Dear Brother or Sister in Christ, September 24, 2024
This is the last Vision 2024 prayer letter before we celebrate our church’s 100th anniversary on October 10-13. Please be in prayer for all 8 of these events! (And please RSVP ASAP!)
May God be honored as we REMEMBER His faithfulness over these past 100 years. Pray that all of us will be blessed to RECONNECT with church family from days gone by, even as we also recall our many memories of those who’ve now gone home to heaven. And please pray, especially, that each one of us who is still active at E-Free Bemidji will prayerfully and fully RECOMMIT ourselves to ongoing service together in Christ’s name.
Praise God for an incredible fall kickoff of so many different ministries! Pray that each one will embrace our Discipleship Pathway and provide quality opportunities to GATHER, GROW, GIVE, and GO for the Gospel. Pray for continued good attendance and for all of our hundreds of servant volunteers to remain healthy and well-equipped for their various discipleship roles. Also, please pray for our current budget shortfall, for provision of needed funds, and needed wisdom for our elders, trustees, and staff as decisions are made for our 2025 Ministry Budget.
Please continue praying for our Youth and Young Adults Pastor Search Team. Pray for energy, wisdom, and discernment as we consider multiple applicants, resumes, and references. Pray for whomever our next pastor is, that he’ll begin feeling God’s prompting toward our church and our community. Also please keep our youth and young adults ministries in your prayers as they have officially launched this fall without the benefit of a Youth and Young Adults Pastor. Praise God for the godly lay leaders who have stepped forward. Please pray for God to sustain them as they lead through this interim period.
Pray for our church’s current roll out of our Strategic Ministry Plan. Pray for the sermon series as well as the ongoing discussions and feedback that are happening. Pray that each one of us will understand this plan well, and that we’ll be ready to corporately commit to it as a church family at the end of October. May God be pleased by our unity and alignment around our shared Mission, Vision, Core Values, and Discipleship Pathway.
Please pray for our Nominating Committee who is currently inviting people to serve in church leadership in 2025. Pray for these future 2-3 new trustees, 3-4 new elders, and a new church clerk. Pray for God-honoring leadership and careful stewardship of our funding, facilities, and our ministries.
Please pray for a final push of energy and diligence for our 100th Anniversary Team as they make final plans and preparations for the weekend of October 10-13. Please pray specifically for all of the volunteer help that’s needed, and that the gospel purposes behind these events will be achieved. Please pray for…
Thursday, October 10 – Global Partners Night: Pray for the onsite visits from some of our partners, as well as the updates we’ll receive from those who can’t join us in person. Pray for our church’s recommitment to our adopted people group as we sign a renewed adoption certificate together.
Friday, October 11 – Senior Connection Potluck: Pray for a special time of Christian fellowship with our out-of-town guests. Pray for the devotional being presented by Sarah (Page) Friesen as well as the Heritage Panel with her sister Ruth Eastling and Allen Benson and some others.
Friday, October 11 – Through the Decades Variety Night: Pray for this fun and creative night of remembering God’s faithfulness through the past 10 decades of history. Pray for the video presentation as well as the audience participation. Pray for the broad range of special guests who will be sharing fond memories and testimonies of praise for God’s faithfulness through our church’s various seasons of highs and lows.
Saturday, October 12 – Community Day: Pray for a powerful outreach and connection with our surrounding community. Pray that the mailed invites that we sent out to the immediately surrounding addresses within 1.5 miles of our church will be well-received. Pray that we’ll have enough help to run all of the various stations including our free pulled pork lunch, classic vintage cars from the past 10 decades, bouncy houses, petting zoo, corn hole, face painting, balloon animals, church tour, cotton candy, cake walk, and even a brief greeting from Mayor Jorge Prince.
Saturday, October 12 – Dessert Night with Friends: Pray for a blessed time of good old gospel fellowship with friends who share a history at E-Free. Pray that we’ll reconnect as we enjoy sampling desserts made from recipes out of our historical church cookbooks. Pray for a relaxing, unprogrammed time of building one another up in the faith.
Sunday, October 13 – 9:30-11:00 a.m. Combined Worship Service: Pray for a wonderful morning of worshipping God through music, prayer, testimonials, and time in His Word. We’ll worship God together as we REMEMBER our shared past, RECONNECT as brothers and sisters in Christ, and RECOMMIT ourselves and our church to God’s gospel purposes. Please pray for the preparations of each of our preachers including Oak Hills President Marty Giese, Pastor Emeritus Fred Martin, and Pastor Jerry, as well as a greeting from our EFCA North Central District representative, Paul Anderson. Pray also for the various music being prepared by our kids, our adult choir, our handbells, and our worship team.
Sunday, October 13 – 11:30 a.m. Catered Lunch (RSVP required): Pray that everyone who wants to attend this catered lunch will fill out their RSVP no later than Sunday, September 29. Pray for a delicious meal enjoyed by our church family together, and that our tables will overflow with thanksgiving and praise to God for all He’s done and is yet to do.
Sunday, October 13 – A Night of Worship and Prayer: Pray that we’ll cap off our 100th anniversary weekend together in a fitting way, in a spirit of worship and prayerful recommitment of ourselves and our church to God’s service. Pray that our communion with one another and our Lord will be celebrated well as we partake in the Lord’s Table together.
As always, let’s continue to pray sincerely that God will help our church become more and more the church He would have us be.
Brothers and Sisters in Christ, thank you for praying! Pastor Jerry