Dear BA Nazarene Family,
We are in the midst of some very interesting and challenging days with the COVID 19 Virus. Let me start by saying that this situation is new to all of us…but we are ALL doing our best to make prayerful decisions with the best interest of the Church in mind.
Getting good information during this time has been a challenge. It seems like every time we think we know what the rules are, they change. With this being the case, you can see how difficult it is to make any kind of decision as a local church when it comes to how we will handle our gathering together now and in the future.
After a lot of consultation with staff and the church board and a few outside sources we have decided that we will hold our services online and cancel all on campus gatherings until we get word that it is safe to continue to meet as a Church body. We also encourage all of our small groups to discontinue meeting together for the time being.
Even though we are not able meet together physically we will continue to find ways to grow in our faith through sharing life together. This can be done without having to get a large group of people together. You can FaceTime, Skype, use social media or an old fashioned phone call to accomplish this.
This is not a decision that we take lightly, but we believe it is in the best interest of those who are the most vulnerable among us, mainly our senior adults and those with compromised health issues. I know some of you may have a lot of questions, and if you do I encourage you to call the church office at 918-455-3550, or send us an email at info@banazarene.org. We will also try to keep you all notified by email, text, social media, snail mail, and by phone.
The staff and I will continue to be available to you for pastoral care even though it may look a little different than normal. If you are in need of pastoral care, please call the church office and we will get with you as soon as we can.
So, how can you be part of the worship gathering? We will be streaming on Facebook and YouTube. All you have to do is go to the Broken Arrow Nazarene Facebook Page or go to YouTube and type Broken Arrow Nazarene in the search window. When you watch, leave a message or even a picture of you and your family as you are worshipping together with us. If you need assistance accessing the stream, please feel free to contact the church office, and we will help get you connected.
I cannot stress enough how important I think it is for all of us to limit our interactions over the next few weeks. I know this may seem like overkill to some and like an under-reaction to others…mostly because this is something we have never dealt with before.
Even with all of the obstacles we are facing, I believe it is possible for us to stay on mission as a community of faith. One of the ways we can stay on mission is to use our time at home to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to show himself in a mighty way. This can be an Acts Chapter 2 “upper room moment” if we decide to grow closer to God and each other instead of giving into fear and anxiety.
Join me in praying for revival, through supernatural healing of those with this virus…Also pray that God would show himself by eradicating this sickness from the world in record time.
With God’s help we will get through this challenging time together. In fact I believe that we will come through this as a church stronger and more connected than ever. Please use good sense, love others, and stay healthy.
In His Awesome Grip,
Pastor Scott
