National
Pastors' Prayer
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CONNECTIONS + CONVERSATIONS -
08/29/2002
Networking
Pastors and Prayer Leaders
Toward The Completion of The Great Commission
...Pastors' Prayer Groups Serving Every
Neighborhood & Community in America
...Citywide Pastors and Intercessors Partnerships
...Prayer Networks Focused On Community
Transformation
...Serving The LightHouse
Movement
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Global Network of National Pastors' Prayer Networks
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I N T H I S U P D
A T E ... and for our prayers:
I type this on the return home flight from the Citywide Prayer Leaders
Consultation in New York City - What a special time with some of God's special
saints. Approximately three dozen prayer leaders from cities across the nation
gathered to pray (of course!), grow in relationship, share stories and
strategies, and discern the direction and destination of the Holy Spirit's
prayer movement in cities. Watch for a more detailed report in a future NPPN
Update.
The Planning Team has decided that this strategic consultation will take place
every other year (this was the third annual gathering) so that prayer leaders
can more easily attend and contribute to meetings such as the one below.
City Impact Roundtable and the Mission America Annual Meeting bring together an
unparalleled coalition of leadership from city reaching movements,
denominations, servant ministries and networks - And this year the emphasis will
be at ground level!
CIR's Working Groups will engage participants in discussion, prayer and
goal-setting on the seminal issues of city reaching. Mission America will
also use a roundtable format to allow the coalition to define and direct a
future path.
Please consider this a "personal" invitation to represent the work of
God throughout your city or denomination or ministry in Dallas (format and
registration information below).
We talk about having a Kingdom vision.
This is our opportunity to walk the talk.
Hoping to see you across the table,
Phil
___________________________________________________>>>
City Impact Roundtable
brings together citywide
leadership from metros and towns across the nation. Prayer mobilizers. Pastors
with a vision for the Church in their community. Network facilitators.
Associational executives ... To pray for our cities, seek the mind of Christ for
wisdom and strategy, and to find new relationships and begin kingdom
partnerships.
CIR begins Wednesday at 1:00pm (October 23, 2002) with research / reports and
facilitated discussion from our Working Groups:
Nothing in city reaching ever happens without the foundation
of prayer. We plan to identify models and develop a template on how to
identify intercessors, network, etc.
Seeking comprehensive representation of the Body of
Christ; expanding especially ethnic and gender participation
What outcomes are important to city reaching and how can they
be measured?
Researching youth movements in city reaching and inviting them
to the table.
Includes subgroups on the basic processes, theology,
communication process, and story collection of city transformation basis
Making poverty and injustice a high value of the city-reaching
process.
Constructing a working, practical theology /vocabulary
of city reaching.
The problems and possibilities of funding our vital efforts.
€...plus, a special Reception for those
new to City Impact Roundtable plus Friday morning breakouts for veterans,
rookies, and national leaders.
City Impact Roundtable also
participates in the Mission America Annual Meeting which allows us to build
relationships and partnerships with leadership from 80+ denominations, 75
ministry networks and over 300 servant-ministries. The Mission America
Annual Meeting keynote addresses include:
*State of Our Coalition by Paul Cedar – What
are the signs of our working together for the Gospel?
*State of Our Culture by Leith Anderson – What
must we know about our society and communities?
*State of Our Church by George Otis – What is
God doing in and through the Church?
*State of Our Collaboration by the participants
– What is God calling us to do? In and through our ministries? Our
partnerships?
Discussion and prayer follow each major address ... Except for the final
session, which will be completely devoted to the feedback of those present.
Together, we set direction for the future.
You will also participate in a new wave of the Lighthouse Movement at a
delicious and entertaining Banquet!
City Impact Roundtable -
building on a strong Spring, 2002 meeting, promises to take you and the
city reaching movement several steps forward. Register through the Mission
America website (also see below):
http://www.missionamerica.org
Mission America invites its coalition
partners to Dallas, Texas for its 7th Annual Meeting, October 23-25, 2002.
The Annual Meeting begins on Wednesday, October 23 at
7:00 pm with the opening plenary session, and concludes on Friday, October 25 at
12 noon. Some networks/groups may schedule meetings before or following
Annual Meeting sessions.
