Sunday, January 28, 2007
Praise God for a Wonder-fulled All-Church Prayer Encounter!
The nearly 60 people who attended the All-Church Prayer Encounter for 2007, were met with a number of challenges: no running water, no hot water, rooms in renovation, broken pipes and meeting room reassignments. Couples had to be moved around or separated. Several stayed at the local hotel in Occidental, a couple of miles up the road. BUT, each challenge with beautiful met with hearts that were amazingly resilient and joyful, all at the same time. It was heard said: "Wow, God's got something special for this Prayer Encounter!" And they were right! Ryan Walton lead with guitars in the opening Thursday evening. The theme of worship drew us all into God's presence in a miraculous way. It was obvious to the leadership team that people had been and were praying back home! It was beautiful as we all sensed the presence of God's Spirit and closeness of God. Ryan, himself, was amazed at the tender Spirit and presence of God as each participant came with hungry hearts to see His presence. Ryan stated later how he wished he had had several of the young people and members of his congregation there to experience the very presence of God in that place. It was more than technique, form or function. It was God! Plan and simple!
God brought the hearts of those attending together in a spirit of worship and unity that was most refreshing and renewing and revitalizing to pastor Jake, Dann, Jeremy, John, 3 elders and other ministry leaders and first time attenders. In the final analysis, we sensed a special work of repentance, for ourselves and on behalf of the congregation, in which God is bringing an assurance of a new beginning. We became more importantly united with pastor Jake as our pastor of worship and prayer. He knows that unless God works, demonstrates His presence, power and glory in our midst, nothing will happen! Jake wants all that and everyone else who attended . . . and we know most certainly the congregation does as well!
Pray for a continued revitalization of the prayer ministry at Arcade. As prayer leaders are pulled together into a Prayer Ministry Team (PMT), we are confident God is going to lead us into "new paths, with new wine and new wineskins." We have seen the path, tasted the wine and are wearing the new wineskins!
To all those who stayed behind, guarding the baggage as it were, receive equal reward in the economy of God. And so we rejoice TOGETHER! Thank you to all who prayed! God has shown us, He is going to continue what He has started (Phil.1:6). And now thanks for being a part of His continuous journey with us all! ¶ 3:11 PM
God brought the hearts of those attending together in a spirit of worship and unity that was most refreshing and renewing and revitalizing to pastor Jake, Dann, Jeremy, John, 3 elders and other ministry leaders and first time attenders. In the final analysis, we sensed a special work of repentance, for ourselves and on behalf of the congregation, in which God is bringing an assurance of a new beginning. We became more importantly united with pastor Jake as our pastor of worship and prayer. He knows that unless God works, demonstrates His presence, power and glory in our midst, nothing will happen! Jake wants all that and everyone else who attended . . . and we know most certainly the congregation does as well!
Pray for a continued revitalization of the prayer ministry at Arcade. As prayer leaders are pulled together into a Prayer Ministry Team (PMT), we are confident God is going to lead us into "new paths, with new wine and new wineskins." We have seen the path, tasted the wine and are wearing the new wineskins!
To all those who stayed behind, guarding the baggage as it were, receive equal reward in the economy of God. And so we rejoice TOGETHER! Thank you to all who prayed! God has shown us, He is going to continue what He has started (Phil.1:6). And now thanks for being a part of His continuous journey with us all! ¶ 3:11 PM
