1.    WASHINGTON, DC: MULTI-CHURCH, MULTI-ETHNIC
2.    CHICAGO, IL: ONE GREAT CITY: CITYWIDE BRIEFING REPORT
3.    CITY CHURCH: A NEW CHAPTER?

5.    FROM THE RCA NETWORK: SUMMIT & PUSHING
6.    PARADE for JESUS
7.    'REVIVAL ISLAND' IN HAWAII
 8.    FOX VALLEY, IL: STRATEGY FOR CITY REACHING

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*    PASTOR PHIL'S SCHEDULE

Your prayers are a blessing to my ministry...

*    CHICAGOLAND PRAYER SUMMIT

1.    WASHINGTON, DC: MULTI-CHURCH, MULTI-ETHNIC

>From: Richnilsen@aol.com

Phil,

You had asked me to send you a report on our Feb. 22 Washington, D.C. metro area multi-church prayer meeting.

The folks involved in these meetings, both Pastors and lay leaders, felt this past meeting was the best one we have had.   The attendance included many denominations and races from around the D.C. area, and the prayer was fervent.

We are now beginning to plan for the next meeting, for the National Day Of Prayer, at the special date and time of Friday night May 3.   If you would any more information on this, please contact me.

Grace be with you, Rich
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>From: Grace Wiebe <gracew@idmail.com>

"City Church: Is God Introducing a New Chapter Into Church History?"
    By Wolfgang Simson

    http://www.dawn.ch/CCE1x.html
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>From: Ras Robinson <fullness@airmail.net>

March 11, 2002 - I am about to do a new and fresh work among both my flock and shepherds. My sheep are suffering.  I am about to put a stop to some things.  You are too concerned about titles for yourselves like apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers and not concerned enough about my sheep.  You shepherds have not sought my heart in the care of my precious ones.  My kingdom is not like the world. It is not a business operation.  In my kingdom there is to be equality and oneness.  You have settled for attempts at unity and you have fallen short.  Sheep are to be healed, delivered and restored. All of you are my sheep whether you are designated a shepherd or not. And all of you have shepherding responsibilities.  

At this present time, the enemy is coming into the flock like a flash flood.  My sheep are being robbed of their possessions because they have not been fed my word and built up.  There is sickness needlessly running rampant because my sheep have not been taught to know me intimately and to walk closely. It is the same with shepherd and sheep.  Every one is seeking for his own best interest.  This is not my way.  My way is that shepherds are to lay down their lives for the sheep and that sheep are to lay down their lives for one another. And all have gone astray.  My patience has grown thin and now I must move in to redeem both shepherd and sheep. Big sheep are running over small sheep.  Lambs are being neglected. Shepherds are intent on building folds so large that sheep cannot be loved, nurtured and taught my ways, paths and truth.  The error of bigness has enlarged the egos of sheep and shepherd to the point that size is the measuring rod.  But I say that my sheep are perishing, starving and going untended and unfed.  Huge numbers of sheep have walked away from the shepherds and their folds because they do not find me there. Today, in this very hour, I call you into account.  I am about to do a new and fresh work among both my flock and shepherds.

Ezekiel 34:23-26 "Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. "And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken. "And I will make a covenant of peace with them and eliminate harmful beasts from the land, so that they may live securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.  "And I will make them and the places around My hill a blessing. And I will cause showers to come down in their season; they will be showers of blessing."

1 Peter 5:1-3  "Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,  shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock."
-----
“To Build Up, Encourage, Comfort and Offer Counsel”
Archived issues of "What the Lord Is Saying Today" at: http://www.fullnessonline.org
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5.    FROM THE RCA NETWORK: SUMMIT & PUSHING

>From: “David Muyskens ,”jdavidmuyskens@cs.com>
>To: RCA Prayer Network:

RCA Chicago Summit
    Thank you for your prayers for the prayer summit held in Chicago, March 10-12.  It was a Spirit-led, powerful time.  The effect of your prayers was very much in evidence.  
    On Monday evening pastors and prayer leaders from the Chicago area gathered with the team for an inspiring evening of sharing and prayer. The group is committed to continue to encourage and help to equip pastors and local church prayer leaders in leading their churches to become houses of prayer.  By houses of prayer we mean a church in which prayer undergirds everything that happens, where prayer is not added on but is the basis for discernment of what God is doing in that congregation and how that church is called to mission.  Please continue to uphold the prayer summit team, which from now on will be called Houses of Prayer Equipping Team or HOPE Team, in your prayers.  Their plans are to be at General Synod maintaining a prayer room and being with the delegates in prayer.