The Crowne Plaza Hotel
offers a superb meeting venue situated in beautiful North Dallas, just 12 miles
from Love Field and 15 miles from DFW International Airport. Spacious ballroom
and meeting rooms are centrally located on the 2nd floor convention level. Enjoy
wonderful dining, exercise room, outdoor pool with Texas-size jacuzzi, gift shop
and room service.
Freshly appointed guest rooms include work desks and
data port computer connections. Special Mission America rate of $109 per
night. Located just one mile from the Galleria, one of Dallas' favorite shopping
malls - enjoy shuttle service from the hotel's front door.
1)
Register for the Annual Meeting by calling 760/ 200-2707 or return your
completed registration form. Early-bird rate of $150 is
available until September 15, 2002. Regular
rate after 9/15 is $185. Includes lunch
& dinner Thursday. Nonrefundable registration fees are transferable within
your organization.
2)
Reserve your lodging at the Crowne Plaza North Dallas Hotel by calling
972-980-8877. Ask for the special Mission America rate of $109 per night
single occupancy.
Title
Name
Ministry Name
Mailing Address
City
State
Zip
Phone
Fax
Email
Early-bird registration fee of $150 due by
September 15, $185 after 9/15. Does not include lodging.
____ I have enclosed my check payment payable to Mission America.
____ I will
participate in the CITY IMPACT ROUNDTABLE
____ Please bill my credit card for registration amount: ___
Visa ___ M
C ___ Am Ex
Card Number ____________________________________________ Exp Date
______________
Signature Authorization
___________________________________________________________
Please mail completed form &
payment to Mission America, PO Box 13930, Palm Desert, CA 92255
or fax completed form (with credit card payment) to 760/ 200-8837 Questions?
Call 760/ 200-2707
___________________________________________________>>>
Send us a 3 -5 sentence emessage to encourage the other 700 PPG's across the
nation. Click on phil@nppn.org
___________________________________________________>>>
>From: "Neil Cox" <coach@goal-partners.com>
I hope all of you will join us in praying for the fall gathering of city &
state leaders at the Indianapolis Leadership Prayer Breakfast (Oct 30).
This year a very special speaker -- the founder/CEO of Habitat for
Humanity -- will be coming in to share his testimony and extend an invitation to
receive the abundant/eternal life Christ offers. Further info at http://www.IndyChristian.com/prayer.htm
.
At the same time, please also pray for a new seedling initiative here to bring a
number of visionaries together, to at least START an ongoing
prayer-and-discussion about evangelicals working together to bring Indy to
Christ, and truly see a "Transformed Indiana" as a result. It's
a monumental objective that only God can achieve -- we need your prayer.
Now please do us (and your prayer ministry) one favor... We'd simply ask
that (any of) you stop in and sign the Guestbook (see LH margin on our main
page). Maybe write a greeting or blessing for all Greater Indianapolis
Christians? Don't be afraid to write a little about your ministry or
whatever seems most appropriate:
http://www.IndyChristian.com
If there's anything we could do further to "Make Your Job a Joy",
you're welcome to contact us. May God continue to bless your efforts in faith.
YBIC, Neil M. Cox, CPA
http://www.MinistrySupportServices.com
Ministry Support Services - "Making Your Pastor's Job A Joy"
Member-city, ChristianCities.net
http://www.ChristianCities.net
"Encouraging Christian Collaboration, City-by-City"
Charter Member, Goalies.net
http://www.Goalies.net
"Praying for Your Efforts in Faith"
And now... DoYouKnowForSure.com
http://www.DoYouKnowForSure.com
"Good News at the Speed of Light"
___________________________________________________>>>
When asked what he found to be most surprising about (his
latest research), George Barna replied, "perhaps the paradox of living in a
culture defined by constant change, with a nation of people who admit to
confusion regarding purpose, meaning and truth, and yet finding that there has
been no real change in the spiritual views and endeavors of the people. Layer on
top of that the fact that churches have raised and spent more than $500 billion
dollars in the past decade to try to influence America's spiritual life and it
seems pretty obvious that it takes more than good intentions and a menu of
popular programs to make a dent in the nation's religious identity and
consciousness."
