New Groups Launch September 7, 2014

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2 New Groups Launch September 7, ext This ministry is made possible by Oklahoma Baptists gifts through the Cooperative Program

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTERS TOPIC PAGE Introduction The Four Connectors of ReConnect Sunday School The ReConnect Sunday School START Campaign Association START Road Trip Transform Conference New Groups Bible Study Enlist Leaders and Provide Space ReConnect Sunday School Regional Clinics START Sunday, September 7 Outreach Burst Soulwinning Commitment Day, October 5 Pray and Invite Connection Day, November 2 Follow Through The Value of Sunday School Why the Focus on New Groups Methods for Starting New Groups Epilogue

4 INTRODUCTION For six of the last eight years, baptisms in the Southern Baptist Convention have declined. That includes 2012, which saw Southern Baptist churches baptize the fewest number of people since We have seen the same trend in Oklahoma. Baptisms were lower in our state last year than they were in A task force on evangelism has been formed by the SBC, but the real issue remains: what is the local church to do? Recognizing that Oklahoma Baptists have a state to win to Christ, Dr. Anthony Jordan, Executive-Director of the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma, has called our churches to meet the challenge of reaching Oklahoma with the Gospel by using a strategy that virtually every church already has in place Sunday School. Our churches already have a strategy that engages the lost with the Gospel and makes disciples of believers. However, a strategy is only as good as its implementation. Good intentions are not enough. Clever slogans will fall short. Impassioned pleas will land on deaf ears. What every successful strategy eventually becomes is a four letter word W-O- R-K. Strategy must be followed through with training, implementation, and a strong commitment to finish what is started. Dr. Jordan s challenge also revealed the need of our churches for a simple yet profound strategy that any church of any size, any location, and any ethnicity could implement. As a result, the BGCO has begun the ReConnect Sunday School Initiative. This broad sweeping plan is challenging churches, pastors, and lay leaders from across our state to make a commitment to Sunday School as their primary method of winning the lost and discipling the saved. 2

5 This booklet serves as an overview of the 2014 ReConnect Sunday School Initiative. We are focusing on one of the most valuable things that a church can do to reach new people with the Gospel, develop new leaders, and involve more people in personal growth and ministry. In 2014, we are focusing on starting new groups. The BGCO is partnering with Baptist Associations in Oklahoma to provide resources and training, but ultimately Sunday School is a strategy of the local church. Almost all of our churches already have a Sunday School organization of some type. This organization already involves almost every church member and already has a time to meet. To begin another ministry will require more leadership, more budget, and more time on the calendar. Sunday School is a strategy that our churches already have to engage our state with the Gospel. 3

6 The ReConnect Sunday School Initiative What is your church s strategy to engage lost people with the Gospel and make disciples? We believe that the single most effective strategy to accomplish the church s mission to make disciples is through the church s Sunday School or small group organization. Focusing on four primary connectors, Oklahoma has redefined Sunday School. Sunday School (or Small Groups, LifeGroups, Connection Groups, etc.) is a strategy. Sunday School is not a program or ministry of the church. It is its primary strategy. That means that Sunday School is not necessarily the only strategy, but it is the strategy that all of the church s other ministries support and direct people toward. Sunday School connects people. It is a relationship-driven strategy. We are not connecting people to events, books, or a model. It is a relationship strategy that involves connecting people to the four primary connectors of Sunday School. 4

7 Connector #1 Jesus It is the duty of every Christian to be Christ to his neighbor. Martin Luther As the largest organization in the church, it stands to reason that Sunday School must be about bringing people into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. The church will eventually become whatever the organization that involves the most people is doing. If the largest organization in the church is about fellowship, then you are going to have a lot of parties but you are not going to have a lot of baptisms. If it is about Bible study, then you may have a lot of champions at Bible trivia but you are probably not going to have a lot of evangelists. A driving passion behind ReConnect Sunday School is to quite literally reconnect Sunday School with its evangelistic roots. More than any other denomination or group, Southern Baptists have effectively connected Sunday School with evangelism. Pioneers in Sunday School such as Arthur Flake, J.N. Barnette, and Harry Piland were unapologetic in connecting Sunday School and evangelism. Churches today, led by pastors such as Hance Dilbeck of Quail Springs in Oklahoma City, OK, Johnny Hunt at First Baptist Woodstock, GA and Ronnie Floyd of Cross Church in Springdale, AR, are aggressively connecting Sunday School and evangelism as well. A major part of the ReConnect Sunday School Initiative is to make the connection between Sunday School and evangelism the norm in churches across our state. 5

