Dear Brother or Sister in Christ, September 24, 2023
The launch of our many fall ministries has been fantastic! Praise the Lord! Our kickoff Sunday saw a worship attendance of over 400 people onsite. Multiple adult, youth, and kids ministries are flourishing! Praise the Lord! Please pray that God will help us to be faithful with each and every one of these discipleship opportunities. May His kingdom be advanced as we continue proclaiming the gospel right on into our church’s 100th year in 2024, should the Lord tarry.
Please pray for our church as we launch our Strategic Ministry Plan. Pray that we’ll work together toward whatever the Lord has for us in the days ahead. Pray that we’ll be able to clearly define our church’s disciple-making mission. Please ask God to help us see His path toward ministry that is spiritually fruitful and pleasing to Him. Pray that we can find just the right people to serve on our Strategic Leadership Team. Pray that each ministry area is well represented and that we can work together in unity toward the right ministry goals for the years ahead.
Pray for singles, married couples, and families. May each person be well-loved and well-cared for whatever their life situation may be. Pray that we will comfort, serve, and care for one another in a way that honors God and leads to mutual affection and spiritual depth and maturity. Pray that we will “be devoted to one another in love” and that we will “honor one another above ourselves” (Romans 12:10).
Pray all of Romans 12:3-8 for our local church body: Pray that none of us will think of ourselves more highly than we ought to, but rather that we will think of ourselves with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith that God has distributed to each one of us. Pray that we’ll remain aware of how we are one body made up of many parts, and that we don’t all have the same function. Pray that we’ll be mindful of how in Christ, although there are many of us, we all make up one body together. Pray that we’ll embrace a deeper understanding of what it means that we all belong to one another. Pray that all of the various gifts that God has given us by His grace, will be used to meet the needs of our church body. Pray that those of us who preach God’s Word will preach with the wisdom and power God provides. Pray that those of us who serve will serve with strength and humility. Pray that those of us who teach will teach God’s truth with accuracy and effectiveness to build others up. Pray that those of us who encourage others will give encouragement in timely and meaningful ways that will inspire and spur one another on. Pray that those of us who give will give generously and faithfully as good stewards of God’s resources. Pray that those of us who lead will be diligent and will be in step with the leading of God’s Spirit, not lagging behind and not getting ahead of God. Pray that those of us who show mercy will do it cheerfully even in the midst of the most difficult sickness or the deepest pain and loss.
Pray for our Global Partners. Pray for mental clarity and progress for those who translate Scripture. Pray for cultural awareness and effectiveness as they serve among other people groups and across various language barriers. Pray for favor with visas and residency paperwork, as well as various travel needs. Pray for our adopted people group to come to saving faith in Jesus Christ. Pray for our workers in South Asia to have all that they need for effective ministry. Pray for our Global Partners who are mobilizing others in short-term and long-term ministry. May godly men and women be called, identified, equipped, and then sent out to the field fully prepared, resourced, and ready! Pray for our Global Fingerprints child sponsorship program to be effective in helping children and their families escape poverty; may local churches be planted, and child trafficking be eliminated through this ministry. Pray for camp ministries as they are in the midst of their fall ministry as well as long-range planning and development. Pray for the Center for Indian Ministries, the Mokahum Ministry Center, and the Storyteller radio program that features Native American testimonies of faith in Jesus Christ. May each of these ministries be effective in sharing the gospel locally, throughout North America, and around the world. Pray for our EFCA Reach Global partners scattered throughout various countries. Remember to lift up those who minister in areas where the local government is not friendly to the gospel. May they be kept safe and have an effective witness even in dark and hard to reach places. Pray for those retiring from the field, transitioning to new roles, or going to and from furloughs. May God guide and direct their future ministry directions. In addition to Camp Oak Hills and the Center for Indian Ministries, please also pray for Oak Hills college and church ministries. May these be effective in training up believers for service and collaborating together for the kingdom.
Please pray for our weekly prayer chain items. There are a number of urgent health situations that need to be lifted up in prayer. Pray that our church body will also express our love and support in tangible ways. Pray that we can encourage those who are going through these struggles with things like a phone call, sending a card, giving a hug, and so on. (If you aren’t already on the church’s prayer chain email list, please prayerfully consider joining it by contacting Jessica Westlund at .)
Pray for other things that come to your heart and mind. And, as always, please continue to pray fervently, that our church 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