___________________________________________________>>>
5. CONVERSATION
~ "LET'S END THE COVER-UP"
>From: R&R Weekly Messenger <listadmin@reformationrevival.com>
>Reformation & Revival Ministries
>By John H. Armstrong
The early church turned the world upside down. We don't even turn our own lives
upside down. It is an established historical fact that the early Christians were
a tiny minority for several centuries. The earliest congregations were not
mega-churches either. Most of Paul's churches were less than a hundred people.
What happened then?
These early Christians lived better and died better than anyone else in the
culture. The area where this was most evident was probably in sexual conduct.
They were committed to purity and practiced a consistent separation from worldly
patterns of behavior. At this time in history the church looks a lot more like
the world than it does the biblical model. Think about this for a moment. The
divorce rate among Bible-belt Christians, a recent poll indicated, is higher
than that of non-Christians. And the practice of sexual immorality is both
tolerated and covered up in thousands of evangelical churches. We condemn
sexually impure individuals, when the issue and timing is right, but we are
grossly inconsistent. There is a very strange irony here. We make laws (quite
unofficially) about divorce and remarriage and
keep such out of the church while at the same time we ignore or cover-up the sin
in our own household. Something is desperately wrong with this picture.
Could the timing of all of this (Roman Catholic priests’ sexual abuse) be
another "wake up call" that is meant for all churches and all leaders?
The prosperous 1990s have recently become the decade of revealed scandal. The
issue is not centered in the White House, it is centered in the house of the
living God. We must be honest about this if we would speak with any measure of
effect to our culture. The church has made worse mistakes in the past. The
sooner we stop covering our sins the better.
Simply put, it is time to stop the cover-ups and to be honest about our
corporate failures as Christians. During the Clinton scandals, as during the
Nixon scandals in the Watergate era in the 1970s, I heard journalists again and
again say that Americans will forgive a lot so long as their leaders "admit
they did wrong and own up." The reason for this is deeply rooted in our
Protestant culture. We want to show grace but we do not want it to be cheap. If
we can find a way to show grace and not cheapen it in the process we might well
see the blessing of God again in the days ahead. It certainly is worth more
serious thought in light of the present trials.
___________________________________________________>>>
>From: Jim Herrington <jhmh@swbell.net>
I attended a recent meeting with 37 key ministry leaders in the city - leading
pastors, key networkers, and founders of broad based citywide ministries.
As a group we have known one another, ministered side by side, and prayed
together in many settings. We share a common desire to see the city
transformed, and each in our own way is persevering to that end.
A part of the conversation focused on identifying obstacles that stand in
the way of the Body of Christ coming together citywide to pray. With PRAY
911 - our next citywide prayer gathering - just around the corner, I've been
reflecting on that conversation again. Those gathered in the meeting all
shared a belief that it pleases God when his children come together to seek his
face. We all believe that fervent, focused, unified prayer is the
foundation for transformation. And we all agreed that progress has been
good but very slow in seeing this prayer movement build in the Greater Houston
area.
Why is this true? First, I believe it is true because there is
still a great deal of fear in the body of Christ - fear of worshiping with
someone who worships differently than I do ... fear of differences in styles of
music ... fear of trusting leadership that comes from a tradition different than
mine. The Bible says “Perfect love casts out fear.” What if
those who did assemble for citywide prayer began to pray fervently that the Body
of Christ would love as Jesus loved – in word and deed? What might
change?
Second, I believe it is true because there is a great unwillingness on the part
of many in the Body of Christ to sacrifice for the sake of what God wants to do
in the city. We want things to change, but we are not willing to be moved
out of our comfort zones in order to be able to see that happen. I
continue to hear the words of Ugandan pastor, Jackson Senyonga. "The
church in America is in bondage to a spirit of ease and convenience. Until
that bondage is broken, you will not see the spiritual transformation that God
desires - that you desire." I hear Jesus saying, "Anyone who
will follow me, must take up his cross daily, deny himself, and follow me."
The good news is that God is raising up a growing army of believers - determined
to pray, to love, to sacrifice - for the sake of the Gospel. Will you join
me in praying that God will increase their number and their determination?
Will you join me today in praying that the Body of Christ will learn to
love more completely? Will you join me in praying that the spirit of ease
and convenience that has so many entrapped will be broken?
PRAY 911 - A Citywide Prayer Gathering
September 11, 2002
Houston's First Baptist Church, 7:00 p.m.
