Week Forty-Five

1. Please pray for the Spirit of God to knit everyone in our community together to pursue a common vision and plan of action for the near future and longterm. Please bring before the Lord the "growing leaders" plan presented at the recent ESC "town hall" meeting, which will be presented again at the Sunday, November 16 worship service. Ask for the Lord to direct our steps and, if the Spirit moves us in that direction, to build-up people and ministry through this initiative. Also, ask the Lord to provide the way for interested but busy members of our community to participate.

2. Our church's annual Leader's Retreat will be held on Saturday, November 15 (venue: Richmond Hill Chinese Baptist Church). Please keep praying for good participation and dialogue among the various leaders of our church ministries so that this will be a fruitful day of waiting before God, mutual encouragement and planning together. Pray for a stirring message from our Senior Pastor as part of the preparation for faithful ministry in the year ahead.

3. Please pray for the new 4-week Adult Sunday School course, "Hot Issues Facing Christians Today," which begins this coming November 2. Ask the Lord to help the two teachers to prepare and lead. Ask for the Spirit to work on participants' hearts and minds so that there will be meaningful discussion about issues important to the way we think, live, and witness for Christ.

4. Praise the Lord for this past weekend's events:
- "Fun Fall Festival" on Friday - Please ask the Lord to expand our church's testimony to our neighbours with increasing opportunity to reach out and care for them. Ask the Spirit to help us follow-up on contacts made at the festival.
- Parents and Youth Ministry Meeting on Sunday - Thank the Lord for the faithful counsellors and helpers who make a difference in the lives of our youth. Please pray for God's care and empowerment upon them. Ask the Lord to raise up more workers to love and disciple our youth.

5. Church Building Project, 685 Sheppard Ave. E. Please pray for the "Bazaar" fund-raising sale on Saturday, November 29. Ask the Lord for good participation, and to bless, multiply and use all money raised for the glory of his name. Please also keep praying for:
- spring ground-breaking
- spiritual growth along with facilities expansion- steady congregational commitment and cooperation
- creative solutions for space shortage during building
- God's provision: faithful giving, fervent fund-raising (including good participation in the promissory note program), favourable bank financing
- smooth building process.

6. Please pray about events and needs around the world. Although we may not be directly involved in the U.S. presidential election about to take place (Tuesday), the prominent place of the U.S.A. in the world means that whatever outcome will have a global impact. Since rulers are appointed by God, pray for an election result that will bring in a government which will govern in a way that upholds godly values. Pray for a smooth and peaceful election process.

7. With the sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount concluding this coming Sunday, please pray for Pastors Richard and Clarence as they consider what to preach on next in the Sunday pulpit teaching. Ask the Lord to help them as they pray, consult, and gauge the needs of the ESC. Ask for the Spirit to prompt them to prepare and speak on topics that reflect the heart of God for the ESC.

8. Personal request (continued from last week): Please pray for our members - Laura Sue and her parents, Maria and Walton. Laura has been diagnosed with some hearing loss in both her ears. This may be a result of water and infection in her ears this past summer. No operation or hearing aids are indicated for now. The doctor has asked them to wait 4 months and then go for additional tests. Please pray for Laura's hearing to improve.

9. Personal request: Please pray for A and R because A's father and mother both passed away within two weeks of each other. A remains overseas with family members as they work through this difficult time. R has returned home and gone back to work. Keep them in prayer and ask the Lord to comfort them and bring around them the love and support of friends.