PUSH!
    I attended an event in the CRC on "Building a Praying Church."  Doug Kamstra, who is prayer coordinator for the CRC and has a prayer coordinator in every classis and a local church prayer leader in 700 of their churches, was one of the workshop leaders.  He encouraged us to keep praying and not give up.  He told the story of a father who took his young son to a pier where a large ship was docked.  He told his son to watch what would happen.  The father stood on the dock and began to push the large ship.  It did not move because it was so large but he kept pushing.  After twenty minute of pushing as hard as he could the ship began to move.  Then he sat his son down to explain to him how such a sustained effort could move a ship.  There is a law of physics that the energy put into it over time eventually is enough to move the ship.  He told his son that if he had stopped pushing at 19 minutes it never would have moved.  And, he said, if the son had been pushing too it would have taken less time.  Then Doug Kamstra applied the story to our prayer that our church may become a praying church.  The moral is not that we should keep pushing our agenda.  The moral is that we should keep praying and not give up at 19 minutes but keep on seeking God's will and being attentive to movement of the Spirit.  And having people praying with us will enable that to happen sooner.
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>From: dorothy.dada@convergys.com

As my husband (Apostle Dada) and I mentioned to you over the Phone about a week ago- a group of Pastors & their congregations (both in the Suburbs and Chicago area) along with my husband & I  are planning a Parade for Jesus and a Spiritual Awakening Convention - this summer (August 3, 2002) in Washington Park in Chicago. You informed us to email you information of this event regarding the purpose, etc.

The Purpose of the Parade/Convention is to glorify God (through prayer and praise) and to help win souls for Christ.  The Parade for Jesus and Spiritual Awakening Convention is a call on all of us to help spread the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As ambassadors of Christ, we are charged with the heavenly responsibility to reach out through these events to go outside the walls of our churches to save the lost (unsaved) and bring back the strayed away Christians - ALL to Christ.  Heavenly Father God commanded this event which started in 1999 at Grant Park in Chicago several years ago.  This is the first time that we are also having a Parade for Jesus along with the Spiritual Awakening Convention.  The response for the Parade for Jesus/Convention has been wonderful.  We are anticipating a large number of God's children participating in this event to praise and glorify Him.

This is a time for the church to come together in praise, prayer and worship to magnify and glorify our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  We plan to parade around the park and then go to a specific area where we will have a stage, sound equipment, refreshment etc. and continue to sing, praise, and worship our Lord, the Most High God. Washington Park is a large park with thousands of People present all the time in the summer.  This is a good park to witness for Christ through the Parade for Jesus/Convention (Prayer, Praise, & Worship).

May we all continue to praise and glorify Him and reach the lost for Christ.  If you or anyone needs more information, please send me an email or call Rev. Dada at (630) 372-5845.  Thanks and God bless.  In His Service - Apostle & Mrs. E. Dada.
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>Tell Us About Your Pastors' Prayer Group:
       phil@nppn.org
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>At: http://www.joelnews.org

A Hawaiian island best known for its pristine beaches and tropical splendor is gaining a new reputation, as the center of a dynamic revival that is touching communities throughout the Pacific Rim. The move of God centers on King's Cathedral in Kahului, Maui, which has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years. The church has started 15 extension fellowships on Maui and other Hawaiian islands, French Polynesia,
Alaska, Japan and northern California. The growth is founded on aggressive prayer and visitation, according to senior pastor James Marocco in a Charisma News Service report. "Many people considered this place a graveyard of preachers," he said. "But they didn't understand that when God creates an anchor church in a given locale, He changes the spiritual temperature. Now this is called revival island, and people are starting churches all over the place. There are moments when demonic power is
anaesthetized, and if the church is able to operate then, great strides in the advancement of the kingdom can take place. Prayer parts the clouds so the light of God's blessing can shine... We try to sustain prayer ministry to keep the clouds parted." The church is also characterized by strong cell-group and visitation ministries. "Visitation makes the devil nervous because when the church gets out of its four walls, it disrupts the powers of darkness," Marocco said. "We visit people as a way of saying: 'We're here, and this is our island. It doesn't belong to the devil.'"
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>From: NECPrayer@cs.com

It was fantastic. 61 pastors very ethnically diverse but as much unity as I have ever experienced Great love for the brethren and they prayed like intercessors. It is an ongoing effort for the city.  Link that with the 40 000 at the call and I believe something is happening in Boston.  It was held at the Salvation Army Retreat Center in Sharon, MA.  There was special prayer for Harvard Univ. & Cambridge.  (In Sept., we had flown over Harvard with anointing oil.)