___________________________________________________>>>
http://www.networknewyorkcity.org
___________________________________________________>>>
>From: "Paul Dozeman" <pdoze@cityrestoration.org>
A Pastors’ Prayer Cluster is a gathering of pastoral leaders who shepherd
congregations in a city and who pray individually and together, especially for
reconciliation, repentance, revival, and social change in their city and region.
It’s not another ministerial meeting, not a new program, and not just another
organization of pastors that has gathered because it’s "the thing to
do." A Pastors’ Prayer Cluster has a definite focus and purpose:
Unity is commanded in John 17:22-23 so that the world
will know God sent Jesus and will understand that God loves them. (See also
Philippians 2:1-4 and Jeremiah 29:7.)
Necessary for implementing the vision of Thy Kingdom
Come.
Churches should complement each other and not compete
with each other.
No one church has all the gifts, resources, and ministries to "win the
city" on its own, but in unity all of the city’s churches can make an
impact for Christ.
The purpose of the Pastors’ Prayer Cluster is to join pastors from all
cultures and denominations in a city to seek God and unite to pray for divine
intervention in the Church (the church of the city) and society. In unity they
can plan common citywide events to carry out the Great Commission, the Great
Commandment, and the Cultural Mandate.
No city will ever be able to start and sustain a citywide vision without having
pastors on board. And pastors are not likely to be on board unless they are
thinking and praying together. Pastors’ Prayer Clusters are usually the start
of pastors’ coming together and beginning to work together. Their involvement
is absolutely crucial to the success of a citywide prayer and restoration
ministry.
Partnering of pastors in prayer gives birth to life-giving ways to communicate
the hope of Christ, resulting in ministry outreaches, faith-based ministries,
programs and kingdom-building activities. These will have a positive impact in
and on the community.
The process in Pastors’ Prayer Clusters is based on and saturated with prayer.
The result is relational and functional unity among pastors as they focus on the
pains and problems of their city and on working toward common goals to address
those pains and problems. No longer ministering to needs in isolation from one
another, pastors serve together in unity and collaboration.
Since the Pastors’ Prayer Cluster meeting is a prayer-focused gathering, 95
percent of the time should be spent in prayer . . .
for each other.
for the city.
for those who are lost.
Relationships. Pastors discover that the Lord has called them
together to pray so that they might begin to love one another by listening,
encouraging, exhorting, and praying with and for one another (relational unity).
Renewal—between themselves and God.
Restoration—between one another.
Ministry (functional unity). Pastors find themselves drawn to gather people
together for activities such as saturating the city with Lighthouses, Concerts
of Prayer, worship and praise, feeding the hungry, prayerwalking, Restoration
Advocates Round Tables, and so on.
Reconciliation—between the church and the non-Christian community.
Reclamation (restoration)—of what Satan is possessing.
Revival.
These results happen through prayer. That’s the reason for meeting. These
results are not the focus—prayer is—but they are a benefit.
Pastor’s Prayer Clusters should promote and inform pastors in the city about
citywide events and encourage their participation. Pastors’ Prayer Clusters
should start other clusters. Ideally there should be a cluster within a few
miles of every pastor.
Ways to demonstrate unity:
Attend the weekly Pastors’ Prayer Cluster in your neighborhood.
Send a note each week to another church with an encouraging word or blessing.
Send a few intercessors to another church on a Sunday morning to pray in their
parking lot, pray with their pastor before the service, or pray through their
worship service.
Place a list of pastors and churches in your area in your prayer room or
dedicate a prayer station for other pastors and churches in your city.
During your worship service pray for other churches, new church starts, and
world missions.
Join with other congregations for citywide prayer and worship.
Ideas/suggestions for events:
Solemn Assembly—First Sunday in January (a time of
confessing past and present sins and seeking reconciliation)
Seek God for the City—Ash Wednesday to Palm Sunday
(using Steve Hawthorne’s book)
Food drive—April
National Day of Prayer—First Thursday in May
Solemn Assembly—First Sunday in July (real
independence)
Convoy of Hope—Late summer
Food drive—October
Other activities:
Evangelistic events during Easter and Christmas
Gospel distribution
Prayerwalking the city boundaries
Public 24-7 prayer room for the city
Revival retreat (48 hours of praying for personal
revival and citywide revival. A call back to holiness, letting God have absolute
authority in our lives.)
