Week Forty-Eight

1. Please pray for ongoing discussion items and ministry needs raised at our church's annual leader's retreat last weekend. Pray for the ESC's desire to increasingly become the community that reflects God's intentions for us. Some areas:
- Our fellowship/small groups. Ask for the Spirit's guidance for the growth and biblical effectiveness of our groups so that people are well cared for and challenged in their walk with Jesus. Ask for wisdom and courage in making necessary changes to groups which are too diverse to adequately promote sharing and meet specific needs among its members, including beginning new groups.
- Breakthrough in community. Ask for God to work mightily to break down the distance that exists among individuals and groups within our community, and especially with newcomers. Ask the Spirit to make us intentional about bridging the distance to people we don't know well, making interaction with others a key value and practice in our community.
- Matching people with ministries. Ask the Lord to help us to foster commitment and follow "best practices" to address the need for people to serve in the various ministries which exist to shepherd the people of our community.

2. Please continue to ask 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 long-term. Please bring before the Lord the "growing leaders" plan presented at the recent ESC "town hall" meeting, and at the Sunday, November 23 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.

3. Please pray for the new pulpit series on the Old Testament book of Nehemiah beginning Sunday, November 23. May the Spirit teach, rebuke, correct, and train in righteousness (cf. 2 Tim 3:16) through God's word.

4. Please keep praying for the 4-week Adult Sunday School course, "Hot Issues Facing Christians Today," which began Sunday, 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.

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
- good response to the prayer and financial appeal letter being sent to friends of the church all over the world.

6. Please pray about events and needs all around us in our neighbourhood, our city and beyond. Listen daily to the news and as the Spirit to move you to care and pray about a few things. Some things that come to mind are the Canadian and global economy as our government considers measures to help struggling businesses; the transition of power in the office of president of the U.S.A.; the weekly news of untimely deaths due to negligence and murder; etc. Even though we are not directly involved in these events, we know that only the mercy of God will give true understanding and peace in all situations, and that we as children of God should care.

7. Personal request: Please pray for our members, Maria and Walton. They are in the process of looking for an apartment. Ask the Lord to give them success in relocating to a suitable place. Their daughter, Laura, has been diagnosed with some hearing loss in both her ears, and is scheduled for a CAT scan on December 1. Please pray for appropriate treatment for Laura and for her hearing to improve.

8. Please pray about the preparation and planning for the ESC Christmas worship service (Sunday, December 21). Ask the Lord to move members to participate in the choir, the planning, and technical aspects of the service. Most of all, ask the Spirit to bless the service as a way of touching our community with the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ.