Displaying items by tag: church

America and new President Donald Trump has been hitting the news headlines repeatedly in recent days. He lost the popular votes but won a majority of States through the electoral college system. America was deeply divided under President Obama and remains so under President Trump. It is not simply a political divide, there are divides across the age groups, rural voters v city voters and deep divisions on ethnic lines.

From a Christian perspective we believe unity is high on God’s agenda. Many American cities are working hard to bring the churches together so people around them see one body. Globally we believe there is a spiritual special relationship between the USA and the UK. We are both called to take the gospel to the world.

So at a time when Christians are arguing vehemently on Facebook and Twitter that Donald Trump is the Lord’s anointed, and others that he is just plain dangerous, we recommend three pray points:

• God bless America - we believe America has a key role in showing and communicating the gospel and we pray for God’s hand on its government and President - give them wisdom and may God’s will be done.
• God strengthen our links - at a time of great disagreements we pray the UK and USA might stand together as servants, ready to do what you call us to do.
• Bring healing - the disagreements are so fierce but God says He wants His church to be one so that the world will know Him. Disunity is the enemies strategy. Lord, we pray for the Holy Spirit miracle of unity, heal the hurts, enable your people to disagree but stand together.

1) Just wanted to share a powerful video testimony from Steve Buss (director of One Hope) and Eugene, OR!  They launched the 1church1day/1 church initiative strategy in his city a year ago!  With 39 churches today each taking a day of prayer once a month every month praying for 10 different spheres of culture in their community, connected through a simple communication plan (prayer guide and praise report) they are beginning to see measurable results to the Glory of God! 

Here is the link below! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsWmEu-BxtY

Jason Hubbard 

Light of the World

2) New Mexico Prays, a movement of churches and ministries covering New Mexico in 24/7 prayer. New Mexico is in desperate need of revival and transformation. 

Our vision is to mobilize churches and ministries all over New Mexico to unite in 24/7 prayer to see God revive the Church and transform our state. We are starting January 1, 2017.

SIGN UP: 

Go to our website and sign up your ministry to pray for our state.

http://newmexicoprays.org/sign-up/

HALF DAY OR FULL DAY: 

Choose a day of the month on which your ministry can pray for 1 full day (24 hours) or a half day (12 hours). If you are going to pray a half day, decide if you are going to pray Midnight to Noon or Noon to Midnight. 

For example, you pray the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. of every month for 2017. We would like to cover every day of the month in prayer. Please check our Calendar for available days.

http://newmexicoprays.org/calendar/calendar/

RECRUIT INTERCESSORS: 

The goal is to cover every hour of the day in prayer with at least 1 intercessor. Recruit at least 12-24 people from your ministry to cover New Mexico in prayer. People can pray from home, at work, or you can also schedule a special prayer time at your ministry to gather people in corporate prayer.

AGREE IN PRAYER:

You can include additional prayer requests, but these are the 8 main areas of need in New Mexico that we are praying for:

1. PRAY FOR THE LOST TO BE SAVED. 
2. PRAY FOR UNITY AMONG PASTORS AND CHURCHES. 
3. PRAY FOR GOD TO HEAL OUR LAND OF ABORTION. 
4. PRAY FOR DELIVERANCE FROM A SPIRIT OF VIOLENCE. 
5. PRAY FOR FREEDOM FROM SUBSTANCE ABUSE. 
6. PRAY FOR TRANSFORMATION IN OUR ECONOMY AND EDUCATION.
7. PRAY FOR GOD TO BREAK THE SPIRIT OF WITCHCRAFT. 
8. PRAY FOR RACIAL RECONCILIATION. 

ATTACHED RESOURCES:

Church and ministry signup (24 hours)
Print and pass out during service or put at your check-in desk.

Church and ministry signup (12 hours – Midnight to Noon)
Print and pass out during service or put at your check-in desk. 

Church and ministry signup (12 hours – Noon to Midnight)
Print and pass out during service or put at your check-in desk.

Prayer Focus (8.5 x 11 landscape)
This bulletin insert is meant to share our prayer focus with your members and intercessors.

Prayer Focus (5.5 x 8.5)

Easy to attach to an email to send to your church or upload to your website.

Pastor Brian Alarid, Co-Chairman

New Mexico Prays

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: https://NewMexicoPrays.org

Last Saturday Canon Joanna Penberthy was consecrated as Bishop of St Davids - the first female bishop in Wales. Her consecration marks the end of a journey that the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, said had been ‘long and hard’ for the women of the Church - ‘first to be made deacon, then priest, and now bishop’. The Church in Wales had started debating women in the episcopate in 2005. After a setback in 2008, a bill was carried in 2013, and a Code of Practice made provision for those who remained opposed. Bishop Joanna’s election had been determined by her gifts and not her gender, Dr Morgan told the 500-strong congregation. He suggested that the liturgical confession might spur collective reflection on how the Church had impeded women’s ministry. His address praised the women for ‘daring to trust and daring to hope’, and for not allowing themselves to become cynical or bitter.

Social studies textbooks for grades 1-4 were recalled after an outcry from concerned parents over a page illustrating two Christian churches. The books had been introduced by the new management at Gateway International School, without official approval from the appropriate Maldivian ministry. A local news website accused the school of being ‘a gateway to turning Maldivians into Christians’. Thomas Muller, persecution analyst at World Watch Research, commented, ‘That the mere picture of a church is seen as promoting Christianity and potential proselytism shows how deeply ingrained the fear of the Muslim majority is. The appointment of a radical cleric to the highest Islamic Council (reported last month) also fits this pattern and will lead expatriate Christians to exercise even more caution, and indigenous Christians to take the utmost care in remaining undiscovered.’