Spiritual mapping
Anyone can take the initiative to begin a Pastors’ Prayer Cluster.
If you are not a pastor, don’t let that stop you from being proactive and
beginning to get pastors together. Your role is to bring pastors together, give
initial leadership, and then turn over the leadership to a pastor.
If you are a pastor, your initial role is similar. Invite other pastors, give
initial leadership, and be available as the group decides on your level of
involvement.
If you want to start a Pastors’ Prayer Cluster, first you must pray! Ask God
how he wants to use you to gather pastors so that pastors in your city may pray
with humility and in unity, seeking God’s authority and strategy, to do his
ministry and declare victory to everyone in your city and region. Then keep on
praying.
Second, ask the Lord to identify intercessors who will work with you to make
this a . . .
prayer-birthed strategy.
prayer-based ministry.
prayed-saturated activity.
Then invite pastors to pray with you. Pastors should consider meeting together .
. .
to pray for each other and their city or region.
to build relationships—personally and professionally.
to deepen their fellowship with God and with one
another.
City Restoration Ministries has prepared a free document, Starting a Pastors’
Prayer Cluster. This piece talks about . . .
responsibilities for someone starting a Pastors’ Prayer Cluster
suggestions for starting a Pastors’ Prayer Cluster
the invitation
examples of a season of prayer
Visit http://www.nppn.org
for special discounts on prayer books and resources
9. CHARLOTTE, NC:
THE CHURCH NEEDS C.P.R.
>From: "Metrolina PrayerLetter" <prayer@metrolinaprayer.net>
>To: Pastors, Church Prayer Leaders, Intercessors...
The Church Needs C.P.R.
C.P.R. = Churches Praying for Revival
We want to see our city and region touched by a great movement of God. We want
to see churches transformed by revival. We want to see many who need to know
Jesus born again into the Kingdom of God. But no single congregation can be
responsible for this God-sized vision. It will take the Church of the city,
gathering and praying in Jesus’ name that the Lord God will move among us in a
reviving way. It’s true: the Church of the Charlotte area needs C.P.R. -
Churches Praying for Revival. We must unite in prayer, and find God’s ways to
connect with churches that have the same longing and hope, doing Kingdom-focused
ministry together.
Consider what Pastor Francis Frangipane has written:
It will take a citywide church to win the citywide war. Our separate, isolated
efforts will not stop the flood of increasing evil in our cities if we, as
Christ’s church, remain isolated from each other. You may challenge that
thought, but it was none other than Jesus Himself who said, "Any city or
house divided against itself shall not stand" (Matthew 12:25).
In a very real sense, every Christian is part of the Lord’s eternal house.
However, the house of the Lord is functional only as we are "built
together," where the church becomes a dwelling of God in the Spirit
(Ephesians 2:19-22). So, we can define the house of the Lord as that living,
united, praying church in a city or region. The Lord’s house consists of
evangelicals and Pentecostals, traditional churches and charismatics; it will be
free of racial, denominational and class prejudices. They will simply be
Christians in the city who know Jesus as Lord, believe in the truth of the
Scriptures and are committed to one another as God’s family. Although they
continue to maintain their affiliations and identities as congregations, they
will be uniquely anointed to bring healing to their communities.
Yes, revival is coming. But we should be forewarned: this moving of God will not
impact every city. Areas where the church is yet divided will be bypassed;
darkness will continue to increase in such areas. Indeed, in most cases, the
obstacle hindering revival will not only be the devil; it will be the stronghold
of religious pride and self-contentment in the church. Let us remember with
sobriety the warning of John the Baptist: "Every mountain and hill shall be
brought low" (Luke 3:5)...
Pride must go and humility before God and with one another must come. God will
give grace to the humble, and together, they will bring a new purity to
Christianity. They will speak with lasting credibility of Christ’s
forgiveness; they will be examples of His love toward one another. (From:
The House of the Lord by Francis Frangipane. Used by permission.)
Will you join other Christians in prayer for revival? Will your church be one of
the Churches Praying for Revival?We began the C.P.R. gatherings on July 27. We
will meet with a different church on the fourth Saturday of each month at 6 pm,
worshiping and praying together in churches of various denominations. If you
have questions, please call 704.377.9953.
