As we continue to explore God's will for us as individuals and as a church, we considered three main aspects during our PCC Quiet Day in September:
1) Our spiritual life as a church
2) The need for an Assistant Pastor
3) The plans for the Church Hall Project.
The Bible constantly reminds us of the need to bring our ideas and concerns to God, seeking His guidance and listening to His answers before making any decisions; e.g. Colossians 4:2 - Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful; and Revelation 2&3 - He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
So we feel we should hold a Week of Prayer in October (dates to be announced), flexible enough for everyone to join in, and not confined to the usual Prayer Meetings. We suggest that each member of the church commits themselves to pray, for a specified period of time, at your own convenience, EVERY DAY FOR A WEEK. Depending on your circumstances, you could set aside 15 minutes, half an hour, an hour or longer; whatever suits you. You could pray on your own, or even better, in families or groups, or with a Prayer Partner - perhaps this could become a regular pattern, encouraging each other in prayer! An outline of suggested prayer topics for each day will be circulated in advance, so that we're all 'praying with one accord', and to help focus our thoughts .
You might like to consider fasting during some part of the week - another Biblical principle which we tend to overlook in our busy lifestyles, but an indication that we mean 'serious business' as we come into God's presence, free from other distractions. (e.g. Joel 2:12; Matt 17:20-21).
Please listen out for more details nearer the time, but be prepared to commit yourself to a specific week of prayer for ourselves and our church. Then look forward to God's answers!
Anne Butler
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Prayer
