2009 Week Eight

1. Please pray for the college/university students who are on reading week break this week. Ask the Father to give them a good rest, meaningful time with their family and friends, and re-connection with God. Lift up our students to God for growth not just academically and socially, but in their spiritual life also. May they know that their walk with Jesus must be the foundation they need for life and eternity.

2. Please keep praying for the February series of adult Sunday School classes on parenting with special guest Sunday School Teacher, Pastor D. The first two classes were very well received, helping us to understand that much of our stress and frustration comes from not putting God first in our own lives, and not teaching God to be first in our children's lives. The classes are:February 1: Christian Parenting: Is it a Lost Cause?February 8: Who is God and Where Does He Fit into My Life?February 15: Adolescence: The Roller Coaster of ExtremesFebruary 22: Boldly Going Where No Parent Has Gone Before

3. Please pray for the Youth Ministry:- This weekend, February 13 to 15, 2009, is SnoCamp, the annual winter retreat for secondary school students (Gilead Fellowship) at Muskoka Woods, along with hundreds of other youth from various Fellowship Baptist churches. Ask the Lord to work on the hearts of the youth, so that what they experienced at SnoCamp through the fun, fellowship, worship and learning will have ongoing positive effect. Pray for the those who made new or renewed commitments the Lord.- This request is carried over from the reader section of week 5's post: "I am praying for these requests posted. In addition, I ask for prayer for the students in our teen's Sunday School. Conviction about God's character and will comes only with accumulated knowledge of what he has said and done. Please pray that they would give attention to what is being taught and to let this knowledge affect their dealings with God."

4. Please pray for the people involved and affected by some of the disasters in the news this past week: the plane crash in Buffalo, the fires in Australia, the earthquake in western China, etc. As for the Lord's mercy upon people whose lives need to be rebuilt. Pray for appropriate and wise actions by people who can help. Keep informed of world news and pray accordingly, especially for the mobilization of believers to make a difference in the lives of the needy.

5. Please continue to pray for some among us who are facing challenging situations and people in the workplace. Some are dealing with unreasonable demands. Others are not being heard. Some are trying to make a difference by meeting with and talking to key workplace people who have influence. Pray for God's mercy and sustenance, and for improvement in circumstances. Pray for these brothers' and sisters' testimonies and their ability to help co-workers. Pray for change in the hearts and actions of those who are responsible for what happens in the workplace.

6. Please pray for the "Growing Leaders" ESC leadership training program:- The second training session is coming up on Saturday, February 28. The session topic will be, "Understanding Identity." The focus is learning that leadership is first and foremost discipleship, that is, our identity is as ones who have been called by Jesus to learn from him and follow him. Ask the Lord to help us understand and grow together as the community called by him.- Ask the Spirit for guidance and wisdom as the one-on-one (or small group) mentor-mentee meetings take place over the coming month. The challenge in the coming month will be to assess where each person is in their relationship to God, and to start practicing some disciplines that will lay the foundations of a growing relationship with him.

7. Please pray for the church building project:- The bank we are dealing with has agreed to loan us 80% of the construction cost, but has stipulated that the church must raise most of the outstanding balance before construction begins. This means we have a very short period of time (if construction is to start in August as desired) to raise about $2.5 million to add to the $2 million we have already raised. This looks difficult and daunting, and we really need to pray and depend on God to guide us in what to do. Pray for sensitivity to the Spirit's leading, faithfulness to respond, and steadfast trust in the Lord.- A fund-raising banquet will be held at the beginning of May. Please pray for the planning of this event and the members of the fund-raising committee as they work on this.

8. Please pray for brothers and sisters among us who are suffering. Lift up those you know who are sick or suffering before the Lord. Ask for healing and comfort, and practical things such as help from others. Ask the Lord to move any of us to respond and be those helping hands.