The annual Persecution Trends report by the UK-based group Mohabat says that as well as the rise of brutalities against Christians in the Middle East, Pakistan and Africa, there is reason to worry about the safety of Christians in India and China. In India, the Religious Liberty Commission of the Evangelical Fellowship recorded 134 attacks on Christians or churches in the first half of 2016 alone, which is close to the annual totals for both 2014 and 2015 combined, adding that attacks on Christians are likely to continue to rise in 2017. In China, the Communist government’s 2016 draft regulations on religious affairs look set to increase the pressure on unregistered churches in particular. ‘China’s policy of Sinicisation, to make the Church somehow more Chinese in character, looks set to bite down harder in 2017.’ Last month, Pope Francis said the Church has more martyrs today than the early Church did. ‘But why does the world persecute Christians?’ the pontiff asked. ‘The world hates Christians for the same reason it hated Jesus: because He brought the light of God and the world prefers the darkness to hide its wicked works.’

A worker for Christ wanted to write about recent news, but didn’t. Firstly it was too depressing, and secondly there was a fear of information getting into the wrong hands with the possibility of personal danger. The desperation is to get people praying. Asked for their greatest fears, most replied, ‘being hacked to death and wasting away through starvation.’ Burundi has the highest rate of malnutrition in the world. The worker and colleagues need prayers for protection and wisdom in complex situations. He write: ‘“Why are you still here?” Because God calls us to weep with those who weep, to be a voice for the voiceless and to “not love our lives so much as to shrink from death”. (Rev 12:11) “How do you see things going?” Not well in human terms but, through the eyes of faith, I still believe that God is on His throne and that the Church is the hope of the world as He has stationed His best troops in Burundi. “What about your family?” We have agreed to live by faith, and want to model this to our children as we stand alongside the precious suffering Burundi community. Will you stand with us in prayer, if you have the emotional energy? I am here, amongst other things, to fly the flag for Burundi. Can you see it waving? It’s small, soiled, stinking, fear-ridden, torn, blood-and-tear-stained, but look more closely….that is not the whole story.’ See also

‘I have given them the glory that You gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and You in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent me and have them even as You have loved me.’ (John 17:22-23) HOPE unites the church across denominations, race, culture and customs. An unprecedented number of churches are committed to mission in 2018. The dream is to grow the church by 10 per cent. Thank God for churches working together. Pray that Christians will show God’s reconciling love and peace. Consider meeting to pray with other churches in your area.

(written by Rev’d Yemi Adedeji, Redeemed Christian Church of God)

The Christian communities of Syria and Iraq are in the middle of a ‘cataclysmic crisis’, a report warns. Their very existence is in peril, as the world witnesses one of the greatest threats to the Church in the Middle East since its birth over 2,000 years ago. Christians are facing targeted persecution and leaving Syria and Iraq at an increasing rate. If this rate of emigration continues, within a few years the Christian communities in these countries will be utterly devastated. The report warns that war in Syria and Iraq has ‘unleashed a tidal wave of violent persecution’, which has targeted the highly vulnerable Christian population and has dramatically accelerated the flight of Christians from Iraq and Syria. Before 2011, Syrian Christians numbered about eight per cent of the population of 22 million: today about half are believed to have left the country. Before 2003, there were around 1.5 million Christians in Iraq, less than five per cent of the population: now, estimates hover between 200,000 and 250,000. Those who have left often have no hope or expectation of return.

At least 500 churches, syn­agogues, and mosques across the UK have opened their doors to homeless people in the past year, a report by the charity Housing Justice says. Volunteers donated more than 490,000 hours to the 34 church and community night-shelter projects that contributed data to the report - an average of 14,850 hours per shelter. The report was produced to draw attention to the plight of homeless people in the UK and the work of night shelters. It says that these shelters stayed open for an average of 114 days during the year, with a total of 1,920 guests (84 per cent of them male). The findings were published as the Prime Minister announced extra funds for helping the homeless. Speaking last month, Mrs May said, ‘In the run-up to Christmas, images of soup kitchens and hostels remind us of the vital lifeline provided by charities and local services to those facing a night on the streets. But today I have witnessed a different kind of support, one which seeks to stop people ending up on the street altogether by providing assistance to address their most immediate needs, and - crucially - giving them the skills and oppor­tunities to help them build a more secure future for themselves.’

Four men have been arrested in connection with the suicide attack at the St Peter and St Paul church in Cairo last month, which killed 28 people and injured over 40. Eleven people are still in the hospital. Egypt's Interior Ministry says one of the four men arrested has links to the Muslim Brotherhood, though the group has denied any involvement. Hours after the attack, the terror group IS said one of its soldiers, named Abu Abdallah-al-Masri, was responsible for carrying out the attack, the worst on Egypt's Coptic Christian community since 2011. Despite this claim by IS, Egypt appears eager to pin the blame on the outlawed Brotherhood. Damage to the church was repaired just before 7 January, the day Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas. The renovations were undertaken by Egypt's army under orders of president Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, who has promised to rebuild all churches that have been destroyed or damaged since 2013.