PRAYVANCOUVER.CA 2016-01-24
Pray with Thanksgiving…
We are very thankful for the report coming from NextGen Church, Sam Woo Kim. This week they launched Alpha and continued their prayer gathering each meeting had 10 present. Together there were over 15 different participants meeting in the two groups gathered in Lougheed and Coquitlam Center. They are planning to launch bi-weekly services on January 31st in Port Moody. Pray God will continue their outreach as they multiply their touch points.
We are thankful for the great opportunity that eight of our pastor’s wives had to attend the the planters wives retreat in Seattle. We are thankful for the leadership of Amy Corbin and the partners who made it possible.
We are thankful for the faithful stewardship of God’s people through the local churches and partnerships. Needs are being met daily in our association and the churches across the region. We are praying for resources to launch new churches among the South Asian Community in South Surrey and a new congregation in the planning stages in Abbotsford.
We are thankful for the favour recently experienced by a new planter in the midst of the immigration process. Most of those coming are here only a short time but we ask you to pray daily for favour to those who are seeking to establish long term roots in our country to help share the gospel and build up our churches.
We are thankful for the healthy recovery of several of our leaders who have been ill over the past few weeks. We ask you to pray not only for the physical health of our families but also the emotional health as they face the pressure of illness in their extended families both locally and globally.
We are thankful for the care of our retiring International Mission Board missionaries globally. We ask for wisdom and courage as they reengage their native land with the gospel. Also pray for wisdom and insight in how to engage in our urban cultural diversity to share the gospel in a familiar language among immigrants.
Pray for the activity of God…
This week church planters from all over North America, including our own Shawn Lynch from Church on the Rock-Albion, will be gathering in Atlanta for a Send Network Orientation this coming Monday – Wednesday. With this group in mind:
- Pray that we see a band of brothers multiplying themselves for the expansion of God’s Kingdom in the cities and across North America
- Pray for the safe transportation of each missionary
- Pray for each major city represented
- Pray for all the technical and logistical details
- Pray for the speakers and practitioners who will pouring their lives into those present
- Pray for the spouses of the church planters/missionaries attending
This week six new potential planters in the Northwest/Canada, including Kelly & Jeanne Manire, will be completing the assessment for church planting in Seattle. Pray the time would be a great time of strengthening and clarification for all those participating. Pray each potential planter couple will find a greater network of supporters and encouragers for the work that they have been called to do in these days.
Pray this week for the River Community Church in three ways:
Pray for Rhonda Forlow as she travels to see her parents in Tennessee. They have been dealing with various health issues. Pray for her brother, Tim, who will undergo throat surgery on Tuesday. Also, pray for a smooth trip as 2 of the airports she will travel through on Tuesday are currently closed due to the NE blizzard. Remember Brad and the children while she is gone. She will return to Vancouver on February 1.
Pray for Brad Forlow and the River Community Church as they continue their weekly community group meetings on Sunday. The morning group is located in a subsidized housing community they minister in, with many immigrants, refugees, limited English speakers, and mostly single mothers. The afternoon group meets in the Forlow’s home. Participants are widely varied each week.
Pray for Lindy and Lydia, student missionaries serving with River Community Church, as they minister to students each week. Pray for the weekly Youth Group Bible Study and group activities as they, along with Brad and Rhonda, reach out and minister to not-yet-believing youth.
Pray for the team coming from Kansas City to serve during the Church Planter Family camp. Pray they will be encouraged in Christ to serve and share with each of the 13 local families who will be attending the camp February 4-6. Pray the planters and wives will grow in their relationship with Christ and build a strong network of support with each other. Pray for the children and youth to discover new friends and gain encouragement in their lives. Pray for the leaders to be filled with the Spirit of God and empowered for each part of the retreat.
Pray for Henry Kwok and Patsy Woodard as they make final preparations for the upcoming financial audit for our association. Pray for great clarity and focus as well as peace of heart and mind for all involved. Pray this process will make us stronger and better as an organization that seeks to honor our Lord with integrity and character in everything we do.
Pray for our credentials committee as they exam and talk with two new churches seeking to affiliate with our association. Pray for wisdom and clarity as these churches have been led to join our family.
Pray for the five new prospective leaders and groups who have initiated conversations this week with our leaders about the possibilities of working to begin new churches in our region and among our family of churches. Pray that the Father would guide each conversation and provide insight into how we can cooperate on each new site.
The Point asks us to Join them in prayer for the upcoming Vancouver Project in March.. “Please PRAY for the students, staff, and leaders at The Point who are hard at work preparing for the project. Pray for the speakers and worship teams who will be coming to join us. Pray for students, young adults, and leaders who will be coming up from the US, as well. And finally, pray for many opportunities to engage with people on our campuses and in our communities, and many opportunities to share the love of Christ throughout the project.
Pray this week for Gateway Community Church in Port Alberni, Pastor Zachary Hillman. Zachary has been a key leader in our family of churches in Calgary over the last decade and he has now been serving for the past six months in Port Alberni. Although not a member of our family of churches, we want to ask God to bless and use Zachary and his family to lead and bring glory to Himself through this congregation in Port Alberni. We pray for its growth and the Kingdom expansion.
Pray these words over our cities…
We thank you for praying for the items listed on this pray post whenever you have the opportunity to pray. We ask you to join a nationwide effort among the churches of Canada in praying specifically at 10:02 daily for the Father to cast out workers from each of our churches into the harvest.
We also ask you to pray these words of scripture over our cities during this week. We desire the Word of God to be illuminated and revealed to the people of Greater Vancouver and Vancouver Island and thus we ask yuou to pray specifically this passage will become living and visible in His people on the streets this week:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
Romans 1:16-17 ESV