Dear Brother or Sister in Christ,
Let’s press on together in prayer for our church. In Philippians 3:12-14 the Apostle Paul makes a great statement about pressing on in his personal faith, having not yet arrived at his goal, but knowing that he needed to strain toward what was ahead. Let’s pray that same kind of thing corporately for our local church, knowing that we have not yet obtained all that God has for us, and that we have not yet arrived at our goal. Pray that we will press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of our church. Let’s not consider ourselves yet to have taken hold of it, but rather let’s strain together toward what is ahead. Pray that together, we will press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus!
With September right around the corner, please pray for the startup of all of our fall ministries. Pray that our ministry volunteers will step forward and serve with the giftings that God has given them. Pray the words of Romans 12:3-8, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.”
Pray for our Kids Ministry. Pray that our Kids Church will get off to a good start as they expand to a full hour of ministry during our 10:45 service. Pray for the Kids Christmas program practice that will begin in October during the Sunday School hour between services. Pray also for our nursery ministry to be a blessing to the children as well as their parents. Pray for our Wednesday nights as we disciple the church kids but also reach out to families in our community. Please ask God to help us be strategic with how to disciple and encourage parents in their role of discipling their own children.
Please pray for our youth and young adult ministries. Pray for Pastor Douglas and Emily and their daughters as they move to Bemidji in the beginning of September. Pray for safe travel and a smooth transition to a whole new location and a brand-new church and community. Pray that their kids will adjust well and quickly. Pray that the whole family will make friends quickly and feel loved and supported. Praise God that He provided us a pastor in time for the fall kickoff. Pray for our Wednesday night youth ministry to reach lots of young people with the gospel and to encourage them in their personal faith and spiritual maturity. Pray for lots of fun and lots of friends who will check out our youth group. Pray that Pastor Douglas will acclimate and get up to speed quickly with our local culture and our particular students. May God give him favor with our students and their parents but also with our school system, teachers, coaches, etc. Pray also for our young adult’s ministry. Pray for those who are in college, or career, or simply trying to decide what to do. May God give Pastor Douglas favor with our young adults as well as the various community assets related to our young adults whether that be colleges, Bible studies, young adult ministries, or wherever else young adults are gathering. Pray that Pastor Douglas will have keen insight into how he can encourage our singles as well as married couples. Pray that he’ll be able to offer ministry opportunities to those who’ve recently finished high school all the way up to those in their late 20s and early 30s.
Pray for our various adult ministries. Pray that Life Groups will flourish and be well attended by people in our church. Pray for leaders and locations and a desire within each one of us to connect more closely with a small group of people from our church that will enable us to love one another more deeply and to learn together more effectively. Pray for me, Pastor Jerry, as I write the Life Group sermon discussion questions each week. Pray for Pastor Eric as he recruits leaders and invites every adult to join a Life Group. Pray also for all of our various Bible studies, Senior Connection potlucks, purity groups, musicians, musical teams, and so on. Please pray that our men’s and women’s ministries will effectively meet the needs within our church as well as beyond our walls, into our community. Pray for creativity and good attendance at their various events. May our adults see them as wonderful opportunities and important priorities for our mutual edification. Pray God’s blessing on our adults who are single and our adults who are married. Please keep praying for God’s provision of a 10:45 Music Director and a Visitation Caregiver.
Pray for our Global Partners. Pray for those who are retiring and coming off of the field. May they pass on the baton effectively. May they find their encore ministries during their retirement years. Pray for the next generation of global leaders who will continue to spread the gospel across various cultural and language barriers. Pray for our Global Partners who are training up and coaching new partners to mobilize and send out. Pray for our ongoing efforts to bring the gospel to those who have not yet heard about Jesus. Pray for those reaching into, or operating in, dangerous areas with the gospel. May they be kept safe and be effective despite the challenges. Pray for wisdom with difficult issues like human trafficking, government resistance, visa and travel challenges, and so on. Pray that they will find creative ways to flourish during the ongoing health pandemic. Pray for effective ministry to our adopted people group, Native Americans, and all peoples. Pray for any conflicts that may exist among our global partners, between them and their sending agencies, or any other division that might hurt their witness or distract them from their mission. Pray for our camp ministries as they wrap up their busy summer ministry and now focus on opportunities for the fall. Pray for effective translation of God’s Word into other languages. And pray that people will take full advantage of brand-new opportunities to read God’s Word for themselves in their own heart language. Pray for our Global Partners whose ministry locations or ministry focus is changing. May the transitions be smooth and serve to advance the gospel more and more. Pray for our Global Connections Team as they oversee and encourage all of our many Global Partners. May they and our Barnabas Teams have their fingers clearly on the pulse of how to pray for and partner with and encourage our Global Partners.
Please pray for our Trustees and Elders as they lead our church this fall. Ask God to give them wisdom as they decide on various budget challenges as well as the ongoing pandemic. May God provide the leadership we need and may we as a Church Family respect that leadership and follow the Lord together in God-honoring unity. Pray Hebrews 13:17 on behalf of our church: “Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.”
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, thanks for praying!
Together for Christ, Pastor Jerry