8 Connector #2 His Truth The Word of God is the anvil upon which the opinions of men are smashed. Charles Spurgeon If you mention Sunday School to the average church member, the first thought most of them will probably have is Bible study. From biblical texts such as Nehemiah 8 and Acts 2, to its beginning as a school for children in Gloucester, England; small groups has been an effective way to teach the Bible to people of all age groups. The times we live in today are perilous. A mindset of secularism has swept over our country and our world causing most people today to question if there is any real truth at all. Rather than shrink from this ever growing belief that there is no such thing as absolute truth, the church must make a stand upon the only real truth the world has at its fingertips the Scriptures, the Word of God. This is no time to be studying books about what man thinks of God. The church must teach what God thinks about man and His desire to right what man has broken and restore the original relationship God desires to have with mankind. Jesus proclaimed this truth in the Bible, You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32). Gathering people, both lost and saved, in a small group Bible study is an incredibly effective method of teaching and learning the absolute truth of God s Word. Group members read the Bible, ask questions, and apply the truth of Scripture to their every day lives. There is no doubt about it; effective small group Bible study involves both teaching and learning. A Sunday School class or a home group is not about people sitting in circles pooling their ignorance about God. The truth of Scripture must be taught! It is directly commanded in the Great Commission, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you (Matthew 28:20). 6

9 Connector #3 His community Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Sunday School is how the church is organized for community! Community is a vital part of who God is. In fact, through the Trinity God exists as a community. When Jesus prayed to His Father in John 17, He specifically prayed that we will live in community just like Jesus is in community with the Father (John 17:21). Sunday School is designed to bring people into community and then keep them in community. As important as corporate worship is, participation in a small group is vital to the spiritual life of a believer. Scripture teaches that living in community helps us overcome a hardened heart caused by sin (Hebrews 3:13). In Sunday School or small group, believers are able to make friends, learn together, minister to one another, admonish each other, and encourage each other toward godly living. Community is vital to evangelism as well. In his book Lost and Found, Ed Stetzer shares how important a biblically functioning small group is to evangelism. According to Stetzer, a small group strategy for evangelism is founded on three concepts: belong, believe, become. Lost people are invited to belong to a small group in such a way that they understand God s Word, see the Word lived out in the lives of other group members, and then apply the Word to their own lives to the point of committing their lives to Jesus Christ. Connecting community and evangelism is scriptural. Jesus even told His disciples, By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:34). 7

10 Connector #4 His mission The world is my parish. John Wesley Accomplishing the first three of the four connectors of ReConnect Sunday School will produce a church of pewsitters. Ultimately, we are to be about the mission of God and that means connecting each person in the group to that mission. Sunday School is well situated to accomplish this final and vital connector. However, like any other strategy, leaders must be intentional about completing the work of making disciples by encouraging, leading, and connecting their group members with God s mission of redeeming the world to Himself through His Son, Jesus Christ. Sunday School is the church s strategy to develop leaders. Sunday School leaders must be challenged and committed to send group members on mission to lead other organizations or other small groups. The Latin word missio actually means send. The people in our groups will not connect to the mission of God until their Sunday School or small group leader teaches them and sends them. People enjoy being comfortable and for most, going on mission with God is out of their comfort zone. In fact, Jonah is an example of the amazing lengths people will go to in order to avoid going on mission. The effectiveness of a Sunday School group is ultimately measured by how many people it has sent on mission. 8

11 START CAMPAIGN This year, ReConnect Sunday School is seeking to partner with Oklahoma churches to launch the new START Campaign for The BGCO recognizes the vital role of starting new groups in reaching lost people with the Gospel and making disciples. Because a campaign of this magnitude requires a long runway, we have put together the following schedule to assist Oklahoma churches with the implementation of the START Campaign. Ready Phase DATE March/April March 29 EVENT/STRATEGY START Road Trip. The START Road Trip is focused on providing information and encouragement by sharing START in Oklahoma associations. Pastors are encouraged to bring church leaders to these associational START Road Trip meetings to help church members understand the purpose and intent of START. Transform Sunday School Conference at Quail Springs Baptist Church. Train Sunday School teachers and directors with Bible study techniques to help transform lives through the study of God s Word. Set Phase DATE April 27 Summer August EVENT/STRATEGY Teach Bible Study for New Groups in adult Sunday School groups. Available online and in print on March 1. Enlist new leaders and provide space for new groups. Regional ReConnect Sunday School training clinics for all age groups and especially for new group leaders. Churches and associations can also provide their own leadership trainings. 9

