Dear Brother or Sister in Christ,
Thank you for your continued prayers for E-Free Bemidji as we approach our church’s 100-year anniversary in 2024. Let’s praise the Lord for the precious local church with which He has blessed us for so many years. Praise Him for all He’s entrusted to us, for all who are serving together, and for the building and financial resources that are here to be used for His glory and His gospel purposes. Pray that we will live lives worthy of the calling He has given us on this corner of Bemidji. In the words of Colossians 1:9-14, let’s continually ask God to fill us with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that we may live lives worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that we may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of His holy people in the kingdom of light. Praise the Lord that He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Let’s also pray the words of Ephesians 4:1-6 for our church. Pray that each one of us will live a life worthy of the calling we have received. Pray that we’ll be completely humble and gentle, and that we’ll be patient, bearing with one another in love. Pray that each one of us will make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. And pray that we’ll keep in mind that there is one body and one Spirit, just as we were called to one hope when we were called. And that there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all of us, who is over all and through all and in all. Pray that the gospel good news of Jesus Christ will continue to mold us and make us into people who will live lives pleasing to our Lord. Pray that gospel doxology would be the overflow of each of our lives individually, as well as of our church body corporately (Romans 11:33-36).
Please pray for the upcoming season of Advent. Pray that we will celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, His incarnation, as the core and foundation of what Christmas is all about. Pray through the various events listed in the Advent bulletin insert. May each and every one of these ministry events bring God glory, as they build up believers, and as they share the gospel good news with those who have not yet trusted in Christ. Pray for the salvation of many new believers this Christmas season. Let’s continue to pray that each and every Christ-follower from E-Free Bemidji will have beautiful feet as we share the good news about Jesus. Over this holiday season, pray for favor in our relationships with our spiritually lost family, friends, and neighbors, including those we know from work and school.
Also, please pray for those who are struggling during this time. Pray for those with financial needs, that our Benevolence Fund and other resources will help meet those needs. Pray for the various health needs and medical struggles that people are going through. And pray for those who are grieving the loss of a relative or a close friend. May Advent be a season of comfort and peace for them as they navigate the difficult waters of holiday cheer all around them. Pray for any other needs that you are aware of as well.
Please pray for the many volunteers and staff who are working so hard behind the scenes preparing for our various Christmas events as well as our regular weekly discipleship ministries. Pray for energy and diligence for their practices and rehearsals. Pray for unity as we all work together in various decision making of all the details. Pray that things will come together in such a way that God is honored, and people are blessed. Also, please keep our Strategic Leadership Team in prayer as they finalize their recruiting of about 20 people to serve together in prayerfully considering our church’s future ministry effectiveness. Please continue to pray for Mustful Strategic Consulting as Brandon works alongside our SLT members in this 6-9 month process, and for Mark Carlson as he chairs this team.
Pray for our General Ministry Fund Budget. Praise God for the many people who are giving generously and consistently! Praise the Lord! pray that we’ll be able to meet our year-end giving needs so that we can end the year in the black. Praise God for the ways He faithfully provides for our personal needs as well as the needs of our church. Please continue to pray that we’ll steward our building, grounds, and finances for God’s glory, and for His gospel purposes for this community and around the world. Pray for our Global Connections Team and for the completion of our new Global Partners Prayer Flipbook (coming soon!). Pray keep praying for each of our Global Partners as they continue to spread the good news of the gospel near and far. Pray for their health and safety, for good relationships, for full financial support, for favor with foreign governments, for language learning, for adapting to culture, and for diligence in pressing on through these various challenges.
As always, please pray that E-Free Bemidji will become more and more the church that God would have us be. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, thank you for praying!
Together for Christ,
Pastor Jerry