The OKC "Power-10"

Highlights affecting the remainder of November:

• No Sunday School.
• No children's church or nursery.
• No online broadcast of live 10:45 a.m. Worship. In-person worship continues.
• We need your help!

Oklahoma City, OK: Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt has asked the city for a voluntary "Power-10," ten days of intentional social distancing in an attempt to lower the "tsunami" of COVID-19 cases over the holidays. On November 19, Holt announced that he will issue a new emergency proclamation to enforce Gov. Kevin Stitt’s new statewide restrictions on bars and restaurants, which means Oklahoma City police will enforce the restrictions in Oklahoma City limits.

Some of Mayor Holt's recommendations include:

• Don’t meet in groups, especially indoors. Politely decline social invitations. Suggest a phone or video call instead.
  
• Order takeout to support restaurants. But don’t gather with others there.
  
• Think of ways to gather for Thanksgiving without doing it indoors around a dinner table. Gather virtually or try outdoor drive-by visits.
• People with authority over office workplaces should transition staff to remote work. Do not hold in-person meetings. For those who must work in person, call co-workers instead of visiting them, even from the office next door.
• Religious leaders should encourage their communities to follow these guidelines.
• For any gathering that must take place, require masks and distancing.
• Wear masks for holiday shopping. Many local and national retailers also have curbside pickup for online or phone orders.
• Help elevate this message: Tell family, friends and neighbors to take a break for 10 days.

Wilmont's Compliance with 'Power-10'

Wilmont staff has met with other church leaders who agree to implement the following:

• There will be no small group Sunday School for the remainder of November starting immediately. Sunday School teachers are welcome to contact the church office to request a Zoom meeting event that can be shared with members of their class. Sunday School teachers should contact Larry Louthan, our Sunday School Director, for more information.
  
• Wilmont will continue to gather for worship at 10:45 a.m. on Sunday mornings. During this time, however, we are asking all those in attendance to continue wearing masks and to socially distance their family from others.
• Wilmont will continue to prioritize sanitation plans throughout the week.
• The church will not offer a children's church or nursery during the remainder of November. Your children are a welcome addition to your family gathering in the sanctuary during worship.
• Wilmont staff will be working from home Thanksgiving week starting November 23. You should be able to call the church office or to contact staff members as normal. You may experience some delay in our response as we work to reply from home.
• As a reminder, mid-week activities have already been canceled for Wednesday, November 25.
• The staff will reassess Sunday and mid-week activities on Monday, November 30 and will plan a further strategy for the remainder of the year after listening to local leaders.

Further, Wilmont will NOT broadcast worship live for the remainder of November (the next two Sundays). While we deeply regret this decision and recognize that many families are wanting to stay connected with their church while remaining home-bound, we have experienced some technical problems that prevent our broadcast at this time. We are actively working to resolve these issues with our equipment vendors and will return to live worship broadcasts as quickly as possible. During this season, we would encourage you to visit our Facebook page or YouTube channel and to catch up on recent worship events and sermons during our "Course Corrections" sermon series.

Your staff and church leaders greatly regret the necessity to make these decisions. We know our decisions will seem too restrictive for some and not restrictive enough for others. You will remember that just last week our pastor requested our patience and grace as he works with other leaders in the church to guide us through an unprecedented series of events. For years we have benefited from the ministries of Wilmont, receiving help in life's trials and growing close to the Lord through the investment of others. Please use this time to pay forward what God has done in your life by ministering back to your church.

We Need Your Help

Please do not disconnect from your church. Our congregation stands in need and we need your help. Here are some ways you can help us during these difficult transitions:

• Please pray for your pastor, staff, and other church leaders as they work to care for the spiritual and physical safety of a diverse group of people.
• Please continue to give generously and faithfully to your church. Our expenses do not decrease when we do not meet. You can give online, through your Church Center smartphone app, or by texting an amount to 84321. September and October offerings have been painfully low and we would really appreciate your faithfulness in this area.
• Contact others in the church. Perhaps there are some needs you can meet, but more importantly, it encourages others just to hear from you. If you're a leader, check on the welfare of your class, committee, or group.
• Be consistent in your COVID-19 precautions. It hurts your friends to hear of you worshiping from home only to see you post pictures of your community activities on social media. Decide what worship practices are best for your family and then allow your other non-critical activities to mirror those convictions.
  

If you have any questions, you can call the church office or send us an email to info @ wilmontplace.com.

About Wilmont Place Baptist Church: Wilmont Place Baptist Church is a Southern Baptist church of 150 active members on the south side of Oklahoma City. Text-driven expository preaching, Bible-teaching, personal growth, and community evangelism define the culture and direct the activities and events of the congregation. The church is working through a formal revitalization strategy in which members become family and the community becomes ministry. You can reach Wilmont online at www.WilmontPlace.com.

###