12 START Phase DATE September 7 October 5 November 2 Sept 7 Nov 9 EVENT/STRATEGY Start a New Group Sunday. Churches are challenged to start as many new groups as possible on or before this day. Soulwinning Commitment Day. Church members are challenged to pray for 3 lost friends during the month of October. Gospel presentation Bible study taught in Sunday School. Connection Day! Church members bring lost friends they have prayed for to church on Sunday and connect them into a new group or existing class. Evangelistic sermons in worship. 10 Week Outreach Burst. Churches are challenged to visit in the homes of guests in weekly outreach for 10 weeks. Resources such as CROSS Evangelism or Share Jesus Without Fear may be used to reinforce weekly outreach training. Phase One Ready Phase Association START Road Trip BGCO specialists partner with Oklahoma s Directors of Mission to provide information about the ReConnect START Campaign. Each presentation on the ReConnect START Road Trip will present four key elements to the START Campaign. 1. Start new groups 2. Connecting Sunday School and Evangelism 3. Training leaders 4. Sunday School as the church s primary strategy Transform Conference On March 29 at Quail Springs Baptist Church, the BGCO is partnering with LifeWay Christian Resources to provide Transform: Teaching to Change Lives. This conference is focused on providing teachers with the skills necessary to teach for transformation. A brief overview of the ReConnect START Campaign will be presented at the conference. 10

13 Phase Two Set Phase New Groups Bible Study Lesson A Bible study on the biblical theology of groups and the purpose behind starting new groups is recommended on April 27 as the Sunday School lesson for adult groups across Oklahoma. It is vital for the church s lay people to understand the biblical purpose behind new groups. In addition, adult groups will learn some ideas of how their group can be part of the ReConnect START Campaign. This Bible study will be available in both online and print versions on March 1. Enlist Leaders and Provide Space By late spring or early summer, pastors and Sunday School directors should determine how many groups their church will start on September 7. After making a commitment on the number of groups they will start, new leaders should be enlisted. Also, new space needs to be made for the new groups. Make every effort to give each new group quality space. Furthermore, additional resources and curriculum should be ordered for the new group. ReConnect Sunday School Regional Clinics During the month of August, the BGCO will partner with associations to provide regional Sunday School clinics. These clinics will provide training for pastors, Sunday School directors, and Sunday School leaders of age specific groups. The emphases at the clinics will be on theology and also involvement in the ReConnect START Campaign that begins in September. Phase Three START Campaign START Sunday September 7 The START Campaign officially begins on Sunday, September 7 with Start a New Group Day across the entire state. On or before this day, Oklahoma churches will start as many new groups as possible in an effort to provide opportunities to reach more lost and unchurched people. Outreach Burst Also beginning the week of Sunday, September 7 is a 10 Week Outreach Burst across the state. During the 10 weeks of the Outreach Burst, churches will follow-up with all guests by visiting each guest in their home. The 10 week Outreach Burst provides tremendous opportunities for evangelism and ministry. Following up with guests that have visited the church is a critical part of the ministry of the Sunday School. As you make your visits, recognize 11

14 that hundreds of churches across the state are joining with you to visit people who are in desperate need of the Gospel. Soulwinning Commitment Day October 5 is Soulwinning Commitment Day across the state. On this day, church members are challenged to pray for three lost friends, neighbors, or family members for the next month and then invite their friends to Connection Day on November 2. Commitment cards are available for the church to use to help lead their members to make a commitment to be a soulwinner. The card is perforated and churches are encouraged to ask their members to return a portion of the card with their commitment in to the church. The other portion of the card they will keep to remind them to pray for their lost friends. It is vital that the pastor and church leaders communicate that they are asking each church member to pray and invite. Pray for your lost friends and invite them to come with you to church on November 2. In addition, a Bible Study on Soulwinning is available to be taught in Sunday School on this day. In this lesson, church members will learn a simple Gospel presentation to help them as they pray for their lost friends and invite them to church on Connection Day. Connection Day Sunday, November 2 is Connection Day. This day is also Time Change Sunday. This is the day that we have been building toward for several months. On this day church members are going to invite and bring their lost friends to Sunday School and to worship. In addition, it is recommended that the Sunday School organization call every group member on Saturday, November 1 to invite them to Sunday School and remind them about the time change. Follow-Up Week The week of November 2-9 is the final week of the 10 week Outreach Burst. Every church should have many guests to follow up with during this week. Opportunities will be available to present the Gospel and provide ministry to people with physical, emotional, or spiritual needs. 12

