As previously mentioned, it's Vacation Bible School week at our church. And I as I thought about how to pray for Youth and Children's Pastors, something in my mind flashed to the realization of just how many kids from our youth group are participating in helping out in the program.

For years upon years, the church has talked about "the next generation" of leaders. Have you wondered how much the church...how much your church, is engaging and teaching "the next generation" how to involve themselves in ministering and being apart of the group of young people that come behind them?

Part of leaving an inheritance...a legacy...a foundation, is that there is a long-term plan in place. Attainable, actionable goals to pursue. A vision for the future.. that goes not just beyond themselves, but decades of generations to follow.

Sometimes we talk about youth and children's ministries as one, but obviously they deal with different issues and aspects of life, particularly in how things can be explained and discussed. That said...what an incredible opportunity to find moments to teach and to train both generations at the same time. How awesome to witness the skills acquired by the youth group as they learn and experience ministry first hand and the joy experienced by the children of having someone who is neither an adult, nor a sibling, haven taken a genuine and active interest in their life.

Pray for youth and children's pastors, to seek and continue to seek, to create opportunities for their respective ministries to work together. Pray for new-found creativity and collaboration in teaching leadership skills to the youth, while finding relevant and exciting ways to ministry and reach kids effectively. Pray for wisdom and discernment for their ministries, as our youth and children continue to experience life situations at levels we wish didn't exist, being bombarded with social, cultural & political issues that seemingly defy logic and common sense. Perhaps most importantly, pray that youth and children, as they come to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, would find their identity in Christ. While agendas would draw them  in every direction away from God, pray that they would be drawn unto Him and Him alone. God has a plan and purpose for their lives and it can't be followed if it can't be heard.

-PNC

Yesterday, I found myself thinking of the words of my missionary friend who lost his wife almost 2 months ago now. When he shared at our men's meeting a couple weeks ago, he told us how Africa has so many new churches growing from the ground up, that many times, people who started bible school, seemingly moments after getting saved, were graduating and practically being handed the keys to one of these churches.

They have more churches needing Pastors than they can train and graduate people to put into the pulpits!!  Now, that's a great problem to have, but it accurately portrays the picture to your left. Talk about feeling like Moses, when God told Him his mission regarding reclaiming Israel from the hands of the Egyptians.

Similarly, how many pastors, and associate-level pastors in particular, feel exactly the same way. Whether it's their very first pastoral position in a church or their 5th and this latest ministerial program they are launching is uncharted waters; I would venture to say moments like these are unsettling at best and nerve-wracking at their worst.

As you pray for Associate Pastors today, continue to prayer for moments of strength and words of encouragement. Pray for revelatory ideas, fresh vision and clarity of thought. Pray for confidence-inspiring boldness within their ministry and the church-body that they serve. Pray for those teams who would come alongside and partner with them, to accomplish their ministerial goals. Finally, for those who dream and desire of greater pastoral responsibilities in their calling, pray for opportunities for mentor-ship; opportunities to learn and grow from people who have served in the capacities they desire to be placed one day. Pray that not a single moment would be missed, that could be a critical tipping point to propel them to the next level, both in their personal faith and in their calling, for the glory of God.

-PNC

In the closing moments of our Father's Day service, as he was about to pray over the men in attendance, our Senior Pastor of 22 years offered this advice...

"Every Monday morning, I pray "God, this is your week." For 22 years, it's what I've always done" - Dr. Bradley Trask.

It is all Gods', everything we have and the reasons for which we set out to accomplish the responsibilities that await us. Yet, this reminder at the start of each week provides a continually fresh perspective that whatever happens, God is in control. Whatever happens, by the grace of God, may we have the knowledge and skill to accomplish and endure whatever we may encounter.

Pray for Senior Pastors, who are struggling to continually trust God for what weighs on their hearts and minds. Pray for those, who have somehow gotten caught up in deception that they've "been doing this long enough" to know what they are doing or perhaps can fix or control or handle a situation on their own We've all been there, done that and the pressure placed on the pastorate can make it hard to remain humble and able to confess their need for God's grace. Pray that God would gently remind them, it's all His. There is nothing that isn't worth His time and attention.

Two areas of focus, on this Father's Day Sunday, as we pray for church effectiveness and efficiency....perhaps three, quickly.

With the thoughts and prayers for Charleston still fresh on our hearts and minds, pray that this would be a day that the body of Christ at large, comes together corporately, to support and uplift the families dealing with the aftermath. Pray for unity and that the message of Christ would ring loud and clear to those in the community seeking solace and understanding.

Secondly, pray for Fathers...for those leading their families, for those who have lost their families...for those struggling to keep their families together. I'll be the first to admit, I would do well to be more and learn more from my Heavenly Father. I would dare say that men much smarter and much more mature in their faith and walk with God would agree the same statement applies to their life.

