Global Prayer Starts Today & its easy

You can influence the world right where you are!

If you need a daily prayer reminder.  Here are two ways to get a timely remeinder by signing up for PrayNow with GBIM.org. You can either get a tweet or an email in your Inbox everyday. You may even sign up for both like I did.  Then you can pray anytime during the day.  I choose to pray in the morning.  Leave a comment for when you pray for the world. 

I have included today's tweet and email for your viewing.

Global Prayer Guide cover

Tomorrow (Sep 2)starts a new cycle of praying through the Global Ministries Prayer Guide. I reference my guide each morning before I head off to work at the church.

I peruse the prayer requests to pause and to pray for God to answer the requests provided. Then I try to send an email to the person(s) highlighted. Just to let them know that I am praying for them.

I don't send an email everyday. Most times I forget. But I would like to send an email each day for this next cycle of prayer.As Paul challenged the believers in the Ephesian church, "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18)." So be alert and persevere in prayer for the people listed in this guide.

In Ephesians 6:19, Paul states his plea for the saints to pray for him. I can imagine our missionary partners saying the same thing. "And don't forget to pray for me. Pray that I'll know what to say and have the courage to say it at the right time, telling the mystery to one and all, the Message that I, jailbird preacher that I am, am responsible for getting out (The Message)." 

As Grace Brethren International Ministries challenges, "Take the Global Prayer Walk." Please pick up your copy of the Guide at the Wooster Grace Brethren Church.  You can also sign up today for the PrayNow daily emails or get one tweet via Twitter.  These highlight more current requests for the person(s) listed. Let me know in the comments whether you use the printed guide, PrayNow daily emails, or Twitter.  I use all three to remind me to pray. I guess I need more reminders. :)

Pray for a harvest of grain and of souls

Global Prayer Walk for Tue Apr 12:

I just prayed for the African bible schools and bible institutes from the daily PrayNow email. If you don't get these, then please sign up now.

I found a website that provides the crop calendar for growing corn in the CAR. Thanks to the Food & Agricultural Organization of the United Nations for providing this calendar.

Photo from Food & Agricultural Org UN

You will need to navigate this website by first selecting the country of Central African Republic.  Then click "Next" at the bottom of the "select a country" column. The CAR menu will emerge. Click "All agro-ecological zones." Next, select "corn" in the menu for "select a crop" menu-list. Then click "View" at the bottom of the "select a crop" column to view the calendar for corn crops in the CAR.

The calendar reiterates the need to pray for the sowing and planting of crops for the bible school students and those attending the seminary.  Ask the God of all harvests to bless the planted crops with rain so that many families will be able to feed their families and extended families as well as share some food with others who need help as a way to witness for the Lord. May people discover that there is a God among Christ-followers in the Central African Republic.

Forgo the fast food, send your money to Africa

Timothy Project
Daily Prayer Walk--Leadership Development in Africa

Thanks Dave Martin for photo

If you give up one fast food meal a week, like one of the 10 meals under $10, then you could make a difference in the world for eternity rather than watching your waistline expand or feel like you are not getting what you paid for. Instead, you could direct funds to helping develop godly leadership in the Central African Republic. 

I praise God for our partnership with Sylvain & Herodia Sangassere. Sylvain & Herodia are from the Senbegan Grace Brethren Church in Bossangoa. Sylvain was a teacher of the boys group in his church conducting one-on-one bible studies with the young men. Both Sylvain & Herodia sang in the church choir.  They did not have children of their own when they left for Bangui, but take care of two young relatives. 

Sylvain is a student now at the Grace Brethren Theological Seminary in Bangui, Central African Republic (CAR). God blessed them with their first child, Henrieta Grace. Wooster Grace provided a scholarship for the Sangassere's, just like many other people and churches through Grace Brethren International Ministries (GBIM).  You can sponsor a student and his family by contacting GBIM.  Your funds can help propel another equipped shepherd to develop all people into fully devoted followers of Christ.

In Sylvain's own words from a letter that he sent to our church, "After my study, I would tell about God everywhere in the world." Amen!  Sponsor a seminary student today!

Firsthand Global Pray Walker--Jason & Doni Weimer

For a closer look at those who are the leadership team in SE Asia, visit Weimer's blog.  I appreciate their firsthand knowledge of those who lead them.

Please follow their blog for info on how to best pray for the team in Khon Kaen.

Prayed for the Hawkins in Porto, Portugal today

Courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/aamaianos/

I don't know about you, but I need visuals when I pray for missionaries. So I googled today's Daily Pray Now prayer requests for Tim & Julie Hawkins, the city of Povoa de Varzim. 

I discovered many images: pictures of the coast in summer, luminescent nightscapes, a map, etc.  Then I envisioned a new church plant in the city. Wow! God is going to build His Church (Matthew 16:18). 

Moreover, I checked out a couple of videos. The first video is a tourist clip of the coast. No comments. But again it helps me to picture God's people on the beach sharing Christ, conducting fellowship gatherings, or meeting for a prayer walk for their city. 

