Week Forty-Six

1. Please pray for the each person's walk with God within our worshipping community. Pray for spiritual depth and fervour among individuals and as a community. 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 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 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.

2. Our church's annual Leader's Retreat will be held on the coming, 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 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.

4. 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.

5. 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 global economy; the transition of power in the office of president of the U.S.A.; the death of the young boy who ran away from home in Barrie and the grief of his family and community; 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.

6. With the sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount concluding on Sunday, November 2, 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.

7. Personal request (3rd 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.

8. 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.