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NEW & Updated CONCERNS
Prayer
Notes from Thursday 22nd July, 2010
INDIA:
Prayer Key to Church Planting
Felicity Dale
attended the World House Church Summit in India and reports that she
met people who have more than 100.000 new believers in their networks
Reflecting on this. Felicity says "I know that numbers are the
world's way of judging success, and that God is more interested in our
faithfulness and obedience than anything else. I also know that you
cannot manufacture a move of God. But are there pnnciples that they
are applying that translate across cultures and help to produce such
a movement9"
The first thing that is strikingly clear is the commitment of Indian
church planters to prayer and prayer walking. "We have an Indian
friend who tried an experiment.'' Felicity says. "He picked two
villages. The first he prayer walked regularly before trying to reach
out to the people who lived there, the second he did not. Forty-five
families became believers in the first village. He was thrown out of
the second one."
David Watson, who has seen more than 40.000 churches start in North
India and more than 5.000 in Africa, surveyed his top 100 church planters
to see if he could identify any common charactenstics in the methods
they used The only one he found was a commitment to prayer. Even though
these people mostly had jobs, they prayed 3 hours per day on their own
and then 3 hours per day with their teams. Fasting was also important
to them. Felicity Dale. Joel News International
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Our
World |
Areas of particular Violence, Tension and much Distress:
- Iraq; Afghanistan; Iran; Israel/Palestine etc.:-
AFGHANISTAN – escalating numbers of deaths
of British and US soldiers amid increasing scepticism about ultimate
outcome. (Afghanistan labelled as ‘second most corrupt country
in the world!)
The persecuted church – Barnabas Fund;
Christian Solidarity Worldwide; Open Doors:-
CUBA – CSW is highlighting the case of Pastor Perez
in Cuba who was detained in May 2008 and sentenced to 6 years
in prison in July n2009 on fabricated charges (see below)
Third World Poverty, Hunger and Debt; the AIDS epidemic
- Tearfund, Christian Aid, C. of S. HIV/AIDS Project, etc.
Mission Agencies with which our church have an association:-
OMF (Fergusons); Vine Trust (Kimu Peru Project); India Ministries
Fellowship; MAF
PERU –Eleanor home from Peru – updates eagerly awaited
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Our
Nation |
Government in Westminster, Holyrood and Brussels:- praying
esp. for Christians, of whatever party, witnessing in these difficult
environments. -
see 'Christians
in Parliament' ; praying for the new administration
in Westminster and all Christians elected
Christian life and witness:- Keswick
Convention continues
Those administering law and justice – the
courts, judges, police etc.
Economic Downturn, Inflation etc. -
concern over ensuring austerity measures do not hit the poor
Drug/Alcohol/Gambling Addiction
National Life:
Bible Society; Gideons:
The media; the Internet; Sport etc.
Our schools, colleges and universities- and SU, Christian
Unions:
- SU and other camps, their leaders, cooks etc.
-‘Friends International’ outreach to the thousands
of foreign students in London area for the summer.
- those who have left school and still looking for college places
National Church - concern over church
finances and need to reduce number of ministers among other economy
measures
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Nearby
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Ministers
& others with whom our church has a particular relationship,
incl. Nigel Barge, Lynn McChlery, Fiona Gardner, Peter White,
Ramsay Shields, Malcolm Duff, Alan Hamilton, Stuart Matthews,
George Vidits, Gemma Stoddart:-
International Christian
College:-
Richard Tiplady will join as Principal next month; Tony
Sargent still very involved visiting Africa and India; pray
for visas for potential foreign students
Business in
Glasgow(BiG) - promoting and
participating in 24/7/365 Prayer for Scotland initiative. http://scotlandprayer2010.org/
Chanan Trust;
Glasgow City Mission;
Lodging House Mission;
Maxie Richards Foundation; Rainbow House etc.:- in their
work among homeless, drug and alcohol addicted
- CHANAN TRUST
– plans for resuming street work and feeding those who
are met on the street into ‘Christianity Explored’
courses are delayed
- PRESHAL TRUST -
successful visit to Stornoway
- GLASGOW CITY
MISSION – Newsletter indicates that many foreign nationals
using their services and appealing for volunteers able to teach
English as a second language
- MAXIE RICHARDS FOUNDATION - Continued need for residential
centre for women.
- LODGING HOUSE
MISSION
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Milngavie
&
the Parish |
Local churches, their ministers and leaders:-
The Youth of the area: praying for wholesome activities
during the summer break
Friendship House & Friendship Circle - continued
staffing concerns (kitchen staff in particular); May Nicholson
will speak at AGM in Sept.