The second video is a tour of the city of PVZ. I like the sites pictured because I can envision God's people living fully-devoted lives in that city.  Ironically, the video soundtrack is Bobby Darin's popular song, "Beyond the Sea." Portugal is beyond the sea from me. But I praise God that my prayers can make a difference beyond the sea. Keep praying for our missionaries!

Make a year-end contribution where you can impact the world!

Re-posted from facebook note Monday 12.27.10
Here's a list of how God has worked in Wooster Grace through your faithful & sacrificial giving and stedfast & persistent prayers to bear fruit that will remain from 2010:

• 4-15: Fully-devoted missionary partners on 4 continents in 15 countries
• The scope: From local to global, your gifts and prayers impact every age group: unborn in Wayne County & Africa; children in Religious Ed Classes North-Central, Native New Life Church (NM); orphans in Grace Place Battambang & Grace Place Thailand and with G.R.O.W in Chiang Mai THAILAND ; students at the Battambang Ministry Training Center, in Mondou CHAD with Love in Action International through metal-fabrication training and spiritual life equipping, church planting in France, Germany, Portugal, SE Asia, Brazil, Canada, and Northeast Ohio; as well as widows in Weing Pa Pao THAILAND and community development in Central Africa with ICDI and entreprenuer micro-enterprising  in CAMBODIA.

• Internationals Ministries here in Wayne County: we hosted monthly gatherings for internationals in our community to join us for fun, relationship building, and interaction with Christ-followers and with biblical truth. Our ping-pong tournaments, soccer nights, and holiday dinners drew the most people from many countries of the world. Countries represented, including, but not limited to, Brazil, China, Egypt, Singapore, Japan, Uganda, Greece, India, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Cambodia, Mexico, Colombia, Serbia, Taiwan, Germany, Cuba, Argentina, El Salvador, Canada, and South Korea. 

• Short-Term Missions: This year God helped us reach out to six U.S. destinations and five countries of the world; places like Philadephia, PA; South Bend, IN; Mansfield, OH; Dayton, OH; San Francisco, CA; Albuquerque, NM; Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Argentina by sending out 116 people from our church.  We are preparing to send a team to SE Asia in February-March 2011.  
• Growing Social Media presence: This year Pastor Daron is learning how to harness the tools of social media to connect more people to what we are doing in the world. We praise God for the tools available. You can find Pastor Daron on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, with the name "daronbutler" or "daron butler."

Thank you for your consistent prayers and financial support. Please consider making a year-end contribution to sustain God's impact in the world.

As ever,

Pastor Daron

Top Ten Images from Global Outreach 2010

As I pause to reflect on all that God has done through Wooster Grace, I praise God for His work in peoples' lives.  So here are my top ten images of what Wooster Grace did with the generous and faithful giving in 2010.

I post these images in no particular order:

• Our missionary partners from Wooster Grace--Hoberts, Triplehorns, & Kane's;
• My visit to Grace Place Battambang; 
• Ministry with GoTeam to serve with Kane's & Good's and CMPs; 
• Swain visit and help with VBS; 
• Ngoumape visit for construction of James Gribbell Ministry Training Center in Bangui CAR; 
• Nanga from ICDI visit to move forward in holistic community development; 
• GROW gets a truck for Faa to transport kids more safely; 
• Short-term Adult trip to New Mexico by ABF (Significant Times); 
• Student Ministries short-term missions trip to San Francisco, CA; and 
• Team Hope Cleveland 2010 (txs Jeff for photo);

Please comment and share what you think I missed or send me a photo of what could or should have been included. I do miss things. Can't wait to hear from you.

What do you give towards?

image from poldavo
I don't know about you.. But my struggle compounds when I begin considering what I am going to give towards. Out of the many things to give towards, which one is the best for my gift?

In addition, I struggle with the amount to give up. How much do I want to give? How much am I willing to give up? What am I giving towards?

I can tend to gather a plethora of questions, offer excuses, and end up doing nothing. I can procrastinate. I can rationalize. I can lie. But this time, for this one month, I want to have an open hand and give something up to give.

You may not be like me. But if you are, then you need some direction.

I offer the following: Before you define your goal, write it down, make it S.M.A.R.T. or follow the 3 W’s, and secure accountability, I ask that you pray.

First, ask God to give you insight into WHY you are going to join the fast. Make time to be quiet and contemplate what He prompts. Write down what He prompts and pray over it. He may prompt you to do less than the $3 per day goal. Or He may want you to just start and learn to grow towards greater things for the future.

But the bottom line is, be quiet in prayer.  Jot down what comes to mind.

Read James 1:5-8. 

In fact, memorize it. Then when God clarifies what He wants you to do then proceed with the goal. Clarify that this fast is one where we give up something to focus on what God wants. Not just another thing to do out of duty, but one thing to engage with devotion to God.

Well, that’s what I am going to do. I go to my prayer closet to get direction. I think you should too. I wonder where your “prayer closet” is. Mine is a notebook, a journal for recording God’s promptings or reviewing what God is teaching me. I will post on what God prompts. I want to ask God for three things: why am I seeking to do this? What am I going to give towards? How much can I give up to give towards that goal?

WeShare: Open Hand 2 Give

photo from zenobia_joy
You might be like me. As I begin this weSHARE journey, to give up something in order to give something to God, I can easily succumb to duty over devotion.

