Dear Brother or Sister in Christ, 9/24/20
Thank you for continuing to pray for our church as we approach our 2024 100-year anniversary. Psalm 34:1 says,
“I will extol the LORD at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory in the LORD;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
Glorify the LORD with me;
let us exalt his name together.”
So, let’s begin by praising God in prayer. Praise God for a great fall kick-off for so many of our ministries! We have 8 life groups starting this month – praise God! Our Wednesday Family Worship Nights are off to a great start as well as our Wednesday night high school youth group! Our ladies plan to launch the Thursday night Women’s Bible Study Fellowship on October 1! Our Wednesday morning Bible studies are continuing on strong! Blankets of Blessing is also starting soon! Our Prime Time group has started a Friday morning Bible study! Our handbells will begin practicing again soon! And, that’s just the stuff I can think of off of the top of my head. There’s probably more – praise the Lord!
Please pray that each and every one of these ministries will be effective in helping people become more fully devoted followers of Jesus. Pray that meaningful, long-lasting relationships will be formed. Pray that each generation will understand the gospel in ways that translate into their particular life situation. Pray that each ministry setting will have a safe and friendly atmosphere, that honors social distancing, etc. in helpful ways.
Please pray for our Trustee Board as they finalize plans for our 2021 ministry budget. Pray also for continued generous giving at our church. Pray that we can meet or exceed this year’s financial needs so that we can be fully funded and resourced for the ministries to which God has called us. Pray also for good stewardship decisions and the wisdom for where we may need to cut back. Pray for our Nominating Committee as they prepare a ballot for our upcoming election on October 25th. Pray for godly men and women who will practice servant-leadership and who will have the skillsets that our church needs in the year ahead. Pray also that we will have enough members for a quorum so that we can make these important ministry decisions together.
Pray for those who are struggling with loneliness and isolation during this season of COVID-19. Pray for creativity and kindness within each one of us; may we find ways to love and serve one another. As Christ-followers, pray that we learn to dedicate ourselves to the practices in Romans 12:9-16, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.”
Pray especially for those who have lost loved ones recently. May God comfort and encourage them as they grieve this loss and adjust to a new normal without their loved one. Also, pray for those who are grieving the loss of normal fall activities like school schedules, athletics, and so on. Pray that we will all help each other get through these times of disappointments due to COVID-19. Pray for those who have been exposed and who may be positive for the virus. Pray for their bodies to be strong and to recover quickly. Pray also for the lost income that some are feeling in these times. Praise God that our Church’s Benevolence Fund has been able to serve many of the financial needs of our body.
Pray for any other health needs that you may be aware of. Pray through the needs on our church’s prayer chain. Also please keep praying for our Global Partners in our church’s flipbook; let’s keep flipping those pages each day and keep praying. May God protect each of our Global Partners whether stateside or abroad. Pray that godly women and men will continue to be sent out onto the field. Pray for their training and preparation, for their onboarding into new cultures and languages, for their effective witness of the gospel, and for sustained health and financing. Pray also for favor with local authorities who approve their visas which allow them to stay in various countries. Pray also for our upcoming Strategy Weekend October 2-3 with the Austvolds.
Pray that each of us will respond to the current challenges in our world with actions and attitudes that are pleasing to God. Pray that each and every one of us will embrace the incredible opportunities we have to live out Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Pray for God-honoring sermons each Sunday as well as the various devotionals and Bible teachings throughout the week connected to our church. May our theology be true and powerful to accomplish God’s purposes.
Pray for our upcoming celebration of the Lord’s Supper on October 11. Pray that each Christ-follower will have a meaningful time of reflection on his or her walk with the Lord. May we be quick to repent and turn from our sin. Pray also that we will consider our relationships with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. May we be eager to reconcile, show grace, and forgive one another from the heart. Pray for unity within our body that brings Jesus’ glory. Pray that we will embrace John 13:34-35, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Pray also for the possible opportunity to baptize some folks from our church in our new baptismal tank. May we have many opportunities to celebrate our new life with Christ. May these baptisms be a blessing to those being baptized, to their friends and family, and to our entire Church Family as we give thanks for our identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!
Brother or Sister in Christ, thank you for faithfully praying for our church as we approach the year 2024. May God be honored as we become the church that He would have us be.
Together for Christ,
Pastor Jerry
Becoming fully devoted followers of Jesus together