Dear Brothers and Sisters,
How important is prayer really for the Christian life and the life of the church? In his book A Praying Church, Paul Miller says this: “[P]rayer is not one more activity of the church–it lies at the heart of all the church’s ministry . . .. Prayer is not an option; it’s the engine.” Oftentimes we treat prayer as something supplementary to the church’s mission, but the teaching of Scripture is that prayer is absolutely necessary in the Christian life and in the mission of the church. Prayer drives mission. It is the God-given means of empowering his people to live out their calling as witnesses in this world.
As a key component of our Called to Flourish vision, we are seeking to grow as a church of Kingdom Prayer. This Sunday we will meet together for our Kingdom Prayer small groups. This is a time when we gather in homes to pray that the Lord would use us powerfully to spread the love of Christ and the message of the gospel in our community and in our world. If you have not attended a kingdom prayer small group, this is an excellent opportunity to join in.
We will meet this Sunday 4:00-5:00pm in the following host homes: Isaac and Erin Evans, Dennis and Audrey Dobbs, Ben and Jackie Huggins, and Rhett and Valerie Austin.
This Sunday we continue our sermon series The Glory of Christ. The sermon passage for Sunday is Hebrews 4:11-13.
Click here to access the livestream of Sunday’s service (9:30am).
New Adult Sunday School Series Beginning March 26
What does it look like for there to be meaningful, spiritually deep relationships in the church, and how do we develop these kinds of relationships within the body of Christ? On March 26, the adult Sunday school class will begin a new 8-week series in the book Caring For One Another: Eight Ways to Cultivate Meaningful Relationships by Ed Welch. Each brief chapter will be read together in class; no reading is required beforehand. The cost of the book is $5.00. If you would like a copy, a signup sheet is available in the narthex. Please place your payment in the offering plate indicating payment is for the Sunday school book.
Prayer Requests
Diane Walker: Please pray for full healing for Diane following a recent foot surgery.
Karla Van Der Molen: Continue to pray for strength and encouragement for Karla as she navigates ALS.
David LaBelle (brother of Larry LaBelle): Pray for recovery for David who collapsed on Saturday and was taken to the ICU; he is now recovering at home.
Lois Sullivan (Dan Wetherington’s sister): Pray for healing for Lois who suffered a hemorrhagic stroke on Monday; she underwent surgery yesterday and is recovering at Northwestern Hospital.
In Christ,
Pastor Rhett