Finally, I've seen many signs this past week for various Vacation Bible Schools programs this summer. A few have already started/happened. Our church's VBS is this week. Pray for final preparations to go smoothly. Pray for safety during this weeks events, again, especially in light of Charleston. Most importantly, pray for the relevancy of Gospel to come alive to kids and their families. It's a time of fun and games and friends, definitely; but a potential decision for Christ that could change the rest of their life and the course of history from now to eternity...that is a moment to be remembered. And covered in prayer.

-PNC

I reflected yesterday on how to pray for missionaries for our Friday focus. Of course, getting tossed into the mix of thoughts, were updates on the tragic incident at the church in Charleston, S.C.

I couldn't help but focus in on the fact that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, and that, but for grace of God, go I.

It's easy, in the comforts of Western Civilization to "forget" that every time we get out of bed, we are entering a mission field. Whether it's a loved one that is away from God, a co-worker/boss, or the driver of the car next to you at the gas station. You never know what window of opportunity you will have to share the message of Christ to the world...to a person, who desperately needs to hear the Truth. Nor do you know how long that window will remain open.

The story of Marcus Stanley showed up in my social media news-feed...this gospel musician who has an incredible testimony, posted the following to the Facebook page of the young man, allegedly suspected of causing the Charleston tragedy. As you pray for missions, pray that all of us would be keenly aware of such windows of opportunity. They are short indeed, as young man's Facebook profile is now closed.

I was thinking and praying about Bring Me 70 practically all morning, yesterday...then as I got ready to type this, my mind drew blank. So I am taking this brief insight as a prompting of the Holy Spirit, that this perspective needs to be mentioned...and it's this:

When it comes to the Kingdom of Heaven, it's never "just another day". While any job can become routine, and one can lose their enthusiasm for their work to the point they dread "clocking in" everyday, we should do well to remember that every day we are given is a day we can make an impact of eternal value. I know this is hard to do...as I struggle with it, just as much as the next person.

It doesn't matter the influence of your job title, the meat of your paycheck or the quality of relationship you have with your coworkers. We are to be salt and light. As I consider this, two things come to mind: 1) I'm preaching to myself. 2) How does this play out for those in church offices who feel they are just doing ordinary, everyday tasks, just like any other business. Office work, custodial, maintenance...it makes no difference, as long as they make it through to the next payday. You have as much eternal purpose to your work as does those in church operations.

Pray for your deacons, admins and staff today; that they would be reminded, their work is not routine, nor boring or mundane. Though they task may feel that way, they are doing work to advance the kingdom. Whether it's a phone call, a home visit or business meeting, pray that as the church staff interacts with their community daily, that they will be able to meet people in the spiritual realm.  Something as simple as one finding out you work at the church and casually mentioning they used to go and something in there life happened that has them thinking about going back. What an opportunity! Pray for an increased awareness of these opportunities and that feelings of the routine or unsatisfying will not hinder them from being to take advantage of what is a divine appointment from a Sovereign God.

Sunday night, we closed out our sermon series; God's How To Manual, taken from the book of James. This sermon finale, was how to pray about your problem. Towards the end of the sermon, I began to think about how this tied into praying for our Senior Pastors for our Monday focus.

Then it came...straight from our Senior Pastor..."The #1 struggle for pastors is their prayer life...starting with this guy right here." (points to self)

You think the devil is attacking you regarding the quality of your relationship with God and here is a man with 20+ yrs of Senior Pastor, plus a few more, in Associate and Youth ministry and he still struggles with prayer. I felt better for a moment until I realized perhaps I'm in significantly worse condition in my prayer life than I thought.

Then came the closing remarks...a meeting b/w Billy Graham and a dear, fellow pastor of a large NYC congregation.

Dr Graham, if you could do it all after again... famous last question, right?

Dr. Grahams' response... I wish I could have been a greater person of prayer.

So, needless to say, today we work on our prayer lives utilizing the subject matter: an increase in the quality of prayer life for our pastors. Pray an ever-growing and deepening relationship with God for our pastors. Pray for a strengthening, that they are equipped with knowledge, wisdom and confidence to do and succeed at the work and ministry to which they have been called. Pray for an increase in revelation during their prayer time; that whatever the need, that they would sense their effectual and fervent prayer accomplishing much for the glory of God.


-PNC

It's amazing how things come together. Yesterday, we focused on praying for how the church engages its community. Today, we pray over church effectiveness and efficiency. And in the few hours prior to writing this post, I heard the story of a young man who attended Saturday night's church service. The church actually has two Saturday services,(in addition to three more on Sunday morning) but they were late for the first one. The young man ended up talking with the young adult pastor for the remainder of the first service, then proceeded to stay for the entirety of the second.