15 THE VALUE OF SUNDAY SCHOOL What do you call Sunday School? Throughout this book, the term Sunday School will be used because it is the most common small group strategy used by churches in Oklahoma. You may refer to your church small group strategy by another name, such as LifeGroups, Connection Groups, Community Groups, or Bible Fellowships. You may have a home group strategy instead of an on-campus strategy. What we are referring to by the term Sunday School is a strategy of ongoing small groups, on or off-campus, that are open to new people at every meeting and that focus on evangelism, Bible study, ministry, and mission. Sunday School has incredible value to the church. In addition to being the largest organization of the church, people that participate in Sunday School have a better understanding of the Christian life. They are better connected to each other in particular and to the church as a whole. Sunday School as a Personal Transformation Strategy The new book Transformational Groups by Eric Geiger and Ed Stetzer has some revealing statistics about people that participate in Sunday School or small groups compared with people that attend worship services only. WORSHIP ONLY PARTICIPATE IN A GROUP Fellowship 22% 63% Personal Friendships 57% 89% Use Spiritual Gifts 42% 73% Read the Bible 27% 67% Study the Bible 10% 42% Pray for the Lost 35% 60% Confess sins/repent 54% 79% Share their Faith 22% 63% Pray in a Group 7% 36% This information from LifeWay Research clearly shows the value of connecting people in small groups. What church leader would not want to see more people in their community reading the Bible, confessing sin, involved in 13

16 meaningful Christian friendships, praying for others, and sharing their faith? It is obvious that the more people are involved in Sunday School, the more likely they are to fulfill the Great Commission of making disciples. Sunday School provides the strategy for the local church to make disciples and transform lives by involving their people in small groups. Sunday School as a Method to Extend the Pastor s Ministry Sunday School is also led by the laity. Sunday School usually involves more lay people in leadership than any other organization in the church. Southern Baptists are congregationalists in their church polity and were early leaders in the doctrine of the priesthood of the believer. In addition, Sunday School gives the pastor a platform to perform his church ministry. Ephesians 4:11-12 states the role of the pastor is for the training of the saints in the work of the ministry, to build up the body of Christ. Sunday School provides an outstanding plan for the pastor to invest himself into the leaders of the Sunday School so that they can do the work of the ministry of the church. Sunday School is often called the pastor s best friend and the Sunday School actually is an extension of the pastor s ministry. In Sunday School we see the modern implementation of 2 Timothy 2:2, where Paul instructs his protégé to teach the instructions of Paul to faithful men, who will then be able to teach others as well. Sunday School as a Method of Leader Development In Exodus 18:13-26, Moses received some excellent advice from his fatherin-law Jethro about trusting the people of Israel so that he (Moses) was not responsible for every decision. For decades, Sunday School has used this principle of involving group members in ministry as a way to get the ministry done more effectively and involve more people in the process. People support and participate in that which they have ownership. Sometimes referred to as care group leaders, outreach leaders, prayer leaders, or other leadership positions; these opportunities become the building blocks of developing leaders in the Sunday School and the church. Many churches appear to have a seemingly unending supply of new leaders while other churches seem to be on the edge of leadership collapse. A major reason for this disparity is that churches with a large supply of leaders use their Sunday School as a leadership development strategy. These churches have groups that are organized and led by the group members to provide ministry. As these members gain confidence and discover their spiritual gifts, they move into leadership roles with more responsibility, thus providing a steady stream of new leaders. 14

17 Why the Focus on New Groups? In 2013, the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma began an aggressive effort to challenge and encourage its churches to make Sunday School its primary strategy for evangelism and discipleship. The ReConnect Sunday School Initiative was started. Already, over 300 churches have committed to enhance the Sunday School strategy of their church. The One Thing Church leaders often ask, What is the one thing we could do that would have the greatest impact on the church? Lay people often wonder the same thing. If you were asked what one thing the church could do that would impact lostness in your community and help your church grow, what would it be? You could Ask the pastor to preach longer sermons; Sing more songs; Sing every stanza of every song (traditional); Repeat the refrain of every chorus (contemporary); Schedule more church activities. Or Your church could start a new group! In reality, asking the pastor to study twice as much and preach twice as long is not likely to bring about the desired growth and change in the church. Neither will singing more songs or scheduling more activities and events likely bring about the desired change. The one thing that a church can do to bring about transformational change is to start new groups in order to involve more people in lifechanging Bible study and community. A new group is the one thing that virtually any church of any size or location can do to reach new people. New groups impact the church in several ways. New groups: increase church attendance by about 10 people in a year; are more evangelistic. A new group typically engages three lost people with the Gospel; require the development of new leaders; get more people involved in ministry and mission; bring much needed change to the church. What is the one thing we could do that would have the greatest impact on the church? 15

