April 2025
Apr 27, 2025 |
Dear Brother or Sister in Christ,
Praise God for a wonderful Easter season filled with praise and service to God! Pray that there will continue to be spiritual fruit from all that was sung, preached, prayed, and experienced by people leading up to and during passion week. Pray that more and more spiritually lost people will find salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
Praise God for our 4th through 6th graders who attended Camp Shamineau in early April. And praise God for our middle and high school students who attended our Districts Spring Blitz weekend in Duluth. Over 3,000 people attended this event at the DECC with 200+ reporting that they started a relationship with Jesus – praise the Lord! Praise God for our partnership with the North Central District of the E-Free who put on this event in partnership with Converge. Please pray for healthy spiritual formation in the lives of our young people.
Praise God for the many faithful volunteers throughout our church. An estimated 300-400 people serve at least once a month in some ministry or another here at E-Free. Praise God! Pray that each person who serves will be growing in Christian maturity and well-equipped for their particular role in the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 reminds us, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” So please pray that God will continue to raise up and empower each and every part of our local church body for His gospel purposes.
As we look ahead, please pray for our Spring quarter congregational meeting on Sunday, April 27. Pray that we’ll make wise decisions and that we’ll be unified moving forward together. Pray for progress in our Strategic Ministry plan implementation. Pray that each person serving, and each ministry area, is aligned with and excited about our mission of “becoming deeply devoted followers of Jesus together.” Please pray for our search for our next Pastor of Youth and Young Adults. Pray that whoever he is and wherever he is, God is preparing him and drawing him toward our church. Please pray for strength and perseverance for our faithful search committee.
Please pray for our church finances. We are currently about 12% ($30,000) behind on our 2025 budget. Pray that we’ll begin to see an uptick in giving soon so that no ministry cuts will need to be considered. Also pray for wisdom for our Trustees as they navigate our spending priorities. Praise God that we are SO close to having our mortgage paid off – praise the LORD! Pray for wisdom and direction regarding our building’s various maintenance needs. Pray that we’ll know what to prioritize and that we’ll have the funds to do the much-needed repairs and replacements.
Pray for our 5th graders as they visit youth group on Wednesday, April 30. Pray they’ll feel loved and accepted, and that they’ll be eager to start attending youth group. Pray also for our high school and college grads as they celebrate this milestone in their learning and then prayerfully follow God’s leading for their next chapter. Pray that each of these life stages will be a blessing as well as an opportunity to seek God’s will and follow. Pray that each one will follow Christ faithfully and enjoy the blessing of Psalm 128:1, “Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in obedience to him.”
Please pray for our various Global Partners. If you have one of our church flipbooks, take some time to flip through each page and lift up our partners in prayer. If you don’t have a flipbook, pray for the Global Partners with whom you’re familiar. Pray for our local and domestic Global Partners as well as those who are serving overseas. Pray for spiritual maturity and protection from the devil’s schemes. Pray for favor with paperwork and administrative needs, as well as financial provision. Pray for gospel fruitfulness, for first time believers as well as deepening maturity in those who’ve come to faith. Pray for godly leaders who will demonstrate maturity and lead in love and unity. Pray for favor with culture and language dynamics. Pray for insights into current struggles and opportunities as well as long-range planning and recruiting. Pray for Camp Oak Hills as they are in the midst of recruiting and training summer staff. Pray for several of our newly launched Global Partners, most of whom are going into some very challenging geographical areas. Pray for effectiveness for those who are translating the Bible into other languages and cultures. Please also pray for those who are in various seasons of transition, including changing roles as well as moving to part-time or full-time retirement.
Pray for our final women’s Overflow even for this school year on Monday, April 28. Pray that their service to the food shelf will be a blessing. Pray for our softball team as they begin preparing for our summer season. Pray for safety and fun, as well as opportunities for Christian fellowship, witness, and growth. Pray for our summer plans for outreach to our community. Pray for a strong finish to our various Sunday School classes in May, and also for the current planning process for summer Sunday School. Pray that our Wednesday night youth group and kids ministry will finish strong. Praise God for these faithful leaders, including our kitchen team, nursery, and others who serve behind the scenes. Pray for any other upcoming ministry events that you know of. Let’s be a church who is faithful to bathe every ministry in prayer. And let’s continue to pray that God will help us to become more and more the church that He would have us be.
Together for Christ,
Pastor Jerry