Health of the congregation
More important than how many people attend our services, how many new people become members of the church, how many professions of faith and baptisms we witness... is the spiritual health of the congregation. Are we growing in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ? Are we learning greater faithfulness and consistency in our own walk with Christ and relationship with his people? Are we searching the Scriptures to see if what we are being taught is true? Are we supporting each other in prayer and encouraging one another in the Lord? Are we as committed as we should be to supporting the work of the church financially and practically? Are we seeking to share the good news about Jesus so as to make disciples, baptise them, and instruct them in Christ's commands? Do we enjoy meeting with each other for worship and do we also try to have some meaningful contact with each other in the week?
Pray through these questions, and ask God that he would help us to continue growing up in Christ, so that we can then better help others grow as well.
Evangelism
We give thanks for the Lord's help over the past year as we devoted ourselves more than ever to reaching the people of Wood Green with the gospel. Door-to-door work, evangelistic services, community BBQs, mass leafleting, personal Bible studies, a "Christmas Ends Loneliness" meal, and a "Discover Christ the King" carol service were joined by a very specific focus on Sky City housing estate, where we held five "G.R.A.C.E. in the Sky" evangelistic bible studies in the estate's community centre as well as a Sunday evening worship service. While this year we may not yet have as many scheduled outreaches and evangelistic events, the work of sharing the gospel continues.
Pray that church members will take opportunities to have gospel conversations with people around them and that these would be productive. Pray for Pastor Ryan and Robert Hunt as they continue to set up a weekly book table, have conversations, and distribute gospel leaflets on Sunday afternoons, that they would know the Lord's help and encouragement and that through this people would come to faith and to the fellowship of the church. Pray for a few people who regularly attend the church meetings who have not yet trusted in Christ for their salvation, that they would do so. Pray for Pastor Ryan as he plans to meet regularly with one of these to study the Scriptures and answer questions. Pray for Pastor Ryan as he strategically thinks through and speaks with some church members about various new ways of reaching the area - particularly it's young people and the elderly - with the gospel. Pray for further opportunities on Sky City - the G.R.A.C.E. in the Sky Project is something we are committed to for the long haul and we would appreciate new opportunities to connect with people there and be a consistent gospel presence on the estate.
Growth of the congregation
As a general principle, a congregation that matures spiritually and creates a culture of evangelism will grow numerically. Of course, we must pray that God would be pleased to draw people to us simply by his power, but we must also pray that God would bring fruit from our efforts to reach the area with the gospel - it is after all God's plan normatively to use people to bring other people to himself. The congregation is young, and thereby lacks some of the life-experience and perspective that comes with old age. Pray that God might be pleased to add to our number more who are ageing or elderly. Although a young congregation, there are no children at present and our teenagers are likewise growing up and quickly moving toward their twenties. Pray that God might bless the young married couples in the church with children. Pray that God might bring families with children to the church. Pray that even if the parents are unwilling to come, that there would be local children and young people that develop an interest in spiritual things and would come.
Giftedness in the congregation
Some things are necessary in church life. Other things would better come under the category of "nice". By God's grace, he has gifted people with nice things - talent, ability, expertise, and the desire to grow and cultivate new gifts - that can be immensely useful in the life of the church. What is your gift? What is something "nice" that you can do that would help the church, the spread of the gospel, the community in which we live, etc.?
Pray and think through these questions. Already mentioned above, there is a need for people with a desire to work with the elderly and the young people in our area in a gospel focussed way. Could you perhaps contribute to this? We would love to be able to make more effective use of media, both in the church itself and evangelistically - is this something you could help with? Perhaps you have a particular musical ability that might aid and accompany the church's worship - what keeps you from exercising it in a way that pleases God and helps the church?
Elders and deacons
The New Testament clearly demonstrates the need for and teaches the importance of a plurality of leaders in the church. The church needs elders, qualified men of spiritual maturity and authority who are able to teach and take on the responsibility of leading and looking after the congregation pastorally. The church needs deacons, qualified men who are able and willing to serve in a plethora of practical ways in the church so as to free up the elders of the church for devotion to "the ministry of the word and prayer." With these in place, the burden no longer falls on one man but is spread across a group who are called and equipped for service in the life of the church.
Pray that God would give wisdom and guidance in the potential appointment of another elder and possibly a deacon later this year. Pray that God would raise up more men who would demonstrate the desire, qualifications, maturity, and commitment of those with potential to take up these important roles. Pray that by establishing such roles in church life, church members would not become complacent and trust in the elders and deacons to do all the work, but that they would rather be led increasingly themselves to serve and assist as gifted.
Practical needs
The church building continues to be maintained, but we should not be happy with mere up keep of the place as it is. For it to be a comfortable, attractive, and even more useable God-glorifying space, improvements are needed and significant cosmetic issues need to be addressed. Before the more obvious things (colour of the walls for example) can be dealt with, there are underlying issues that need to be tended. Pray that God would be pleased to provide through the gifts of his people for the needed work. Pray as to what God might have you give to help fund the necessary work.
Strength and support of Pastor Ryan
Pastor Ryan seeks to be faithful in looking after our souls as one who has to give an account before the Lord. He prays, plans, prepares, and preaches, consistently teaching and expositionally preaching the Scriptures to us week by week. His work in the church extends far beyond the obviously spiritual: if it needs doing and no one else is to hand to assist, he does it: whether it's cleaning, counselling, coordinating and leading evangelistic outreaches, community work, social networking, or leaflet and web-design. Additional to his responsibilities in the church, two days a week he works with Grace Baptist Partnership on the Euro Evangelism project – it is as a part of this aspect of his work that he will be preaching at a conference he has helped organise in Ukraine next month, before travelling to Albania to investigate potential involvement in gospel work there. Pray for Ryan in all of these things, that he would know the strength of the Lord and the support of his people. Pray that he would be encouraged and that he would not faint or grow weary, but that as he joyfully trusts in the Lord, his strength would be renewed and that he would see fruit from his labours.
No comments:
Post a Comment