18 METHODS FOR STARTING NEW GROUPS New methods for starting groups are appearing more frequently and are being tried in a number of different settings. These methods are often called by different names, but there are five primary methods today that all work well. The important tactic is to be sure to match the method to your church s context and goals. Set a Goal It is important that the church set a goal of how many groups it will start each year. Setting goals is often seen as unspiritual, but the fact is that much of what we do requires goal setting. Experts in the field of physical fitness encourage people that want to lose weight to set a goal of how much weight they want to lose. Runners set a goal of how far they are going to run and in what amount of time they will finish the course. Wise people set a goal of how much money they will need in retirement and then design a plan to meet it. Consider where your church is in relationship to new groups. As you pray about new groups in your church, consider the following questions: How long has it been since your church began a new group? What are some groups of people that a new group could help you reach? How many people in the church are not currently active in a group? What is the ratio of worship attendance and Sunday School attendance? A good rule of thumb in starting new groups is to start one new group for every 100 people in worship attendance. For churches with less than 75 in attendance, set a goal to start one new group every other year. If your church attendance is 200, you would set a goal of starting two new groups this year. 16

19 New Group Methods We have discovered five primary methods for starting new groups. Method 1 Form a New Group When a current group reaches the point that it is no longer growing, it is time to begin a new group. Forming a new group works extremely well with preschool, children, and youth. The basic concept is to form a new group out of an existing group. If your children s Sunday School department currently has 1 st 6 th grades meeting together, consider forming two groups; one group for 1 st 3 rd grades and another group for 4 th 6 th grades. Method 2 Target a People Group Perhaps your church has a particular group of people that it wants to reach. You may have noticed a number of young adults in your community. You begin a new group that specifically targets young adults. Curriculum is chosen that will be helpful to young adults. Activities and fellowships are made to involve young adults and the leaders of the new young adult group follow up on guests to Vacation Bible School. Other target groups may include: special needs children, senior adults, college students, empty nesters, or people with disabilities such as blindness or the deaf. The group is organized around the specific needs of the people that the church is trying to reach. 17

20 Method 3 Branch from an Existing Group Adult groups usually reach an optimal size and then stop growing. Using the method of branching, a new group is formed from the original group much like a tree forms a new branch. Branching is an intentional method that involves the development of a leader for the new branch. The current teacher intentionally trains an apprentice who will begin the new group. As the time approaches for the actual start of the new group, the vision for branching is shared with the existing group. This group prays for the branch and members are encouraged to participate in the new branch group if they so choose. Much of the recent literature and thinking of new groups has taught that a group should consider branching a new group every two years. However, new research indicates that this may need to begin as soon as six months after the new group has branched. Essentially, once social circles form it becomes more difficult for new people to connect into an existing group. Method 4 Connection Group for Uninvolved Worship Attenders A Connection Group forms from a completely different angle than the previous three methods. Using a Connection Group method addresses two problems that virtually all pastors face; finding leaders to start new groups and finding people to join the new groups. The Connection Group method also addresses the disparity between worship and Sunday School attendance. Many churches have more people in worship than attend Sunday School. In most cases, the people who are not attending Sunday School have often been asked from the pulpit to join a group, and have probably been targeted by group leaders as well. The fact is that these people have rejected joining a group. Generally speaking, these reasons fall into the following categories: 18

