2011 Week 49

After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. Acts 4:31 (NIV).

As we enter a new Christmas season, let us ponder again why He came on this earth and praise Him for 'such a great salvation.'

1. Pray for opportunities to witness about His grace and love towards us as we meet with families and friends during this festive season.

2. Pray for the pastoral staff and deacons as they prepare for the New Year to come and implement some of the goals they have set. The church theme for 2012 is "Blessing to All, Glory to God." Pray for unity of vision and purpose as we grow together as a church and seek to encourage each other to serve in the various areas of ministry to which God has called us and/or gifted us.

3. Pray for our missionaries in whatever part of the world that God has called them to minister. May they experience God's grace and have continued zeal for His kingdom's work. May the Christmas season bring about opportunities to testify about the reason for the season.

4. Pray for our upcoming discipleship program. May God ignite in us a passion to go make disciples and build significantly and long-term in the lives of those committed to follow Him.

5. Pray for our Church expansion program, for continued guidance and wisdom on all decisions to be made. Please refer to the weekly insert in the church bulletin for more detailed info.

6. Pray for loved ones experiencing various health issues. Pray for God's healing and strength to endure.

7. Pray for those experiencing hardships or different trials and temptations. May God's power and grace be there to sustain them.

8. Pray for our own personal walk with Him. Pray that we will continue to abide in Him and be sensitive and obedient to His promptings. In the midst of so many things occupying our thoughts and schedule, may we be able to find time to listen to Him and let Him guide us in all that we do and say.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

2011 week 27

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV).

1. Vacation Bible School (VBS), Session 1 begins tomorrow for two weeks. Please pray for all the children. Ask the Lord to prepare their hearts and minds to receive the Bible lessons in a way that will draw them closer to Jesus. Ask for the Spirit to lead and empower each one of the counselors as they pour their lives into the children. Ask the powerful Lord to keep all safe. Pray for a fun and spiritually rewarding time.

2. Summer Conference: Please pray for good registration and attendance as the deadline approaches. Lift up the ESC speaker, Alex Philip, before the Lord for his preparation and ministry to us. Please pray for the Children’s program led by TOMI Ministries, and also the nursery/toddler and children’s helpers.

3. Summer Softball: Please pray for our church’s four softball teams – Harbingers, Ex Nihilo, Seraphs, and Pi. May the Lord give them a great season of sport and fellowship. Pray that this ministry will glorify God. May the players be drawn to Jesus through the testimony of their believing teammates.

4. Building Project: Please pray for the fund-raising which is at a critical stage. May the Lord bless and provide the needed target amount this year in order to continue the project. Please keep informed of the progress and lift it up before the Lord.

5. Please pray for our missionaries:
- Praise God for the Greniers who just returned to The Gambia, West Africa this past week. Thank the Lord for successful recent surgery on John's hand and for rapid recovery. Pray for smooth readjustment to life and resumption of ministry in The Gambia. Pray especially for the family as son, Jedidiah, will be separated from John and Alice this fall for the first time in order to go to school in a neighbouring country.
- Please pray for P,J,N & A as they prepare for to their move to East Asia in a couple of week's time. Ask the Lord to give them assurance, strength and perseverance during this very busy time of getting ready. May the Lord guide their family arrangements (e.g. schooling) in their new home base. Pray for P's close reliance on God and adjustment to the challenges of new ministry. Praise the Lord for the boldness and faithfulness of this family.
- Remember our other missionaries in various countries and ministries.
- Pray also for our short-term missionaries this summer: the three who recently came back from Africa, the Near East, and East Asia - ask the Lord to guide them as they continue to ponder God's future for them with regard to mission; the one who will be leaving for East Asia in a week's time - for spiritual preparation and also curriculum preparation for the anticipated work there.

6. Please pray for those among us, and family members of our brothers and sisters who are ill. Lift each sufferer and their families up to God in prayer. Ask the Lord to help them deal with the illness and experience the love of Christ in their midst. Pray also for those in our midst who have recently lost loved ones. May the community of believers stand by them, and may the Lord comfort them.

7. Please pray for those among us who are seeking work. Some are recent graduates and some have been looking for some time. Ask the Lord to provide, and to keep attitudes positive in order to persevere in the job search.

2011 Week 22

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 1 Peter 2:9 (ESV).

1. Please pray for our hearts and attitudes as we approach the celebration of our church's 41st anniversary on June 5, 2011. Reflecting of the the verse above (1 Peter 2:9), may the Lord cause us to understand who we are before him, and be newly committed to proclaim his excellencies in our love for one another, and our mission to our neighbours and the nations. God has not made us a people unto ourselves, but a people for him - to fulfill his high and perfect purpose. May he move us by the power of his Spirit to do so.

2. Please pray for the 41st Anniversary Combined (Cantonese, English, and Mandarin) worship service on Sunday, June 5. May the Lord be glorified as we worship and observe the Lord's Supper together. Although our community is colourful and varied, may our unity in Christ shine through our worship, our fellowship, and service.

3. Please pray for family members of our brothers and sisters who are ill. Lift each sufferer and their families up to God in prayer. Ask the Lord to help them deal with the illness and experience the love of Christ in their midst. Pray also for those in our midst who have recently lost loved ones. May the community of believers stand by them, and may the Lord comfort them.

4. Please pray for our missionaries:
- Praise God for the Greniers (The Gambia, West Africa) who are on home assignment until June 2011. Thank the Lord for successful recent surgery on John's hand. Ask the Lord to allow good recovery and strength, especially as the Greniers prepare to return to The Gambia in early July. Pray for smooth resumption of ministry in The Gambia. Pray especially for the family as son, Jedidiah, will be separated from John and Alice for the first time in order to go to school in a neighbouring country.
- Praise God for CY (South Asia) who is currently on home assignment over the summer. Pray for direction and clarity about next steps and future ministry.
- Remember our other missionaries in various countries and ministries.

5. Please continue to pray for the church building project:
- Praise God for the steady work of excavation which we can see happening. Praise the Lord also for a possible prospective tenant.
- Pray for the necessary permits and plans to come through soon on a timely basis so that construction may proceed on schedule as each step is completed.
- Pray for the ongoing fund-raising, so that construction may continue without hindrance. Faithful giving is especially important now since the MiniSkool (on-site child care agency) is not operating and paying rent during the construction.

6. Please pray for those among us who are seeking work. Some are recent graduates and some have been looking for some time. Ask the Lord to provide, and to keep attitudes positive in order to persevere in the job search.

7. Please pray for the many summer activities which are starting or will be happening soon: CCSA softball which builds fellowship and reaches out to non-believing friends; Vacation Bible School (VBS) which mobilizes a number of youth as counsellors and ministers to children in our community; Summer Conference which is our mid-summer opportunity to experience focused spiritual growth as a church community.