Our councillors, police and fire services, medical and nursing
services
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The
Church |
pray
for Douglas Martin and team at St. Boswells – at a time
when he is coming to terms with his recent bereavement
Sunday Services:- Ken at both
services this Sunday and next Sunday morning with Terry McCutcheon
(St. George’s Tron) next Sunday evening
Fergus Buchanan and Gabrielle; Ken MacDonald &
Evelyn
- Fergus and Gabrielle go off on holiday this W/E. Pray for
thoroughly relaxing and refreshing time
- thinking of Ken with increased workload when Fergus away
Choir/Lunch Club/Organisations/Sunday Club/Bible
Class:-
Overseas concerns:-
JAPAN – see below. Latest Ferguson 'Blog' at http://churchplantersdiary.blogspot.com/
Session & Congregational Board –
-treasurers’ initiatives to increase income
‘Support’ services – office,
church officer, cleaners etc –
The sick and the bereaved: those sick
at home or in hospital; those recently bereaved.
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Pastor
Perez in Cuba
Lord, You know what
it is like to be persecuted, so please bring an end to the persecution
of Your Church in Cuba, and enable Christians there to worship
and speak about You in full freedom.
Pray for Pastor Omar Gude Perez to be strengthened emotionally
and spiritually. May he know God's peace and not let go of his
hope.
Pray for Pastor Gude Perez' wife, Kenia, and their family - without
a father and husband. Pray that the family will have all they
need and that they will find joy and safety. Thank God that the
government withdrew the eviction threat.
Thank God that the Cuban authorities were faced with their injustice
and disturbed by the large amount of letters arriving for the
family. Pray that this pressure will result in the release of
Pastor Gude Perez and the false charges to be exposed.
Thank God that the EU is monitoring his case and pray that international
pressure will help bring about his freedom.
Pray for the relationships between churches in Cuba, that these
would be strengthened; that they would stand in unity and support
each other through difficulties.
Give thanks for the effectiveness of CSWs advocacy for Pastor
Gude Perez. Pray for wisdom and more opportunities to raise his
case in the international community.
"I know that there are many people praying for us, we thank
them so much because those prayers arrive before the throne and
they are answered..." Kenia Gude Perez
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Hebron School - Daniel and Matthew are home safely
for 2 months. Give thanks for Matthew’s new dorm parents,
the Reynolds, who have 4 children of their own. Also, visa problem
essentially overcome
Pray for good rest for dorm parents and teachers
Pray for all staff posts to be filled
Calum and Alistair’s school – school
continues until 23rd of the month. David meets many children when
doing ‘guard duty’ in the mornings and Lorna involved
in library, PTA etc.
Pray for ongoing contacts at the school and the opportunities
has to meet mothers.
The website should be up and running shortly but
the leaflet is delayed
Pray for successful conclusion of both these projects.
Lorna’s English classes are proving very popular, with one
class full.
Pray for continued popularity of these classes.
Lorna is meeting with a neighbour for French conversation
Pray for this relationship to develop
David preaches every Sunday in July except for
18th and also at another church on 25th.
Sambi shared her testimony at a service last month
and W., her friend, was there to hear it.
There have been a number of others attending the services at Izumi
Church, but this has raised some delicate and difficult issues
Pray for the Lord’s blessing on Izumi Church in these
early months of its life
Pray for W and for Mrs W.
Pray for much wisdom as we deal with the issues which have arisen
recently
VISION
For most of the first year or so since our return to Japan
to start a church from zero, we have been thinking and praying about
the vision of this new church. What are we about here? What are
we aiming it? What are our values? How is God leading? These and
many other questions have been on our minds. A couple of months
back it was great to be able to agree on our vision and values.
So far it is just in Japanese, but an English version should appear
at some point. Actually it is not so easy to translate something
which is thought through in another language and designed for a
specific context. We have worked with five keywords as we have considered
this new church plant. Biblical - perhaps obvious, but what does
the Bible really say about church? Indigenous - in effect, we want
to be a church which is rooted here, in this community, among the
people who live here. Equipping - a church where each person learns
from one another and is equipped and built up to be the person God
has made them to be. Holistic - perhaps a word that needs explaining,
but the key idea is that being a follower of Jesus is something
which takes in all of life, anywhere, at any time, words and deeds.
And reproducing, looking to make and nurture disciples of Jesus
who bear fruit as they live their lives for him. How God will build
a church in this community among these people is something we don't
yet know and can't yet see - but it is exciting to be here to watch
and be involved in its outworking.
(from ‘Blog’)
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