A VIBRANT CHURCH OF PRAYER

At Bethel we have made it our goal to be a vibrant church of prayer.  That is because there is an indissoluble link between prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit.

With this in mind, Bethel’s Managing Elders recently asked each of our church’s ministry leaders to work with their team to develop a prayer strategy for their ministry—in other words, to express in writing how their team plans to make prayer their number one priority.  Joanne Rozendaal, who has been gathering the responses, reports that over 20 Bethel ministries (the vast majority) have submitted their strategies so far!  The results are extremely exciting.  Let me share just a few highlights with you:

• The Managing Elders have committed to pray during each meeting for their work, and each Managing Elder has committed to pray during the week for their ministry and for the other members of the team.
• The Shepherding Elders have begun to hold a special prayer meeting each month specifically to pray for the needs of the congregation.
• The Youth Leaders meet a half an hour before each youth night to pray together.  They also try to find a way to exchange prayer requests and remember to pray for their own “tribe” of youth each week as well as the other leaders’ “tribes”.
• The Alpha Ministry had a dedicated prayer group praying off site during the week, and on sight during sessions.
• The Director and Assistant Director of Children’s Ministries spend 30 – 45 minutes each Tuesday praying for specific children, leaders, and the families they serve.
• Dove Taekwondo leaders plan to set aside one day to pray and fast before the upcoming season and each leader has committed to pray daily for the ministry.
• Church Events Team members, starting 10 days prior to each event, are reminded to pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, for willing hearts to serve, and for Jesus’ light to shine through them.  They also gather before each event to pray.
• The Love Bannerman ministry periodically gathers people to prayer walk through the Bannerman neighbourhood.  That ask God to bless the people who live in our church’s community as well as Bethel’s ministry to them.

I have not even mentioned that a dedicated group gathers each Wednesday morning to pray for Bethel and the world, and that a healing prayer ministry is being developed so that people can receive personal, in depth, prayer for issues they are facing. 

The prayer-fire that is burning in Bethel is a sign that God’s Spirit is at work here.  It makes me excited for the future, because I believe this outpouring of prayer is a prelude to the even greater things that God plans to do.  --Pastor Tom

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