September 28 - Christian Faith Assembly, at the intersection of Harris Boulevard
and Idlewild Road in east Charlotte (beside Eckerds).
>From Bob Lowman, Executive Director, Metrolina Prayer Network
1101 South Blvd, Suite 102, Charlotte, NC 28203
Office: 704.377.9953 ~ Cel: 704.737.7770 ~
Pager: 704.505.3642
http://www.metrolinaprayer.net
___________________________________________________>>>
10. TALLADEGA
, AL: SERVANT LEADERS GATHERING
>From: "dougsmall@aliveministries.org"
>By: P. Douglas Small, Southeast Representative for IRM
Servant Leaders of the Pastoral Prayer Movement
On September 2-4, 2002 in Talladega, AL at the Shocco Springs Baptist Conference
Center, pastoral servant leader teams will gathering for a city-to-city sharing
time. This will be the first ever lateral enrichment effort sponsored by IRM.
This groundbreaking event will include spontaneous breakout times along with
regularly scheduled presentations -- all for the purpose of helping participants
and leaders learn from one another. You'll have plenty of opportunities to learn
what is happening in SE USA cities as a result of prayer and pastoral
relationships. We've also adjusted the schedule in order to accommodate the
requests of pastors to be back home by Wednesday evening.
I encourage you to consider bringing your entire servant-leader team to the
gathering if possible. The gathering will be as relevant for the seasoned
servant-leader teams as for those who are still in the process of launching
their movement. The goal is to gather city-servant-leader teams from various
cities and link them one to another.
A registration form is included at the bottom of this newsletter. Since this is
not a secured form, we ask that you do not include credit card information. If
you plan on using a credit card for payment, please call the Alive Ministries
office at (704) 938-9111.
Whether you have a suggestion for additional issues that need addressing or
would like to present a city-report, your contributions are always welcome. Time
will be given for your input during general sessions and break out sessions.
The cost for the entire consultation -- four meals and two nights, double
occupancy -- is $149.00. Single occupancy is also available. We have reserved
limited space, so your immediate response would be helpful. You may print and
make copies of the registration form or simply forward this email.
I hope to see you in Shocco Springs for our fall city prayer leadership
gathering.
Blessings, P. Douglas Small
Monday, September 2
5:00 p.m. -- Registration/Check-in/Supper (on your own)
6:30 p.m. -- General Session with Pastor Dee Duke. His church has grown from 200
to 1,000 in ten years in the small town of Jefferson City, Oregon - population,
1700. Generally on Easter, there are more people in church in Jefferson City,
than live in the city itself. Almost every church in town has seen increases as
a result of a pastoral fellowship rooted in prayer that has grown in the last
ten years. That movement of prayer and unity rose out of the prayer summit
experience of Pastor Duke. He has challenged his church to make prayer a central
element - and the church has been radically changed, to a vibrant center of
renewal. He has helped other pastoral groups launch prayer covenant connections
and is mentoring many pastoral prayer covenant groups.
Fellowship, Worship and Prayer.
Tuesday, September 3
8:00 a.m. -- Breakfast
9:00 a.m. -- General Session: City Reports. Hear what God is doing in various
cities as result of pastoral prayer movements. Cities expected to share:
Jacksonville, FL -- An incredible movement of prayer and city-impact is growing
across the city of Jacksonville. Graham called it a city alive with prayer and
unity, and a crusade evidencing the impact of a multiyear movement of prayer.
The pastoral prayer community now has the ear of the city. They have made great
strides forward in the area of racial healing.
Little Rock, AR -- Continues to move forward with its annual Sharefest event and
other collaborative city-impact ventures.
Tuscaloosa, AL -- Recently employed an element of the outreach tactics of Little
Rock. The churches of the city ministered to the needs of schools all over the
city and county area with incredible favor. Almost a hundred churches were
involved in the process of city-impact. The doors between the church and the
schools are opening again.
Selma, AL -- We have just completed a vision-casting session in Selma, AL and
there is a sense that we need to proceed by calling a gathering of intercessors
to bathe the city in prayer. This will require mobilizing intercessors from
across the state of Alabama.