Please pray for the following:

Political:
    1. Pastor Katherine Puleo and the monthly prayer meeting at the Boston State House
    2. Candidate for MA governor Mitt Romney who says he will not support the Protection of Marriage Amendment
    3. Brazil elections in October; a Christian is running
    4. November elections to replace people who support ungodly agendas with people who support godly ones

Educational:
    1. RezWeek outreaches to 100+ colleges
    2. April events at Harvard: all night prayer 4-5; Tony Campolo visit 4-7 to 4-11; all campus outreach 4-19
    3. your own alma mater or the college nearest you

Prayer Conferences:
1. "Many People, One Voice" Smithfield, RI, 4-11 to 4-13  www.nlwcenter.org
2. "For Such a Time as This" Hollis, NH 4-24 to 4-26  www.healingstreams-ne.org
3. The Call NYC Flushing Meadows, NJ 6-29

Native American reconciliations:
    1. Pastor Russell Patrick and family
    2. Continued movement toward more reconciliation meetings

Bless you, Jeff
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>From: brianhotrum@peoplepc.com

Name:            Brian Hotrum
CityStZip:       Lebanon, OR 97355
EmailAddress:    brianhotrum@peoplepc.com
ppg:             1
numberofPastors: 12

Prayer Time:      50 min.
Sharing Time:     15 min.
Planning Time:    we leave that to the monthly lunch meetings

Where Should It Meet?
    If you are going to meet weekly you need to be at the same place.  

How Often?
     We met twice a month for years and pastors reall aren't that smart and we had guys forget which week it was.  Now that we have gone to every week, attendance has increased and faithfulness has increased.

Who Leads?
    We've been meeting together weekly for so long that people really kind of know their place.  We have one who always starts us off with scripture and a couple guys who take the lead on leading the singing.  I usually close just because I'm the leader of the ministerial association, but that's also probably because I'm the most time conscious one in the group and I try to get us ending in a timely fashion without "quenching the Holy Spirit."

How Did You Grow?
    Every time we get a new pastor in town we invite him.  A couple of us take the initiative to personally invite the pastors in town over and over.  No one has the excuse of not knowing about it.  

Size:
    10.  We have a great group here.  It is nice to join with the larger group that includes a few other close cities, but our group is small, but very good.

Recommendations:
    Just do it.  Get some pastors who want to pray and do it.  You need to pray, both individually and corporately.  Pray.

Accomplishments:
    We hold an annual community sunrise service.  We have community concerts of prayer where we get participation from half of the churches in the community.  We have worked on a Pastor's marriage covenant.
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>From:  "Pastor's Weekly Briefing" <pwb@fotf.org>
>By: H.B. London, Jr.

   Between 15 and 20 times each year, the Pastoral Ministries arm of Focus on the Family holds pastors gatherings in cities and towns across America. They are wonderful events -- made so by the variety of churches that are represented and the spirit of unity that exists between the attendees. I have had the opportunity to meet many of you and your spouses on these occasions.
   On Wednesday, we were in Hobbs, New Mexico. Where is Hobbs? It's in the southeast corner of the state, just a few miles from Texas. We do not choose our sites by the size of the community, but because there are groups of pastors who invite us in. We had a marvelous time this week -- and would you believe we didn't mention church growth or new paradigms once? Our focus is always on the pastor's family and his or her relationship with God and the congregation.
   This week, for example, we addressed three pivotal issues: "Joy along the pastoral journey," "When to hold them and when to fold them (should I move or stay?)" and "When you pray, what do you say?" To pray the prayer of Jabez is one thing, but what is the prayer that moves you -- your own personal prayer? What enhances your intimacy with God?
   Hopefully, some day, we will meet you at a pastors gathering. The next one is in El Paso, Texas, on April 4. By the way, they're free.

To receive a complimentary e-mail subscription to THE PASTOR'S WEEKLY BRIEFING, visit www.family.org/pastor/emailsignup.cfm.
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>From: Jim Herrington <jhmh@swbell.net>

In his book Informed Intercession, George Otis notes that in the early stages of transformation it is persevering leadership in mobilizing intercession that matters most.  We are experiencing that reality in Houston.  I'm writing to report on our 5th Annual Pastors' Prayer Summit.  It's hard to assess how things went, especially when it did not go the way you thought it would.  At the first Pastors' Prayer Summit in 1998 we had 175 participants.  In 1999 attendance dropped to 95 and then for two consecutive years attendance has grown - last year there were 225 participants.  Compared to the whole, 225 is still a small part, but it was a highly diverse group and it was growing.

Then this year came and we numbered 105.  On a day when the weather was really bad, it would be easy to make excuses.  But, the truth is that we are still learning how to follow God's leadership in bringing pastors together for prayer.

