Scripture: Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. – Colossians 4:2
Hello Church Family,
I’ve known the Lord long enough to know, His Way is Better. So many times in my life, God has brought something my way that I never would have imagined, and later I look back and think- wow! Look what God did! Look how different my life would have been if I had had it my way! So I’m excited about starting this new year off differently. My New Year’s Resolutions never make it to the end of the month anyway!
I’m inviting you to go on a journey for the month of January. It’s not an exercise journey or a better-you journey. It’s a listening journey. Prayer has two halves- speaking, and listening. I think the speaking part is easier- we know how to talk, we know how to ask. But staying in the prayer moment long enough to hear the voice of the Lord speak back- that’s harder.
We know we want to be a faithful church, a church engaged in the mission of God’s kingdom, a church that unites people in worship and draws people to God. But an image of what it’ll look like when we are fully living into God’s plan and purpose for us now? That is still in the process of emerging. Who is God calling us to reach? How is God calling us to reach them? What ministries will that require? What priorities? Is there anything we need to release in order to move forward?
We do not want our way. We want God’s way. So I’m asking that each church member to commit to spending 15 minutes a day during the month of January to read and respond to our prayer guide, God’s Better Future: Pray. Listen. Share. We handed these out in worship on Sunday and will have more this coming Sunday; you will also see them in email and text. This is more than a typical devotional, though-we’re asking you to pray the prayer prompts that are provided, spend several minutes in prayer listening for what God has to say, for you to write down what you heard from God, and share it with the church. We are going to practice collectively listening to the Lord together, a long obedience in the same direction, as Eugene Peterson would say.
Below, you’ll see info about all the additional ministries we’re wrapping around this prayer initiative so that we can all find ways to seek God’s will for our church together. I’m asking that you prioritize this month of prayer, because we want God’s way, not our own, and we will only discern that in prayer, together.
I hope you have a very Happy New Year, and that we begin it with a posture of waiting on the Lord, listening for His guidance.
Grace and Peace
Pastor Lindsay Kirkpatrick
Senior Pastor
[email protected]