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Dear Prayer Partners,
It is evident that God is at work in our planting efforts. People are coming to Christ and many of our plants are growing in health and vitality. Your work of prayer on behalf of these planting efforts is really where the battle is fought and won. You are mighty warriors and are greatly appreciated! Please continue to faithfully lay our church planting concerns before the Throne of Grace.
Here are some current requests:
1) Praise God for his goodness to one of our new church plants, Center Pointe Church in Centerburg, Ohio. At a recent outreach event they had around 200 people attend and 8 prayed to receive Christ! Pray for this new church during the follow up process. Please also be praying for this church as they relocate in order to hold worship services on Sunday morning. Their relocation venue is out of the ordinary and yet may be a powerful way to break down the traditional barriers that many unbelievers encounter.
2) Please pray for Antioch Alliance Church in Sutton, West Virginia. They are in a very difficult position as a church. The pastor and core group have been under powerful attack from the enemy. They are tired and desperately need the hand of the Lord to move in a mighty way. Pray for wisdom for Pastor Bryon Bukovesky as he seeks to help the church navigate these troubled waters.
3) Please continue to pray for our church planting project in Brimfield, Ohio. They recently ministered to several hundred people at a community event. They will also be conducting their first preview service April 12th. Their previously planned service on March 8th was canceled due to a blizzard. Pray that many will be drawn to this service and that several will join their launch team through this time of worship and seeking the Lord. Core team and launch team development is a very critical need at this time.
4) Please pray for the district Church Planting Banquet to be held April 14th at District Conference. We want to celebrate all that God is doing through our church planting efforts. Please pray that the Lord would use this time to stir the hearts of our pastors and lay people for church planting among the 7.1 million people in our district that need to know Jesus. It is the mighty moving of God that will advance our church planting efforts into a true church multiplication movement.
5) Please continue to pray for wisdom and direction as we work with several potential church planting projects. We want to be Spirit led and Spirit empowered in every one of our projects. Please pray for the pastors and core teams developing in Newark, Ohio, (Jeff Jones); Cleveland Heights, Ohio, (Dave Carroll); Streetsboro, Ohio, (Trent Thomas); Huntington, West Virginia, (BJ Erps). Please also pray for the Lord to continue to bless the district with the financial resources that we need to support each of these plants.
6) Please pray for strength and encouragement for our planters. Several find themselves in places where the work is hard, the soil is tough, the fruit is slim and the joy is waning. Pray that they might find a deep sense of the presence of the Lord in their lives and ministry.
7) Pray for Harvest Community Church in Martinsburg, West Virginia. They have moved into a different facility that will provide them expansive opportunities for ministry. Ask the Lord to give them clear direction about the future and the many possibilities that they will now have. There may be an opportunity to purchase this facility. Ask the Lord to orchestrate His will in this matter.
8) Please pray for Life Impact Church in Bedford, Ohio. On April 4-5, they will be hosting a Family Life Retreat. Please pray for Pastor Sylvester and Lisa McKenzie as they prepare to minister to the families in Bedford. Let’s ask the Lord for a harvest of new believers and a renewed excitement for the body of Christ at Life Impact Church.
Please use the enclosed prayer cards as a reminder to keep our planters before the throne.
Again, thank you so much for your prayers for me and the church plants throughout the district. May the Lord bless you for your faithfulness as we partner together in impacting our states.
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