That said, some significant things took place on Friday.  I heard two clear messages.  The first is that the Lord is calling us to press into the citywide prayer gatherings.  The challenge of drawing the body together in one place for a shared worship and prayer experience is enormous.  But, we continue to believe that there are some things God wants to do that will occur when we "dwell together" with followers of Christ who have different perspectives, speak different languages, and enjoy different worship styles. At one point in the Summit, as we prayed for Houston's First Baptist to be filled to overflowing at the next citywide gathering, Steve Riggle released 10 pastors to move from the Chapel to the Sanctuary of Houston's First Baptist to pray on site for the April 11 citywide gathering while the rest of us labored in pray in the chapel.  The word seemed to be - momentum is growing, but you must press in and press in together.

The second significant message was the changing nature of the city.  Courtesy of Union Baptist Association and Robert Hughes of the Mission Houston staff, the group saw a Power Point presentation (available on our web site soon) that gave a compelling glimpse into the changing face of Houston - it's darkness, it's diversity, and especially the impact of the growing, changing Hispanic population.  The absolute necessity of reaching the Hispanic community and the critical role of church planting were given focus.

We are still learning how to mobilize the whole Body of Christ in the city.  City transformation is not about an event - it is a process of being as absolutely obedient to the Lord's leadership as you know how and learning from everything that happens along the way.

Thank you for your prayer support.  Please continue to pray that all of us who are pursuing the mobilization of a unified body of Christ in the city will stay the course.  Blessings, JTH
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>From: "John Robb" <John_Robb@wvi.org>

Thank you all so much for partnering with us in prayer prior to and during the Sacred Assembly in New York on March 8.  Your prayers were heard and powerfully felt throughout. While all the responses from the day are still being entered, I want to give you an initial report for the day.  First, here's what we asked you to pray for:

1.    Call - For God to draw every leader of His choosing for this day
Answer:  About 60% of those in attendance had direct leadership responsibility.  Again, we don't have all of the final tally, but it was a strong group who attended.

2.    Holiness - For His agenda alone to prevail
Answer:  Comments we've had from a few key leaders tell us this was a breakthrough day for New York.  We were all stretched beyond what we could have hoped.

3.    Transformation - For His visitation in every heart and life
Answer:  At several times in the day you could hear the sound of glass shattering in the minds of pastors and leaders.  Old ways of thinking were crumbling.  At the very end of the day, pastors and leaders were invited to come forward.  Almost every one present pressed forward for a prayer of impartation.

4.    Humility - For unity among the various leaders, traditions and ethnic groups
Answer:  There was a tremendous sense of unity during the day.  I have yet to hear a critical comment.  Everyone seemed to receive even when they were being stretched in their normal expressions and traditions.

5.    Prophetic - For His direction concerning ongoing, united prayer in New York
Answer: From this gathering many have committed to make prayer and prayer mobilization a priority.  Several leaders want to go to Uganda and spend time learning in the environment of the prayer revival in that nation.  We are going to include a group of Houston leaders on this trip as well.

Once again, thank you so much for your continued prayer and intercession for New York.  Only time will show us the true fruit of your intercession. But we believe something very powerful was established during this time. When I asked one key leader if he felt prayer had gone to a new level as a result of the Sacred Assembly, he said he thought it had gone to a new universe.  No doubt this was an overstatement, but it gives you a sense that God was at work in a powerful way.

We are in the process of helping to facilitate the trip to Uganda for leaders from New York and Houston.  I am scheduling a preliminary trip to Uganda during Easter week as we prepare for the other leaders coming in July.

Please continue to pray with us for the New York leaders.  Let's ask God to establish each one in a new place of personal prayer and prayer leadership. Gratefully His, Tom Victor, The Great Commission Coalition
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>From: "Pastors Ron & Nancy Thaxton" <praywv@churchinthecity.com>

Acts 26:19 "Consequently, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision," (NASB)

As I was praying this morning, this passage of scripture came to my mind. Actually I was contemplating Tuesday’s Pastors’ Prayer Fellowship and the matter of which our Lord seemed to be speaking to us.

This was our first CityWide Pastors' Prayer Fellowship following the 40 days of prayer and fasting for our city - Seek God for our City 2002. We could immediately see a difference in the pastors that were gathered there. There was a degree of confidence, intensity and fervency in those assembled that easily surpassed our expectancy on that cold rainy day.