Miami, FL -- Probably the most culturally diverse city in the southeast. What
are the challenges of unity across the cultural-ethnic divides. What is the
impact of ministering in a city which has experienced such confluence that the
entire city has been transformed into a different city? The prayer movement in
Miami is associated with Latin American Mission, a group with connections
throughout Central and South America.
Branson, MO -- A prayer center has been established for the city. There is a
sense that this little entertainment town has a mission of ministry to pastors
across the nation. The leadership of Branson is struggling to discover how to
fulfill that mission.
Other cities will offer reports as well.
12:00 Noon -- Lunch is provided
1:30 p.m. -- Afternoon Sessions: Financing City Movements
John Baltis is the director of Silver Dollar City Foundation of Branson, MO. The
foundation has been created to fund efforts of prayer, unity and spiritual
renewal in the Branson community, and is funded by Silver Dollar City, the
entertainment park. John was formerly the director of Silver Dollar City and has
since moved to direct this phase of the corporations concern for community
spiritual vitality. John will not only share the goals and heartbeat of the
Silver Dollar Foundation, but will talk about how similar financial constructs
can be developed to support other similar community outreaches.
Carla Wellington serves on the Mission America city impact task force. She is by
profession, a grant writer. She will provide a crash-course on grant-writing -
tips and techniques, possibilities and pitfalls.
Tom Koutoc is a member of the Montgomery servant-leader team, a attorney who
specializes in wills and trusts. As the builder generation (WW II) ages and
distributes its wealth, billions of dollars will be transferred. How can your
city position itself to be a recipient of funds from donors who long to see
citywide prayer movements spiritually revitalize their communities?
Discussion -- Would a regional foundation under which each city could operate,
be helpful? Are their presently funds going out of the city which might stay in
the city if there was a foundation for moral, spiritual renewal (a kind of
Christian United Way), to which donors, corporations, etc., might contribute?
What could we do together to generate funds across the region for city impact?
5:30 p.m. -- Dinner provided
7:00 p.m. -- Evening Session: Pastor Dee Duke
The focus for this evening will be pastoral prayer covenant groups. Dee is
mentoring a number of pastoral covenant groups, each of which has developed
around the discipline of personal prayer. This web of covenant groups is
fostering a climate of continued personal renewal among pastors and the churches
they serve.
Wednesday, September 4
8:00 a.m. -- Breakfast
9:00 a.m. -- Dennis Fuqua and Doug Small
Dennis Fuqua will talk about the movement and its growth around the world, the
changes taking place, the challenges facing us today.
Doug Small will introduce a new model for connected local churches interested in
transforming themselves from churches with a prayer ministry, into a "house
of prayer!"
10:30 a.m. -- Breakout Sessions
Facilitator training options for the Southeast.
Marketplace Summits -- How they relate to the whole movement. Tuscaloosa
recently had a marketplace summit which impacted the city. About 90 leaders
attended the 3-day experience.
Leadership teams -- Are we stuck with dysfunctional models?
The Church of the city! What is it? A conglomerate of all of our smaller
churches for the cause of city impact? Are we translating ourselves into
something larger than we are now? Are we surrendering local church autonomy? Are
we taking the energies and resources of our churches and folding them into a
giant collaborative effort, or is this about the local church, and synergizing
our vision and efforts?
11:30 a.m. -- Final General Session
12:00 p.m. -- Dismissal
© Copyright 2002 Alive Ministries, All Rights Reserved
___________________________________________________>>>
>From: "Bob Lowman, Jr." <bob@metrolinaprayer.net>
On Friday and Saturday, September 27-28, Mission Carolina will host it’s 5th
annual Carolina Prayer Summit in Georgetown SC.
This is a personal invitation for you to attend this prayer gathering.
This opportunity to unite with intercessors from across North and South Carolina
in praise and prayer is part of the ministry of Mission Carolina, a prayer
network that serves the Body of Christ in our two states.
A brochure is available for you...let me know if you'd like me to send you one
today. If the $25 registration fee will hinder your participating in this
event, it will be waived so that you can take part. Other expenses will include
meals and lodging for your one night stay in Georgetown.
I have reserved several rooms for us at the Hampton Inn there so that you can
take advantage of the discounted room rate at the hotel. ($74 - and up to 4 can
stay per room).
