Strategic Prayer Planning 2019
What’s your plan for prayer this year as a church family? “To pray more” or “To do a 3 week prayer series” or something else? Is the plan for the whole year? Is it inspired by the Holy Spirit?
The truth is, if there is no plan then you’ll default to doing what you are already doing.
The truth is, Canada needs the Church to be praying. I believe that your neighbour longs for a supernatural church. Supernatural churches, that is, churches that know the voice of God (and listen to Him), that enjoy God moving, healing, delivering, providing, are led by leaders who PRAY.
What is your strategic plan for prayer this year? What does prayer look like in your 3 Ministry Plan? When people read your prayer plan are they inspired by it? What will your ministries do daily, weekly, and monthly to nurture a culture of prayer in your church family? Here is a sample plan (or checklist) without timelines:
- Prayer Point Person appointed and name submitted to Ken Roth;
- Prayer Point Person praying monthly by Zoom with National Prayer Team;
- Prayer Point Person bringing resources from National Prayer Team into local church;
- Prayer Point Person with Pastor and leadership team will create / develop a “Prayer Team” with the mandate to mobilize your church family into prayer. Prayer Point Person does not necessarily have to be the Prayer Team leader – the Prayer Point Person is first of all your local church’s representative nationally. This Prayer Team would be responsible for creating, training and overseeing the following:
- Intercessory Prayer teams (for Sundays, concerts of prayer, church-wide fasting and weekly intercessory prayer times);
- Sunday Morning teams available to pray with people before, during or after services;
- Prayer Ministry teams available during the week for encouragement, healing, deliverance, blessings, etc.
- Prayer Team composition: The Prayer Team will have a Board appointed leader. The leader will ensure that reports or meeting minutes are submitted to the Board. Perhaps each of the following teams (a, b, c) could appoint a leader. Each of these leaders would also participate in the regular Prayer Team meeting to oversee prayer in your local church. I would also encourage the Prayer Team to invite someone on their team to help with communication, to have strategies to keep the whole church informed and invited into prayer;
- Teams may well be made up of children, youth and adults – all of them enjoying the training opportunities and the ministry responsibility;
- Each team (a, b, c) would connect regularly with all the other ministries, small groups and leaders in your church in order to teach / equip each ministry to practice prayer. This is very important so that prayer is not merely a ministry of the church, but how your church operates.
Last week the Network Mentors, Leaders, Regional Coaches, Church Planting Coaches and National Leadership Team all met to discuss Networks. It was a productive time and I look forward to letting you know about our plans (teaser: discipleship communities).
This past weekend I met with representatives from our camps. Again this was a very good time of thinking through some of our challenges as camps and we prayed for each other. We also prayed that campgrounds would be Holy grounds this summer where supernatural encounters happen…
MEDIA CONNECTIONS
Church Health Thursdays – What The Church Can Do Differently in 2019:
https://fmcic.ca/what-the-church-can-do-differently-in-2019/
News & Stories Blog – Truth and Reconciliation: It Is Ours:
https://fmcic.ca/truth-and-reconciliation-it-is-ours/
the conneXion – a Free Methodist theology blog: 3 Minute Theology 2.5: Knowing the Bible Inside Out: https://fmcic.ca/3-minute-theology-2-5-knowing-the-bible-inside-out/
New Leaf Network: Hyeon Soo Lim – Persecution, Suffering, and God’s Mission: https://www.newleafnetwork.ca/podcast/ep-59-hyeon-soo-lim-persecution-suffering-and-gods-mission/
Faith and Finances Website: http://faithandfinances.ca
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Pastor Jody Pfeifer – appointed as Network Leader of the Saskatchewan Large Church Network, effective December 19
Rev. Trevor Swanson – appointed as a clergy member of the Pacific-Western MEGaP committee, effective December 18
Ordination and Commissioning Services Schedule
Louis Innocent – ordination service on March 17, 2019 at 2 pm, Eglise Methodiste Libre La Foi Des Elus, Repentigny, QC
FOUNDATIONAL COURSES
https://fmcic.ca/foundational-courses/
Register online through the link above.
Lay Ministers tracking for credentialed ministry and those transferring ordination credentials into the FMCiC need to take the following two courses for full credit – and if possible, the Heart course first and then Wesleyan Theology.
Heart of Canadian Free Methodism:
June 7-9, 2019 – location TBA*
November 1-3, 2019 – location TBA*
Wesleyan Theology:
June 7-9, 2019 – location TBA*
November 1-3, 2019 – location TBA*
(also available online through FMC-USA: http://fmcusa.org/leadership/courses/)
Ministerial Candidates tracking for Commissioned or Ordained Minister are required to take the following two courses for full credit. Those who are already commissioned or ordained are required to either audit these two courses for 1 Continuing Education Unit (CEU) each or take the two courses and complete the assignments for 3 CEUs each.
Culture and the Missional Church:
Date and location TBA
Personal and Church Stewardship:
5-week online course (FRENCH) – start date – TBA
6-week online course (ENGLISH) – start date – TBA
(*locations are selected based on where the majority of the participants reside – so please register early!)
2019 SCHOLARSHIPShttps://fmcic.ca/scholarships/
February 15 is the deadline to apply for the Leadership Scholarship Plan (LSP) for any courses taken during Winter semester of 2019. See instructions and The 2019 application forms and instructions are now available to download from the link above.
October 15 is the deadline to apply for the annual Special Scholarships for courses taken during 2019 – apply online from the link above
CONTINUING EDUCATION UNITS (CEUs) https://fmcic.ca/introduction-to-continuing-education/
Ordained and Commissioned Ministers (except retirees) are to annually report Continuing Education Units (CEUs) acquired during each year. Check the link above for information on CEUs, the report form and a list of examples of many different types of life-long learning that can be applied as CEUs.
Note: For those who attended the fall Minister’s Conferences, add 6 hours of CEU credit when you send in your annual CEU report.
CHURCHES IN TRANSITION
Interviewing
Caistor Centre FMC, Caistor Centre, ON
Madoc Wesleyan/FMC, Madoc, ON
Weyburn FMC, Weyburn, SK
Church Profiles available
Contact Susan DePlanché in the Leadership Development Office to request a church profile – [email protected] or 289-228-1225 (deadline to apply in brackets)
None
Preparing Profiles
(If you are interested in reviewing the profile for any of these churches, please contact Susan in the Leadership Development Office [[email protected] or 289-228-1225] and the profile will be emailed to you as soon as it becomes available.)
Athens FMC, Athens, ON (Angel Valentin-Transition Pastor)
Hampton FMC, Saskatoon, SK
New Horizons Community Church – Sarnia, ON (Kim Henderson-Interim Pastor)
Richmond Hill Chinese & English FM Churches, Richmond Hill, ON (Abbs So and Shadow Lau-Interim Co-Pastors)
Smiths Falls FMC, Smiths Falls, ON
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Intercultural Engagement Team Leader – Free Methodist Ministry Centre
Part-Time French Translator – Free Methodist Ministry Centre
Part-Time Receptionist – Free Methodist Ministry Centre
Youth Pastor – Malvern Methodist Church
Associate Pastor – Verona FM Church
