advantage of this as we go through this season.”

First United Methodist Church

Leaders of several committees First United Methodist Church have announced the cancellation of all scheduled services and meetings through Palm Sunday, April 5.

First and foremost, we want you to know that we will still be here for you during this time and want you to let us know of all your needs whether spiritual or physical,” said Church Council Vice Chair Jerry McCormick.

The church office will continue to be open from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., Monday – Thursday throughout this time. “We will revisit our

“We will revisit our status of group services every two weeks. In the meantime, we have CDs available of past worship services that we would love to share with you. Pastor Mike is going to work on a way to continue to share his weekly lessons. We will let you know when we have the details,” McCormick said. “We remind you that our church depends on your financial support and we ask that you continue to support it financially. You can drop off your donation or you can mail it to our PO Box 470.

“Please give us names and numbers of people you are concerned about and we will contact them regularly to check on their needs. Pastor Mike has asked that we share his personal phone number as well as email. It is listed below.

“For those of you with Facebook, we will be updating it regularly. For those without we will send out emails. If you know of someone who does not have access to either, please share updates with them.

“We are actively working on ways to expand and continue our service to the community, and we ask that each of you make a concerted effort to be the hands and feet of Jesus.”

Pastor Michael Brannon mbbrannon47@ gmail.com 405-880-3241.

Eufaula First Assembly of God

Pastor Jeff Willis has announced that The Eufaula First Assembly of God has suspended gatherings for worship, effective March 22.

“I have prayerfully sought God and our great church board on how to move forward in response to the national emergency we face,” Willis said. “I considered the recommendations of the U.S. President, the CDC, and our state and national AG leadership that we not gather in groups of 10 or more for the next few weeks.

“I also considered the health and safety of our Eufaula First Family, especially those who are the most vulnerable. After weighing all the factors, I have made the most difficult ministry decision of my life. We will suspend gathering together for worship but hope to return on Palm Sunday, April 5.

“We will live stream/ video worship and the Word on Facebook. I will also do a Wednesday night Bible Study as well as other post and videos throughout the week. We need to remember we are the church, it is not a building. We can worship God any time, any day, any place.”

Here are some other things the church will do when not meeting in the building:

1. Deliver supplies to seniors who can’t get out. 2. Check on each other by phone, text, or social media. 3.

3. Provide some ministry for those who don’t have internet service at home with CDs of the services.

“If you have tithe and offerings, you may drop them by the church office on Monday or Tuesday before noon, mail them to the church, or we would be glad to pick your offerings up if you would like,” Pastor Jeff.

Trinity Episcopal Church

“By now most of you have learned that all of our Episcopal churches in the Diocese of Oklahoma are temporarily closed in a serious, very prayerfully considered effort to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus,” Rev. Therese Starr said.

“Hopefully, the duration of the closure will be relatively short. I will be posting Bishop Ed’s letter to us which gives more detail behind our efforts as a Church to help minister to all God’s people during this uncertain time, and more specific information about what some of our churches are offering immediately this weekend for online worship opportunities.

“Please be assured that this closure does not mean that ‘church has stopped’ or that ministry to, for and among God’s people even here in Eufaula is simply ‘on vacation’ for a month.

“I will be working with the vestry and listening to you, our members, as we gather ideas and determine the best ways we can still be in community to pray, worship and support one another even though we are not able to physically gather together in the building on Sundays.

“Our life as a faith community continues. If anything, working through this experience just may teach us not to take our faith community for granted, and remind us of just how valuable and joyful it is when two or more are gathered in His name. God is still very much in our midst.”