Subject: E-Update from Carol & Phil
Date: Sat, 17 Aug 2002 

Dear Friends,

Your support in prayer and finances has been tremendously uplifting.

I am going through a period of ministry that should feel so much more
stressful ~ your prayers are getting through!
     .Recently appointed Acting Director of Chicago Metro Baptist 
Association
(200+ congregations)
     .Preached at 4 Sunday morning services this past Sunday...
     .After teaching prayer workshops at a Black Church Leadership 
Conference
in NC (a glorious experience)
     .Led a Navy Pier (Chicago) prayerwalk
     .CMBA Town Hall was a difficult meeting but it went very well
     .One Great City (Chicago) also went well
     .Spending as much time as possible getting our office ready-to-go
     .Cutting & Pasting the National Pastors’ Prayer Network Updates
     .Two major simultaneous leadership events in October; City Impact
Roundtable (convener) & Mission America Annual Meeting (planning team
facilitator)
     ...plus, as you may know, the funds we have raised for our support 
have
been tied up during this CMBA transition. To those who make contributions:
Every gift has been credited to our account, we simply cannot access it 
now.
When the crisis is solved (pray for the Acting Director (:) we will 
receive
every dollar that has come in from you for us.  During this transition, we
have immediate access to new gifts that come in for us ~ so, please pray 
for
several large ($5,000) gifts to come in quickly so that we do not miss
salary and reimbursement (we pay for many of our own flights and hotels).

Carol and I promise to send a ³real² letter soon (snail mail) ... She joins
me in the (almost complete) Prayer INC office right after Labor Day.

For those who remember me through my schedule:
     Monday, 19th – Tuesday, 20th in Springfield, IL for Leadership Summit;
team teaching ‘Prayer 101’
     Fly to New York City Tuesday night – return Thursday morning for 2003
Urban Evangelism Consultation Planning Team
     Thursday late afternoon meeting near Midway Airport, Chicago for
Strategic Prayer Training in 2004
     Friday in Blue Island, IL for several Chicago Metro Baptist 
Association
meetings
     Saturday, 24th – Tuesday, 27th in New York City for Citywide Prayer
Leaders Consultation
     Wednesday in Des Plaines, IL for CMBA Staff Meeting (I am Acting
Director of the Association)
     Thursday or Friday I host the City Impact Roundtable Planning Team
Conference Call

I asked for permission to share the prayer (posted below) with you – To
indicate how special it is when a sister or a brother in Christ takes even 
a minute to bring our needs before God.  The Lord has blessed us by making
Carol & me your prayer ³assignment² - May this prayer encourage you.  Bless
you for your faithfulness.

³We (Lynn Heatly and Sharon Barnes, intercessors from Southern California)
prayed for you today.  Earlier this morning, the following prayer arose out
of my meditating on Romans 8:31-39 in the MESSAGE Bible.  May it strengthen
and bless you and your wife on your present journey...²

I bless you today with the encouragement that God is on your side.
You cannot lose with God on your side like this!
I bless you with how He has put everything on the line for you:
     how He has embraced you
     how He has exposed himself to the worst by sending you his own Son.

I bless you that there isn’t anything else
    he wouldn’t gladly and freely do for you!

He is the One who died for you,
He is the One who was raised to life for you!
He is in the presence of God at this moment sticking up for you.
I bless you with how you are one of God’s chosen!
Who would dare tangle with you?
Who would dare even point a finger?
I bless you that no wedge can be driven
    between you and Christ’s love for you!
    not trouble, not hard times,
     not hatred, not hunger
     not homelessness, not bullying threats,
     not backstabbing,
     not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:

                       They kill us in cold blood because they hate you,
                        We’re sitting ducks, they pick us off one by one.

I bless you with Jesus’ love such that none of this fazes you!
I bless you with how absolutely nothing – nothing
     living or dead, angelic or demonic
      today or tomorrow, high or low
      thinkable or unthinkable
    absolutely nothing can get between you and God’s love for you
    because of the way that Jesus your Master has embraced you!

Much grace and blessing be yours today!
Sharon Ann Barnes, CityReaching Women



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