As we prayed, the Lord spoke to us from the collective wisdom concerning our schools. We heard of a wide-open door in the Upper Kanawha Valley schools from Belle Elementary to Riverside Senior High. We also heard how the Lord has revitalized the ministry to Stonewall Middle School during this past 40 days. Not only that but we heard how our host church was connecting with a ministry in India to discarded children and in attendance was Bill Perrow who has been directing a ministry to the street children of Medellin, Colombia for several years.

"Lord," we wondered aloud in prayer, "are You telling us to focus our resources on the open doors that You have set before us in our schools?" Without the slightest doubt we know that He set the stage for the ministry in Stonewall in May 2001 and that He was giving us evidence of His ability to affect transformation throughout our city/region if we would only prove to be righteous stewards of this ministry opportunity. What more vital and opportune harvest field could there be but among our children!?

In the beginning scripture passage Paul is making his defense before King Agrippa for his preaching of the Gospel. He is recounting how the Lord apprehended him on the Damascus road as he was setting out on a mission to once again persecute the Church. In response to his astonished query, "Who art Thou, Lord?" came the unanticipated but authoritative declaration, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting." This was the heavenly vision–and directive to which Paul would give his all and to which he could not be disobedient.

The Lord Jesus had equated Himself with His Church! In a like manner He identifies Himself with those who are not able to help themselves–as you have done to the least of these have you also done unto Me. In prayer we heard that He will separate the sheep from the goats–the sheep being those who cared for the defenseless and the goats those who ignored their pleas.

Could there possibly be any more defenseless and vulnerable than our children!? We cannot allow this to be a side issue–the defense of our children must be a major thrust of what we do as the Church in the City.

We have received a vision from our Lord for the transformation of our schools–we dare not prove to be disobedient neglectful stewards! Last summer as we gathered at Stonewall to begin to paint the stairwells a local bi-vocational pastor had come to lend his energy, but had been called away at the last moment by his other employer. As we gathered in a little prayerful huddle, his tears wet the sidewalk of Stonewall Jackson Middle School as he pleaded, "You don't understand the significance of what you are doing here, for what is done here will have effect throughout our state!"

God, our Lord Jesus, has set before us this opportunity. It is His calling. We must heed it!

He has also launched us along the following avenues of transformation:

>From: "Debbie Boutwell" <debbieboutwell@hotmail.com>

I am absolutely thrilled to read this article on unity among pastors. This has been a burden of mine for a little over a year and a half now. Pray for Laurel, Mississippi in Jones County . I just met a lady yesterday who has the same burden. I know some at my own church do. My pastor came from Kentucky almost two years ago to start our church..his goal was racial unity. There's a history of lots of church splits, lots of racial prejudice, competition between pastors and churches, lots of religious tradition, and not much love and compassion for people who don't know how much they are worth to God..in fact I don't think many of the church people know how much they are worth to God. WE JUST NEED A REVIVAL OF LOVE IN LAUREL AND JONES COUNTY!! I have just recently had a burst of faith to pray and EXPECT this to change. Thank you for your prayers!! Debbie Boutwell, Christ's Church of Laurel, Mississippi. I don't understand the NPPN thing, just saw it on the internet, is it something we can send around?? fill me in please. Thank you!

    --->NPPNote: Of course! Please distribute NPPN Updates and Articles to your networks and colleagues. We ask that when you do, that you indicate how the reader can find our web site (http://www.nppn.org) or post a Pastors’ Prayer Group (http://www.nppn.org/ppg/)
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>From: JoAnn Parrott <gparrott@sc.rr.com>

More Information: 843/577-6711 or jesusrevival@hotmail.com

Pastors and followers of Christ from across denominational and racial lines are joining together as never before to pray for revival in the greater Charleston area.

Plans have been made for a 40-Day prayer, praise, worship, healing and fasting gathering under tents at 1600 Meeting Street.  The gathering will be from Friday, March 22nd 6:00 PM until Tuesday, April 30th - running 24 hours a day/7 days a week, except Sunday from 6:00 AM until 6:00 PM.

God wants to purify His church and we want to make all aware of this opportunity to gather together to petition the Lord to come and bring revival to Charleston.

Prayerwalking the Peninsula - Every Saturday morning at 9:30 AM starting from the parking lot of Citadel Square Baptist Church.  

Praying for Revival - Every Thursday from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM in the center of Marion Square downtown.  

Many are praying and working for revival across our city.  If God lays it on your heart to join us, please come to the meeting above or call the Jesus Revival office at 577-6711 (or email at jesusrevival@hotmail.com)  and give us your name and address so we can keep you informed and find out how you would like to be involved.

Tuesdays - 4:00 PM - WKCL - Live broadcast with the Pastoral Leadership Team (Overseers).  You may call in your questions to 803/553-5420.
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