My struggle is more with duty. I "have-to" versus I "want-to." I wonder if your challenge is the same.

You can easily give up anything without too much discomfort. But I have a hard time giving up anything. I find that my hands are clenched. Unlike the picture at the beginning of this post. 

Our contemporary worship leader, Pastor Matt Carter, wrote a great song on the disc As We Wait, entitled "Teach me to give."  The most convicting lyrics come at the beginning of the chorus, "Teach me to give just as I've received Unclench my firsts and empty my pockets Not even this life is mine to keep."  I need to be retaught how to give by rehearsing what God has already given me.

Another song that came to my mind and out of my lips is a chorus that I learned years ago, "Freely, freely (God forgave my sin)" The words challenge me as if Jesus were talking, "Freely, freely you have received, Freely, freely give."  Jesus said this in Matthew 10:7-9.  Take the message and freely give. 

It's about attitude.  As I engage this WeShare journey, I need to recalibrate my attitude. Just as our missionary partners are willing to go. They need you and I to share the load with them.

I need an attitude adjustment.  I need realignment.  I need to get ready to share.  To share is part of a believing community's DNA (Acts 2:42ff).  What do you need to give up to share with those in need?  What will I give up to share with those in need?  I wonder if you struggle with the same things that I do.  Please leave a comment, or a song that challenges you, or even another Scripture reference that moves you forward. I'd love to hear from you.

Praying for Africa has changed

Pray for ICDI: The ICDI Drill Teammates have arrived safely in Bangui and are recuperating after their ordeal with the rebels in the NE of CAR. They send their greetings and appreciation for everyone's prayers. (L to R: Wilfried Ouilibona, Alexis Wadembala, Kevin Moko, Bruno Robembe, Nicolas Kenam, Jean Didier Dobe, Alain Yongote (sq...uatting). Negotiations continue for the vehicles and property that were seized by the rebels (from FB post Fri April 9)~
In my short time on earth, I realize a few things have changed.  One as it relates to prayer is how prayer requests have changed.

When the work started in Central Africa with James Gribble it was for Central Africans to come to Christ through others coming to Central Africa.  As things progressed, prayer was requested for Central Africans to grow in Christ, and develop more leaders for more churches.  Now, we are praying for Central Africans who are doing the work of ministry for their own people.  Amazing!

Though the road to serving others is hard and even dangerous, I praise the Lord for the content of my prayers.  I am alive when the vision of James Gribble has gone farther than his expectations. In the book, Stranger Than Fiction,

"In 1915, in Chicago there had been hanging on the wall of the Gribbles' room a map of Africa.  Ofttimes Mr. Gribble would stand in front of it and pint with his pencil to one place--Bozoum! 'This will be our one objective in Africa...the region which we are called to evangelize. It is to this point we, when we are permitted to do so, that we will make our way...to establish our first station (133)." 

James Gribble wanted to establish the first church in Oubangui-Chari at Bozoum. "'We will yet be permitted,' he would often say to his wife, 'to preach the Gospel at Bozoum. The Lord will work the miracle (133).'"

God truly has worked a miracle!  Today there are 2,400 Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. Four Bible Institutes in Bata, Bossangoa, Batangafo, and Mbaiki.  A School of Theology offers more training and is now in Bangui.

In Chad, there are four more Bible Institutes and 260 FGBC churches. In the Cameroon, there are 49 FGBC churches.

As I ask for prayer for Central Africans ministering to their own people with ICDI or studying as a seminary student, I praise God that I am alive today to witness to the glory of God! May God truly be glorified for building His Church as He said He would (Matthew 16:18).

Keep praying for God to work in His world to establish His Church.  I wonder what has struck you as you travel on this Global Prayer Walk.  Comment here or on the FB event.  Be a fan of a great man: James Gribble.

Start the Year off right with prayer

I received in the mail today my copy of the 2010 Global Ministries Prayer Guide. I could smell the hot-off-the-presses aroma as I thumbed through all of the pages.  I want to say thanks to Jim Folsom for sending me an advanced picture of the cover pre-printing.  On the printed cover are three key verbs: discover, intercede, and rejoice.

GBIM Executive Director, Dave Guiles, showed me an advanced copy earlier this month. He gave me the following insights about what is new:

• The Guide will seek to celebrate what God is doing in the world
• The Guide is also intended to educate everyone what God is doing through Grace Brethren International Missions
• The Guide will help you understand the global influence of all God's workers who are laboring in the Lord's harvest around the world

I am already enjoying a few interesting facts on the inside cover:

• I praise God for this global movement our fellowship of churches is enjoying--GBIM is "impacting dozens of people groups scattered among 33 countries on 5 continents.
• I marvel at how the Lord is helping to mobilize nationals to serve together with missionaries to start new churches and ministries within their own countries and to start praying for how to initiate new fields of harvest in neighboring countries.
• I am grateful for all who compiled the information so that I can pray better for God's work to impact the nations in 2010.  I will be able to intercede more efficiently with the expansion of national missions prayer requests in places like the Central African Republic.

I recommend that you get your free copy sent to you right away.