Please pray about participating in this year’s gathering at Georgetown, and
pray about taking others from your church family or prayer group. If you have
questions, please give me a call today. Brochures are available for you to share
with intercessors in your prayer group or church family.
I really believe that the Charlotte area needs to send a large group to this
event...and I hope you can be part of it!
For Christ and His Kingdom in Metrolina and Carolina,
Dr. Bob Lowman, Executive Director
Metrolina Prayer Network
1101 South Blvd, Suite 102, Charlotte, NC 28203
Office: 704.377.9953 ~ Cel: 704.737.7770 ~
Pager: 704.505.3642
http://www.metrolinaprayer.net
___________________________________________________>>>
>From: "Pastors Ron & Nancy Thaxton" <praywv@churchinthecity.com>
"We are moving from a time of 'when' to a time of 'how'!" This insight
was shared recently on Friday evening at the CityWide Harp & Bowl (worship
& prayer) Gathering. The gist of it is that our Lord has been speaking to us
for years concerning the "when." Now He has moved from the
"when" to the "how." When the season of "how" has
run its completed course His Glory will rush in on our city as a mighty
flood-tide.
When we began to reflect on this observation we began see where it is in
operation and when the shift occurred. We meet regularly with a group of Pastors
and Intercessors that we refer to as the "GateKeepers." With them we
share and seek our Father's Heart for strategy regarding our city and region.
Early this year we believed that He was instructing us to call our city to 40
days of Prayer & Fasting in cooperation with the national initiative
"Seek God for the City 2002." Our expectation was to involve 1% of the
total population of our area in this effort. Judging by the feedback we received
our goal was met - 2,300 believers agreeing together in prayer for our city from
February 13 to March 24, 2002.
Where are we seeing the "how?"
1) Just this past Wednesday I received a call from a pastor who was in need of
help. By Thursday evening we were able to gather a "strike force"
of pastors and intercessors to come to his church and uplift him in prayer.
Toward the end of our time together we were instructed to form a circle of
prayer around him, but we were not to face our brother pastor - we were to face
outward with arms locked together. We formed a hedge of protection around him!
If this is not a prophetic symbol of what the Church in the City is then I am at
a loss!
2) During the 40 days of prayer and fasting we initiated a special "MarketPlace"
Prayer Gathering that has continued to meet every Thursday morning, 7AM, at
Joe Holland Chevrolet. Our Lord is marvelously answering our pleas for
transformation in the areas of the economy, schools and government. He is
calling together men and women of influence in the market place who share a
consensus that the way out of our economic woes is through a concerted effort of
the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ: the owner of three TV stations and a
weekly state newspaper, the publisher of a major city newspaper, research
scientists, government and industry leaders as well as pastors and intercessors.
As one pastor has said repeatedly, "The poor in West Virginia have not
had the good news preached to them, but that is about to change!"
3) The Friday evening Harp & Bowl has continued since its inception
during the 40 days. Believers are gathering from many different local churches
throughout the Valley to call on our God to send revival to our city. We are
seeing that these are the ones who have vision for the unity of the Church
in our city--God has gripped their hearts and He will not let go! There is
always a time of ministry and encouragement for those that gather and we are
seeing the impact of agreeing, believing prayer as many are being set free of
long standing afflictions. We will be sending a delegation to Kansas City during
September to participate in a Friends of the Bride Conference. 24/7 prayer was
initiated there three years ago and has continued unabated!
4) As most of you know God sent Pastor Aaron Mutebi of Uganda to us in the
spring of the year with the message, "You must do more to tip the
balance in favor of prayer and righteousness." Now we have another
"missionary" from Africa, Ghana this time, who is saying the same
thing and is leading three a day prayer gatherings in our city.
Pastors Ron & Nancy Thaxton
"PrayWestVirginia!" and "The Church in the City"
Appalachian Regional Facilitators In Association with Mission America's http://www.lighthousemovement.com
and the United States Strategic Prayer Network
5002 Big Tyler Road, Charleston, WV 25313-2102
http://www.churchinthecity.com
"The Whole Church taking the Whole Gospel to the Whole Nation and to the
Whole World!"
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--->Unless clearly identified as "Personal To _____" or
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--->Copyright 2002. However, permission is granted to freely redistribute to
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