|
 A Prayer Guidebook for Churches and Associations
Many associations have found great satisfaction in training and encouraging their churches in prayer. The work of these four associational prayer coordinators represent prayer strategies from North America. Learn from them and adapt their plans to work in your association and churches.
A. Phoenix, Arizona
The associations in Phoenix, Arizona have worked with other evangelicals to seek the Lord for their prayer strategy. Using 2 Chron. 7:14, their vision is: 1) To provide leadership and direction; 2) To engage the local churches with the vision for united fervent prayer; 3) To link this new found life of prayer in the local churches to the evangelism strategies; 4) And to mobilize an army of prayer warriors for future evangelism/church planting strategies.
They intend to accomplish this in five ways.
1) Encourage every church to have a praying and prayed-for pastor. Regional prayer groups meet once a week to study, pray and ask God how they together can reach their community. Pastors’ prayer retreats are offered to encourage and refresh pastors. They call this "raising a prayer shield around the pastor." They also are helping to develop comprehensive prayer strategies for their churches, and ensure the linking of prayer and evangelism in the local church.
2) Encourage every church to be a house of prayer. They encourage an "ambiance of church prayer" and to appoint a church prayer coordinator. They have a quarterly training breakfast where they meet each other, talk about the prayer ministry in their local churches and receive training from national and local prayer ministry leaders. Each church is encouraged to have a prayer room.
There is also an annual, four-day "Prayer Quake" seminar covering many different aspects of prayer in the valley.
3) Encourage praying churches to pray together for their neighborhoods. The link to church unity and evangelism is inescapable. They pray that churches will have Prayer Journeys in their neighborhoods. Other initiatives include First Friday Fasts, Lighthouses of Prayer, and Praying your Friends to Christ.
They divided the Phoenix Metroplex into 6 regions and have a Mobilizing team trained and available to assist the local church in developing prayer strategies at every level. These teams meet with church leaders and share a packet of information on the prayer strategy and resources.
Prayer and evangelism remain wedded through a mapping center for prayer, evangelism and church planting. This center develops neighborhood and zip code packages that the local churches in that area can use to cover their target groups with prayer and evangelism.
4) Create a Prayer Coordinator Network
They have a network of Church Prayer Coordinators that meet together for united, concerted prayer, training, building relationships, and sharing prayer resources.
5) Cover the area with various media and promotions
Prayer/Evangelism, Vision Casting, Prayer Quake Promo Video, Radio Spots, Praying for Your City (Worship and Intercession tape/CD, get Mission America endorsement, produce a video and brochure with a packet that can aid megacity prayer and evangelism mobilizers.)
B. Chicagoland, Chicago, Illinois
Another model of working with other evangelicals to respond to the Lord’s call to prayer. Several local associations have joined together for a unified prayer strategy.
Our Mission
To serve the church in the work of the Great Commission by calling the Body of Christ in Chicagoland to concerted prayer.
Our Vision
To serve every Chicagoland pastor in their assignment to equip and empower their congregation in prayer that mobilizes each member to pray for and share the gospel with their neighbors and community.
Our Action Plans
1. Gathering
Establish interdenominational pastor’s prayer groups throughout Chicagoland.
Cast vision and present strategies for prayer-birthed church planting.
Mobilize Prayer Journeys, especially among Volunteer Mission Teams.
Partner with national ministries to bring prayer conferences to Chicago.
Work with International Renewal Ministries to bring a Women In Ministry Prayer Summit (Pastors wives and intercessors).
Seek to network with Evangelical congregations & ministries.
Publicize annual Pastors Prayer Summits (4 day retreats).
Initiate and lead solemn assemblies and Concerts of Praise & Prayer.
2. Equipping
Consult with pastors: Building your local Church prayer ministry.
Develop associational prayer coordinators.
Identify and train local church prayer coordinators.
Provide prayer evangelism (Praying Your Friends To Christ) seminars
Provide Taking Prayer to the Streets Seminars.
Produce prayer vision casting video tape: vision and strategy to the pastor. prayer coordinator and church members, produce video training series.
