Dear Church Family, 

May God’s grace and peace be with you! 

I want to update you on our plans for regathering as a church.  We have intentionally used the word regathering because even though the church building has been closed the church has not been closed.  Ministry has been happening and we have been celebrating white roses as people have been coming to Christ!  We give glory to God and thank you for your prayers and faithfulness!   

 

As you know, we have been planning and preparing for this step carefully and seeking to prayerfully be wise, following the state guidelines, getting your feedback from a regathering survey, and forming a regathering and implementation team to help provide a plan to regather.  This has been a great team and they have done a wonderful job!  In a collaborative decision between the Leadership Team, staff, and input from the Regathering Team, the date of August 9 has been set as our first Sunday to regather in the church building.  

 

While I know some of you were hoping for a sooner date and some a later date, we feel this date works the best to have everything in place and ready to go in order to provide both an effective online stream worship presence as well as a regathering worship presence in the church building.  It has been our commitment from the beginning that before we regather we would continue to stream our worship services online knowing that some will not be ready or able to join us in person right away.  

 

We will be communicating more details as the day approaches.  I believe the next few months will be more complex for the church than the last three months.  I believe opening up our building will be much more challenging than the process of closing.  I am convinced that the need for us to walk in unity will be paramount for each of us.  The enemy exists to lie, steal, kill, and destroy.  Jesus comes to give us life abundant! 

 

Will you continue to pray for us and these next steps we are taking to regather?  Will you pray against the divisive work of the enemy and cry out to God to unite us?  Will you commit to have a gracious spirit and speak kind words even when you don’t agree with every decision or the timing of things?  Will you ask the Holy Spirit of the Living God to fill each of our staff members and me as the Lead Pastor?  

 

I feel like we have just competed in a Triathlon and the finish line is actually the starting line of another Triathlon.  I also know that God can give me, you, and all of our Bemidji Covenant leaders the strength we need for the next part of the race.  Will you join me in following Jesus and holding to His hand through this next season?  Remember these words from the prophet Isaiah: “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:29-31)

We are better together. I am excited to walk forward with each of you as we follow, serve, honor, and glorify Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords!

 

Sincerely in Christ,

Pastor Todd