ReGather
Pastors
Pastors need to guard their own emotional health. They need to grieve their losses and share their struggles with safe people who will provide support for them.
Pastors need to REFOCUS
Dream again, innovate, take risks, and have fun starting new ministries and let go of the inefficient ones.
Pastors need to REJOICE
Pastors and churches need to celebrate the wins they have from the last twelve months. Here are a few examples:
- Giving may be the only reliable scorecard for 2020, and the core of the church has risen to the occasion!
- Member engagement was up this year even though overall attendance was down. Authentic connections were made between members, neighbors, and family, which is something pastors can and should build on through new groups, widow care, evangelism, etc.
- Online worship and giving is here to stay! Seek ways to maximize for the future and leverage it for church health and strength.
- Streamlined decision making has resulted in leaders revisiting their policies and procedures.
Pastors need to REST
Good advice for pastors this spring is to plan now for a time of vacation to refresh before the fall. Mistakes are made when we are tired. Fears and frustrations are exaggerated when we are exhausted.
There will be plenty of opportunities for summer camps, VBS, outdoor events, and training for new teachers and ministry teams. Just pace yourself, pastor, because the next season of your ministry may just be the best one ever. Everyone in your life and ministry will benefit when you are refreshed and refocused.
People
The people of our churches need many of the same things our pastors need. They need time to grieve their losses and be renewed emotionally and spiritually. Here are some of the observations about the people in our churches:

The Core of the Church is Strong and Loyal

The Church Wanted Leadership in the Crisis and Trusted that Leadership (Perhaps Even More than Expected)
Everyone has walked through the same unknown territory, and the need for good and godly leadership has been reaffirmed during this season. Overall, the people have trusted their pastor’s leadership more than expected. There will always some level of questioning and complaining, but overall people have trusted their leaders. A general rule of thumb is that the more trusted the leaders are, the stronger the following.

The Need for Community has been Recognized and the Opportunity for it has been Missed
Preparation
Churches across the state are moving toward a busy summer of camps and VBS but they should not neglect this time to make needed preparation for the fall.
Most of the communities across the state are 90 days away from the start of a new school year. Likewise, churches will start their new Sunday School/Small Group years in the same time frame. This summer is key in preparing to maximize that launch. Here are things to consider in preparing for this fall:
Sunday School/Small Group
Communication
Equipping with the Gospel
Plans
The six-week window from the middle of August to the beginning of October will be a prime time for regathering people to church. Here are some plans that pastors shared:

Preaching

Emphasis

Fellowship
A number of churches are planning local ministry/missions projects in addition to their regular fall ministry opportunities. Pastors expect fall festivals and the local ministry projects that happen around the holidays to come back strong and they will provide a great opportunity to mobilize the church in service.
Conclusion
Recently a pastor shared that he thought people would establish their church participation patterns by the end of this year. What our churches do this summer in preparation and this fall in implementation has great potential to strengthen the church and advance the Gospel.
Our prayer is that we will redeem the time for the glory of God (Psalm 115:1)
Resources

Restart Groups Documents
The folders and files in this package contain documents to help your church restart groups. The files are easily modified by you to fit your church’s context.
Add your church’s name, logo, or other identifying elements. If you do not find an asset that you believe is needed for your church’s relaunch of Bible study groups, add it! Record videos and place them here, too.
We hope that these documents will give you a foundation on which to build your church’s relaunch emphasis for Bible study groups.
Oklahoma Baptists’ COVID-19 Page
This page contains a collection of guides, communication strategies, and legal information to help churches navigate COVID-19 effectively.
