January 2002 Pastors Newsletter

Vol. 4 No. 1                                                                                                                    January 2002

 High Noon Prayer Rally

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Here’s another opportunity for citywide prayer!  Pray Lubbock is joining forces with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration committee and helping coordinate a one-hour High Noon Prayer Rally as part of the MLK observance on Monday, 21 January 2002.  This prayer gathering will take place at Mt. Gilead Baptist Church, 2510 Fir (corner of Fir and E. 26^th Street) where J. J. Johnson is pastor.  Mark your calendar and let your congregations know about this citywide prayer meeting.  Our focus will be that both our African American community and our whole city will benefit from the standards and dreams of this great American leader.  We will pray for unity and for God’s blessing upon us all.

Pray What Is on God’s Heart

For the People of Lubbock

If you are looking for a prayer guide to unite your congregation in prayer during the weeks prior to Palm Sunday, let us suggest a prayer guide written by Steve Hawthorne and highly recommended by Alice Patterson, Director of Pray Texas.  Seek God for the City 2002, A prayer Guide for Spiritual Awakening can help your church – and our city – pray together with the fresh, life-giving power of biblical hope.  WayMakers has produced this prayer guide in cooperation with Mission America, The Lighthouse Movement, and PrayWorld.  A copy of this prayer guide is available for your perusal at the Pray Lubbock office, or you may find information at (800)-264-5214 or www.waymakers.org.  This national prayer emphasis will occur forty days to Palm Sunday, February 13 – March 24, 2002.   

The Store House

The Kingdom of God Storehouse is a new ministry in Lubbock based on Malachi 3:10.  “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (NIV)

“The Store House exists to promote the principles and teachings of the
governance of the Kingdom of God and demonstrate how to live them,” according to Erin Carmichael, ministry director.   “The ministry has been established to help meet the needs of the community and the Body of Christ.”  Their hope is to bring together the needs of the Body of Christ with God's supply and giftings.

For more information call or stop by:

5201 Indiana Ave. Suite 201 South

Lubbock, TX 79413

(806) 780-5464

Prayer from Lubbock to Katy

Steve will be traveling to Katy to facilitate a prayer retreat involving the servant-leadership team of pastors from that city who lead “The Katy Church” (see www.thekatychurch.org). Please remember to pray for this sister city and for God’s direction to be received at this prayer retreat scheduled for 28-29 January.

Pastors Prayer Summit

Our next Pastors Prayer Summit will be 29-30 April. This Monday-to-Tuesday event will take place at Floydada Baptist Camp.  Our emphasis will be prayer with one another and personal quiet time with the Lord.  This replaces the 21-22 March date.

Justice at the Gate

Alice Patterson, Director of Pray Texas, is spearheading another significant prayer emphasis for Texas and our Nation – “Justice at the Gate.”

 “The God of Justice is turning our attention to the judges in our land.  Although they are the least known of our government officials, judges' decisions greatly affect our culture and freedoms. The Lord is calling us to pray -- to lift up and to bless -- and to act!” declares Patterson.

  
Many Supreme Court cases that have harmfully affected our nation have originated in Texas, such as Madelyn Murray O'Hair's lawsuit originating in Austin and the Roe v. Wade decision originating in Dallas. Some spiritual analysts believe that where there is a larger-than-average iniquity, there is a corresponding larger-than-average birthright in that area.  Patterson believes that mobilizing prayer for judges, beginning in Texas but spreading to our nation, will impact our nation with Godly influence.

 Justice at the Gate has formed to organize systematic prayer for every judge in each Texas county.  Pray Lubbock will be cooperating with this effort.  Steve will be attending conference “A Call to Honor; Standing at the gate for Judges, Justice and Freedom” on 18-19 January in San Antonio.  For more information, go to www.justiceatthegate.org. 

911 Prayer Service Banner

At our 911 Prayer Gathering, held on 13 September 2001 in the Coliseum, two large banners were made with signatures of hundreds who attended the prayer service.  We sent those banners to Convoy of Hope, a Christian organization who helped coordinate assistance to victims and rescue workers of the attacks.  Last month we received word from Convoy of Hope telling us that both banners were delivered to NYC and Washington D.C.  Convoy of Hope also sent us a picture of one of the banners that hung above the food line for recovery workers.  This banner extended our prayers to the fire fighters awaiting transportation to Ground Zero.

Perpetual Prayer Vigil

We are planning a perpetual prayer vigil!  We would like to see that someone is praying for our city at any given hour of the week.  We have prepared sign up sheets to be distributed at our next Local Church Prayer Leaders Meeting and they will also be available at the next pastors prayer meeting.  The concept is simple.  Individuals are invited to sign up for one hour per week in which they will pray at the place of their choosing.  Praying at the Metro Tower is certainly an option but not necessary.  Hopefully, we will have multiple enlistees for many hours.  If there are gaps in the “wall”, we will recruit prayer-ers for specific hours.

  Local Church Prayer Leaders Network

Our next Local Church Prayer Leaders Network meeting will be Saturday, 2 February 2002.  These meetings have provided great opportunities for relationships and shared prayer requests.  We will also distribute sign up sheets for 24/7 prayer in our city.  If we don’t have your congregation’s prayer leader on our list, please submit his/her name to our office, so we can get him/her involved in this network of prayer leaders. 

Pray for One Another!

We are encouraging citywide, unified, corporate prayer on behalf of the congregations of our city.  “But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is {still} called ‘today,’ lest any one of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” (Heb 3:12-13)  Please pray!  Here is a suggested list for the next few weeks:

13 Jan. – First United Methodist (Slaton) – Steven Campbell

      Elgin Avenue Baptist Church – Shane Brooks

20 Jan. - Gloria Dei Lutheran Church -- Ken Hopple

      First Assembly of God -- Tom Lakey

27 Jan. - Grace Assembly of God -- Mark Stripling

      First Baptist Church, Lubbock

3 Feb. - Grace Church -- Larry Doyle

      First Church of the Nazarene -- John Donnerberg

10 Feb. - Heritage Church -- David Lance

      First Foursquare Church -- Jim Scott

17 Feb. - Highland Baptist Church -- Stan Blevins

     First Methodist Church (Shallowater) – Jay Stinson