3. Resourcing
Provide church planting prayer strategy information.
Assist churches in develop Lighthouses of Prayer.
Provide essential resources for church training.
Encourage use of SFC staff as Sunday speakers.
4. Communicating
Develop Prayer Journeys brochure that identifies major Chicagoland strongholds.
Utilize the CJ2K.com website.
Incorporate Chicagoland information into National Pastors Prayer Network updates.
Publicize national prayer events (March For Jesus, National Day of Prayer, nationally televised Concert Of Prayer, etc).
Distribute 230 prayer resource packets to pastors and city-wide leadership
Distribute 100 prayer resource packets to pastor’s prayer group leaders.
Distribute "Pray Chicago" newsletter to key pastors and prayer leaders.
C. Canadian National Baptist Convention
The associational strategy for British Columbia has been integrated into every part the national Canadian Strategy. The associational prayer coordinator also serves as the Convention prayer coordinator.
Evangelism
Vision Statement - We see a day when our churches communicate the life transforming message of Christ to every person.
Prayer Initiative - Help churches implement an evangelistic prayer strategy by:
- providing materials to help churches set up and maintain an evangelistic prayer strategy.
- conducting five regional evangelistic prayer conferences.
- enlisting prayer coordinators in all of our churches.
Church Planting
Vision Statement - we see a day when our churches start new congregations that grow and reproduce.
Prayer Initiative - Mobilize Christians to pray for church planting possibilities by:
- enlisting a church planting prayer coordinator
- developing a church planting prayer network
- training churches in Prayer walking/Journeys and prayer evangelism
- facilitating every church planter to develop a prayer support network
Grow & Develop
Vision Statement - We see a day when churches develop into healthy congregations.
Prayer Initiative - We will help by:
- encouraging & training church prayer coordinators
- encouraging & training association prayer coordinators
- keeping churches informed of prayer resources & prayer initiatives
- encouraging churches to use the telephone Prayerline
- enlarging computer prayerletter address base
- a monthly prayer outline in newsletter
- regular teaching articles on prayer in monthly newsletter
Missions
Vision Statement - We see a day when our churches form partnerships to extend the Kingdom of God.
Prayer Initiatives - We will help churches:
- to expand national prayer ministry to every church
- provide regional prayer conferences annually
- develop prayer ministry on our web page
- encourage 40% of our churches to form prayer partnerships
- Leadership: Vision Statement - we see a day when our churches are led by healthy servant leaders. Initiatives: we will help:
- encourage churches to pray to the Lord of the Harvest for new leaders
D. Cane Creek Stoddard Baptist Association, Poplar Bluff, Missouri
This associational prayer strategy is led by the DOM. It begins with a reminder for a personal, consistent relationship with Christ. It focuses on personal contact with pastors and establishes a definite priority of prayer in the annual meeting and the newsletter. Each church is encouraged to have a yearly emphasis on prayer which prays for and with leadership on all levels.
The strategy develops opportunities to cover with prayer the neighborhoods, businesses, law enforcement and protection personnel, city and county government officials, school students and faculty, pastors, churches and ministries.
The association offers a wide variety of prayer events that are called "Prayer Strategy Projects." Each project has a goal, a target audience, physical requirements, a recommended time of week/day, procedure and benefits.
Projects include Personal and Family Prayer and Study group, prayerwalking, Adopt-a-leader, Pastor’s Prayer Breakfast, associational ministers’ prayer and study groups, Small prayer/study groups in smaller congregations, Pastors prayer chain, Prayer Network, Baptist Women’s prayer retreat, Missouri Baptist, NAMB and IMB Prayerlines, Moms in Touch, and Cross Denominational Experiencing God groups.
Lord, You are absolutely trustworthy and eternal. Thank you for defeating Satan and protecting us. Teach me to rely on You and follow Your commandments. Let me decrease that you might increase. Teach me to listen to You and to hear what you want. Help me to be obedient and to place absolute confidence in You. Make me an empty vessel, poured out for Your use as You seek to save lost people. In Jesus name, Amen.
|