21 They do not know the leader of the group well; Current groups have already developed an existing social circle and the groups are effectively closed; They are tentative about a long-term commitment. For the most part, this group of people is not ready to make a 52 week/year commitment to a group. The Connection Group method is designed to address all three of these concerns. First, the Connection Group is led by the pastor or other well known church leader. This alleviates the fear of not knowing the group leader. Second, the Connection Group is a new group that has yet to form any social circles. Everyone is new and so participants have the opportunity to make friends with other new people. Third, a Connection Group is intentionally designed to be six to eight weeks long. This addresses the fear of long-term commitments that many people have. Almost everyone believes that they can do something for six weeks. The person best suited to begin a Connection Group is the pastor. Virtually everyone knows the pastor and has a sense of his personality. He is someone they trust. The pastor announces the beginning of the new Connection Group for three Sundays leading up to the launch of the new group. Absentees and guests that have visited the church over the past few months are sent invitations and invited to join the new group. The group launches with the pastor as the leader. It is vital that the pastor not preach the Bible study! Instead, the pastor must teach the group in such a way that one of the group members can replace him in six weeks. The plan behind the Connection Group method is for the group to meet for six weeks under the pastor s direction after which the pastor steps out of the group and a new group leader is put in place. It is almost always best for the new leader to emerge from the Connection Group itself. The group is then organized as an ongoing group with their new leader. Most of the people will stay in the group after the six weeks are completed because they have formed relationships with the other people in the group. Using this method, many pastors can start at least one new group every year. New leaders emerge and are discipled by the pastor himself. Many times a new Connection Group can be formed immediately following a New Member s Class or Discovery Class. 19

22 Method 5 Convert Short-Term Evangelism Groups to Ongoing Groups The previous four methods are primarily focused on people with which the church has generally already been in contact. What about the hundreds and even thousands of people that are outside of the church s sphere of ministry? How can the church best reach them through a groups strategy? For obvious reasons, new groups are better than established groups for reaching this segment of society. However, the groups must be taken to the neighborhoods where unreached people live. For this reason, the plan is to start short-term evangelistic groups and then convert them into ongoing groups connected to the church. Church members host new groups in their homes and invite lost and unchurched friends and neighbors to participate in the group, which typically meets once a week for six weeks. Simply put, this method for starting groups is usually found in a new groups campaign. Saddleback s What On Earth Am I Here For? 40 days campaign is an example of a new groups campaign. To be most effective, both the title and the content of a new groups campaign needs to appeal to both the churched and unchurched. Also, curriculum needs to be simple so that it can be easily presented by church members that may have little training in teaching the Bible. Most campaigns of this type are typically done through video so that the pastor presents the lessons on a DVD and maintains the doctrinal integrity of the church. In essence, the video presents the content. Then members that host homes ask several pre-arranged questions to help participants engage with the study. The goal of a new groups campaign is to involve as many people as possible into as many groups as possible. Following the campaign (which is usually six to eight weeks long), the groups are encouraged to continue meeting and new study material is provided. Following a campaign, the church will usually see many of the short-term groups end, but many of them will also continue on. The church generally nets more ongoing groups in a shorter time span with this method than any of the other methods previously mentioned. 20

23 EPILOGUE Throughout Scripture, we see that God continually starts new communities. From the original community, the Trinity, He created Adam and a new community was begun. Then Eve, and another new community was established. Then His covenants with Noah and later Abraham would initiate even more new communities. The Scriptures record that the first thing that Jesus did when He began His earthly ministry was to form a new community with 12 disciples. Of all the options that Jesus had available to Him, He began by starting a new group. Later the apostle Paul would begin new communities of believers in every city he visited on his missionary journeys. In Revelation 21 when Jesus returns for His church, He is going to establish a new heaven and a new earth; in other words, new communities! As Oklahoma Baptists, we have an opportunity to start thousands of new communities this year. A campaign of new groups will engage more people with the Gospel and put more of our church members into ministry than anything else we have done in the past. New groups are forward leaning and are planned and built on a positive hope for the future. A church does not start a new group by looking to reclaim its past. By necessity, new groups make the church lean forward into the future with a positive outlook. The Kingdom is growing, and engaging people in community is one of the best practices we have that meets the test of being theological, philosophical, and practical. The ReConnect Sunday School START Campaign seeks to join evangelism and Sunday School. This coming year Oklahoma Baptists could reap a harvest of souls. It is my hope and prayer that every Oklahoma Baptist and every Oklahoma church will join this campaign. It is as simple as enlisting one person to be a leader and beginning one group. 21

24 EPILOGUE As I travel across our state and share the idea behind the ReConnect Sunday School START Campaign, I see heads nod up and down. I look into the eyes of our leaders and I see it there; leaders acknowledging that beginning new groups may very well be the it factor for spreading the Gospel across our state. Connecting people in community with Jesus Christ is biblical. Oklahoma Baptists are a cooperative people. Through the Cooperative Program we work together to fund missionaries across the world. Let s pray that this year will be one of those years that we cooperate together to take the Gospel to our state through a movement of new groups. Bob Mayfield BGCO Sunday School Specialist