Those involved in the conversation were excited for the young man's enthusiasm regarding the service, as he has been in a difficult place of late. But in hearing the story, I was excited for the investment the pastor took in reaching out to someone in need. Granted, that's part of the job description, but in the middle of the service, I'm sure there's other things needing attention.

The fact that this pastor recognized "leaving behind the 99, to look after the 1" means much to me and hopefully even more to the young man in a difficult place.

As we pray for church effectiveness, these are the stories we need to hear more often. As that effectiveness continues, we'll hear more like this young man's response..."that was the best service I've been a part of in a long time." Now, I have no idea how long "a long time" has been, but God certainly used this opportunity to make an impact, and I hope you will agree with me in prayer, it will be positive and long-lasting for eternity. And may there be many more moments for many more "1's" such as was this case, just a few hours ago.

-PNC

For the few moments I had to myself earlier this evening, I thought about the previous post on support systems, in light of praying for missionaries.

I know there are tons of prayer support and that's great. There's financial support and that's certainly needed. There's preparation as they enter the field and resources as they continue the good work of advancing the Gospel, and those are required.

But what a sacrifice!! The family they leave behind. The friends. The daily contact with people who speak their primary language. The safety and comforts of home. Resources and supplies just minutes from where you live.

Missions is a calling. It's a step of faith, on par with Peter stepping out of the boat. Yet, the reward that awaits in heaven...only bits of it are seen on earth. Just enough to stay encouraged to keep up the good work.

Pray for missionaries and their families, that they will be strengthened and encouraged to continue to the work God has called them to. Pray for an increase in support, whether through prayer, finances, resources or people. Pray for a multiplication effect of their efforts. Pray that they will not be discouraged, and that their moments of frustration, worry and questioning will be few and short-lived. Pray the Holy Spirit to remind them...they are valuable, they are appreciated, they are needed and they will be rewarded by God for their faithfulness to His plan for their lives; for having set theirs aside for the gains of eternity.

-PNC

Last night, during our Wednesday Night Prayer service our church prayed for the Koch family , and the community of Glad Tidings Assembly, (see 6/10/15 prayer post), and I reflected and prayed for the support system that exists in the body of Christ.

In particular, I thought of the pastors, deacons, administrators and staff, who help the church move forward, daily, acting on the vision of their Senior Pastor.

So, as you pray today, for deacons, admins and staff of churches around the globe, keep in mind, the community in Pennsylvania. Pastor Koch was incredibly involved in that region in other areas of influence and leadership beyond the 4 walls of Glad Tidings church. I'm sure an incredible system of people will indeed, "step up their game" during this difficult and challenging time, but I also considered how many churches may not have such a great system(s) in place, should tragedy ever strike elsewhere.

Pray the miraculous in the situations such as the Koch family, that congregations go through together. Pray for strength, for those who step in and step up to make sure church operations and services continue w/o interruption. And most importantly, pray for an increase during that time...that God would provide; resources, finances, growth in numbers and depth of maturity. As we prayed tonight, may this time (and others like it) be a time for churches to be an increased light to their community.

May they truly witness, blessings from ashes.

-PNC

Wednesdays we focus on praying for Youth & Children's Pastors, for those coming behind us are facing a world, many of us, thought we would never be dealing with.

It's even more difficult when your world changes in the blink of an eye, and you find yourself dealing with issues you never imagined would happen, let alone, happen like this and/or this quickly.

That said, we interrupt today's prayer focus to share with you the need of a church in Pennsylvania. The Senior Pastor of Glad Tidings Church was involved in a motorcycle accident while he was riding with his wife, this past Sunday night. Pastor Bryan Koch has had his leg amputated. Abdominal surgery was scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, which went well. Another surgery is scheduled for Friday, 6/12, regarding his right hip

Sadly, his wife, Lynn did not survive the accident. The church's website has requested prayer for Pastor Bryan's recovery as well handling this news, as he become more aware of his situation and the loss of his wife.

Specifically pray for the following:

• For peace and comfort for the family as they deal with the loss of Pastor Lynn
• For Pastor Bryan: Healing of any internal injuries and that there would be no infection whatsoever
• That the church will pull together in trusting God during this time of great loss and need
• Please pray for the medical team treating Bryan and managing his care. Pray for guidance and wisdom as they make decisions moving forward.

Please, cover this church family and the Koch family in your prayers, not just for today, but as the Holy Spirit brings them to your remembrance. May the miraculous be done in this life-changing ordeal, for His glory and His Honor.

You can follow their updates @ www.gtaog.org

-PNC

We always talk about goal-setting and task-completion. Risk versus Reward. To do list and how quickly it becomes a done list. (seemingly NEVER)

Decision makers want to know your work was effective. "Bean counters" want to know your work was efficient.

Both qualities are essential to church functionality and longevity.

