We are making some changes to our schedule of Sunday events on Sunday, August 1, 2021. Our church has experienced an unusually high degree of illnesses and we want to give families a chance to heal while protecting our most vulnerable.

1. @ 9:30: There will be no Sunday School on Sunday, August 1, 2021. Nursery, KidzZone, Youth, and Adult classes will not be meeting on campus this Sunday.
2. @ 10:45: Children's Church at 10:45 is canceled. Nursery will not be provided. Children are always welcome in our corporate worship. WE WILL HAVE CORPORATE WORSHIP AT 10:45 AM.

Any effort in distancing from one another is painful and disappointing. Know that these precautions, as well as others, are designed to care for and shepherd God's great people. Please continue to take health precautions while on campus, maintaining an overflow section for those with greater health concerns, washing hands, and masking as appropriate. Pray one for another as some families wrestle with more difficult complications.

For those that decide to worship from home, we do plan to stream our worship live online as we do every Sunday. You can watch on our website, Facebook, or our YouTube channel. Last Sunday we experienced internet problems on campus. We are trusting that our provider resolved their issues. However, if we are unable to stream live we will let you know on our Facebook page and will post our worship on Facebook and YouTube later in the afternoon.

Please reach out to your Sunday School teacher if you have further questions.

Prayer as a Measure of Your Spirit-Filled Life
 
Each month this year our staff will choose a different aspect of discipleship to share as the focus for that given month. Discipleship is the process of growing to be more like Jesus, part of The Journey every Christian embarks upon when surrendering their life to Christ. The discipleship focus for the month of August is prayer.
 
In my personal studies, I’m working through John Owen’s 820-page volume on the work of the Holy Spirit. John Owen was an English Puritan of the 17th century who witnessed the rise of the English Separatist movement as well as its fall when Charles II ascended the throne and dashed the hopes of an English commonwealth. Others have said that John Owen was the “Holy Spirit theologian of the Puritans,” and his extensive work proves that we have much to learn from him.
 
Of note, Owen deals a lot with the work of the Holy Spirit in prayer, recognizing that Christians cannot pray without the help of God. Not only is the spiritual exercise of prayer beyond our human ability, but the sinful nature we carry inhibits our capability to pray. He writes, “The matter of our prayer respects the depravation of our nature, and our wants on that account.” Yet, the Holy Spirit is imparted to believers to help them fulfill their privilege and duty in communing with God. Therefore, prayer acts as a sort of measure as to how completely a Christian is Spirit-filled. Spirit-filled Christians have an effective prayer life.
 
Owen notes that the Holy Spirit is performing two general works in a Spirit-filled Christian to aid him in prayer. First, the Spirit makes us want to pray. Secondly, the Spirit gives us the ability to pray—not in general, but upon each prayer event.
 
But how can we know that the contents of these prayers are Spirit-led when our own deficiencies and depravities crowd our thinking? After all, we need the Spirit to help our weakness, because we don’t even know what to pray for without His help (Rom 8:26). Owen offers three requests that are regular elements of a Spirit-filled prayer life.
 
First, Spirit-filled Christians are concerned with praying for their own lack of faith and unbelief. He points out that such a concern in prayer rightly frames our approach to prayer—we need the Lord’s aid in every aspect of the Christian life. Owen is helpful not to guilt Christians into prayer, but to remind us that in our flesh, none of us succeed in intimacy with Christ. Spirit-filled Christians pray for the seeds of doubt and unbelief that exist in their lives to vanish in His presence.
 
Second, Spirit-filled Christians are constantly aware of the prayer requests that fulfill our own carnal interests. Prayer is not merely listing the things in life you want, but rather connecting to the heart of God and voicing how His mind and will can be fulfilled in your life. Or as Owen puts it, “the Holy Spirit gives the soul of a believer a delight in God as the object of prayer.” Spirit-filled Christians pray for the things of interest to the Father.
 
Third, Spirit-filled Christians leave prayer with a view of God on the throne. Their prayers have been so saturated with overcoming doubt and satisfying the mind and will of God in their lives that their end goal has been achieved when they can close with a higher view of God’s supremacy. Owen’s “throne of grace” aspect in prayer is not a mere intellectual affirmation that God is important but becomes an all-consuming realization that carries the Spirit-led Christian throughout His day after communing with his sovereign Creator. Spirit-filled Christians frame their communion with God in a way that maintains the integrity of God’s loftiness.
 
Do you pray? If so, do your prayers demonstrate the Spirit of God within you? As you spend time this month assessing your own spiritual temperature, pay special attention to your prayer time, because prayer is a demonstrated measure of your Spirit-filled Christian life.
 
(Written by Shawn Nichols, Pastor)

Oklahoma City, OK: Families in our church continue to manage seasonal illnesses and a few COVID cases. COVID has certainly not escaped the news cycles, where we are hearing of an increased number of cases, variant strains, and vaccine metrics. Given the likelihood that we are moving into cold and flu season, Wilmont wants to communicate our initial plan to help members and guests feel safe while in worship and Bible study. The following precautions are implemented and recommended for your health and peace of mind:

• Overflow Section: Our sanctuary overflow on the south side in the back is dedicated to people who feel the need to wear masks. Even though masks are not required in our area, some wrestle with autoimmune issues or other health concerns. Please respect those in this section by not sitting in areas without a mask if that area is designated.
• Electrostatic Sanitation: Many of our common areas as well our our nursery and KidzZone are electrostatically treated every week. We are constantly working with our cleaning company and vendors to make sure we are using the most effective sanitation options on the market.
• Classroom Supplies: We are stocking our Sunday School rooms with Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer for teachers and students to use as needed. While these areas are cleaned professionally, some may feel more comfortable with extra measures when in close contact with others.
• Spaced Worship: We have maintained safe-distanced seating in our sanctuary where you should be able to find a safe space to worship. We are blessed on some weeks to having a relatively full sanctuary. We continue to monitor our worship attendance and are discussing options should our capacity be a future challenge.
• Member Care: We want to encourage you to care for others that choose to worship at Wilmont by respecting how members and guests care for their own health. Our community has learned that we don't all agree with respect to masks, distance, or a vaccine. Yet, common health practices of staying home when sick or hand washing even on campus are good hygiene practices for everyone. Remember Romans 14:19-20a, "So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another. Do not tear down the work of God...."

If you have questions, concerns, or recommendations for church-wide health and safety, please reach out to our CaringWell team through email or by calling 405.634.6773.