PRAYVANCOUVER.CA 2018-02-04

VANCOUVER/VANCOUVER ISLAND PRAYER JOURNAL – FEBRUARY 4, 2018

Origin Church is welcoming their new Student Minister, Brindley Taylor this week.  She was welcomed by Canadian immigration with a three-year visitor’s permit.  We are praying for the growing team on one of our key campuses, University of British Columbia, as they minister the gospel to the over 100,000 in that community. Join them in prayer as they are in dialogue for a location that could be a gathering and discipleship center.

Pray for our Church Planting Catalyst in Quebec, Jacques Avakian, as he walks through the loss and funeral of his father this past week as well as the healing of his wife who is recovering from a fall where she broke her arm.

Movement Church has initiated public worship last Sunday evening at the home of Pastor Kelly Manire, pray for the development of this new church plant as they minister not only in the community but also on the campus of the University of Fraser Valley.  Pray lives will be transformed through an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ as they continue to cooperate with an Alpha program on the campus.

Dr. Mike Blackaby and his family returned home to Canada in January to serve with the Canvas Church in becoming their lead pastor for Canvas Oak Bay, the second site for Canvas.  He is also initiating ministry on the campus of the University of Victoria this month.  We are thankful for a safe move and the ability to find a house within their budget in Oak Bay.  We pray this core group of 50 individuals will be ready to launch weekly services over Easter this year.  We are praying also for Pastor Ashley Austin as the leaders of Canvas are seeking the favour of the local city council regarding a permanent location for Canvas to meet and serve.

We are praying for the growing team launching The Cornerstone at White Rock.  Jeff and Olivia Lowery will make the move to White Rock this month and join Earl and Meredith Grisaffee who have initiated a Sunday evening gathering.  We pray for the Gospel to be proclaimed clearly and many come to Christ through this ministry.

Using Alpha as a base Towers Baptist Church has 10-14 meeting every Monday evening with the desire to launch a new work in the downtown center of Richmond.  Pray the core group will continue to multiply and may this group experience the transforming of the community as individuals come into personal relationship with Christ. We are very thankful the Holmes family have received “permanent resident” immigration status in Canada and will seek citizenship as soon as possible.

Tim and Amy Corbin have moved from Vancouver for Tim to join the staff of the Colorado Baptist Convention in Denver.  While missing them, we are praying doors will be opened to expand the Kingdom through the work of this great couple.  We are also ask your prayer in rebuilding our church planting team in Vancouver.

We are praying for the final preparation of two local leaders who will be attending the Assessment retreat in Seattle coming in April to affirm their calling and preparation to be endorsed planters in Vancouver.  One of these candidates saw six baptized at Christmas through their ministry.  We look forward to God expanding our team during 2018.

Dr. Dan Crawford and a leadership team from his home church Wedgwood Baptist Church in Ft. Worth led by their pastor, Dale Braswell, have been in the city for the past week exploring partnerships for their church.  We are thankful for the continued work of Dr. Dan and pray for a supporting connection between his church and the planters and ministers they met.  We are also thankful for Steve Gee who traveled to Madison, Mississippi to share the activity of God in Vancouver.  Pray for the registration for our next vision tour planned the last of February(namb.net/vancouver)

We are praying for the spreading of the Gospel through our churches in the interior of British Columbia.  Hamish will be going to Grand Forks to meet with the pastoral search team to offer encouragement.  Westlyn Baptist Church and others have sent teams to work with First Baptist Church in Grand Forks over the past couple of year.

Zona Cero took their annual Mission trip to Oaxaca.  The report back to local leadership this month indicated that over 100 received Christ, their medical teams worked with over 250 people and they provide food bags to nearly 800 over the week they were there.  We celebrate with Pastor Pulgarin and his team as they were used by God to expand the Kingdom.

Steve Gee, Immanuel Baptist Church, has invited all of the leaders of our region to begin building a monthly gathering of leaders from Vancouver for prayer and fellowship at his church.  The foundation of prayer for our ministry and each other is critical to the movement of God in our cities.  Also, the unity of the leaders will create an environment for the expansion of the Kingdom of God.  Pray for this early morning meeting starting on February 24, 2018.

Burnaby Born Again is seeking a location for them to launch weekly public worship.  Pray for Pastor Rafael as he meets with potential locations. They have initiated baptism classes for those members of their gathered group.  They are seeing several among the over 80% of the group who are not Christian really becoming engaged in knowing Jesus personally.  Deep appreciation goes to Urban Village although small choosing to love and encourage this group as the church plant from their body.

Ray Woodard is asking for wisdom and commitment as we seek the next cohort of church planters to walk through an intensive training program during the next five months. Six leaders from Vancouver Island and Vancouver have been invited.  They will begin February.  Please pray for these leaders as we are seeking to develop multiplying church plants.