A congregation growing in maturity in their relationship with God and each other will spur them on to think and act with eternity in mind and how they can be effective. The longevity of such growth will prompt greater insight and discernment in how they can increase that effectiveness through being and/or becoming more efficient.

Pray that the work done through out the week will lead to eternal accomplishments. Pray that Sunday services will see an increase, not only in attendance but also in the depth of spiritual maturity. Pray for healing and the miraculous to be done in peoples lives, in all realms of situations. Prayer for divine words, relevant to their place in life, where those who hear would respond and understand, "Wow...I needed that."

Pray that Sunday is a day of fruit abundance and not of decline. These are days we need to be beacons of light, not flickering glimpses.

-PNC

Christ' return has been talked about with imminent terms since He told His disciples He was going to prepare a place for us!


Yet, this week, like so many prior, is replete with news items that are beyond common sense, beyond good for the body, mind, and soul; heartbreaking, mentally-confusing, belief-challenging and making life feel like a religious & political game of "hot potato".

Non-Christians telling Christians they don't behave as such and Christians being called everything under the sun for simply stating an opinion, let alone calling it a "closely-held belief".

Society seems bent on having nothing to do with the church, yet society clamors for a solution. So, a return to God and a repentant heart is either too simple to work or too hard to accept. And yet, a return to Christ is simple and easy. It just goes against too many social and political agendas for people to come to terms with it all.

So we need to pray for congregations and communities alike. Pray that Christians would focus more on their personal relationship with Christ, that as we become more like Him, may the change in us cause the world to notice Him more than what we have to say and waiting for something in our lives to be contradictory in their eyes. Pray for our communities...there is an interest in spiritual matters, but bad life situations, bad life experiences, and bad interactions with previous Christians and/or churches has caused them to look everywhere but to God. Pray that there would be a shift in the hearts and lives of Western culture...the mission fields around the world are experiencing the gospel in incredible ways and outside of what we consider the "four walls" of our church buildings. Pray for a softening of hearts and an understanding of minds, to the point that we move past political and social agendas and realize...religion is not the solution, but a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ

-PNC

One of the sweetest couples you could ever meet, are a part of out church...and in fact, are missionaries to Africa.  They have been stateside for the past year, maybe closer to two, until a month ago this past Tuesday, when the wife succumbed to Glory, after a long battle with MS.

My heart goes out to her husband, and the three boys, the oldest who serves in the US Armed Forces, the middle is about to enlist, if he hasn't already, and the youngest, still in middle school.

The husband spoke at our men's ministry meeting this past Monday and among his remarks on missions and the situation in Africa, was the sentiment "I can't wait to go back".

I've tried to imagine my life without my wife. You think you might be okay, but it's one of those things, you'll never know unless or when it happens. My heart goes out to my friend...and his wife, the dearest and one of the most beautiful souls to grace this fallen world.

Among my friends' remarks during that meeting, were the opportunities he passed up during Africa because of his wife's condition. I shared moments later, a thought I had weeks prior, that her passing would allow a release and an empowerment for him to accomplish for the kingdom what the disease had challenged. It's just one of those things...when it's that kind of a situation, a whole list of things get shuffled, wait-listed or unattended altogether. The downside of not being in two places at once; which simply emphasizes the point, that, wherever you are; be all there.

Pray for missionaries around the globe. The challenges are great and complex and any health issues, let alone, something like MS...I can't imagine the frustrating and mental and emotional taxing that must take, while trying to accomplish eternal tasks. Pray for strength and wisdom. Energy and discernment. Pray for renewed vision and sense of purpose, especially for this friend; focused and ready, yet still recognizing his life is forever changed by the loss of his wife and the mother of his sons. Pray for encouragement and provision, and for my friend and many like him, healing for mind, soul and spirit as he grieves...but not as those without hope. Pray his hope is restored, to overflowing, that he might give to those on the mission field.

Can you believe it's June???

And in a few weeks, Pastors will begin wondering what happened to those who normally fill the pews and chairs that face him each week!

It's vacation time...which is exciting for most, but for the church whose position can already feel somewhat shaky, whether for financial reasons or volunteers or whatever, experiencing a drop in numbers during the summer months always feels a little dicey. This can even be the case for churches who run pretty strong attendance numbers on Sunday mornings.....larger congregations means on any given Sunday, a larger number of families could potentially leave a bigger gap in the sanctuary!

Pray on this 1st of June, that Senior & Lead Pastors will be encouraged, that their best summer is ahead of them. Pray that summer programs such as Vacation Bible School sessions will be a great success for kids and new families to hear the Gospel and discover a great community of believers in their area. Pray that as Pastors hopefully get a chance to "get-away" with their own families, that there will be a time of refreshing and renewal, of strengthening and quickening, a fresh Word for the next "season" that their church may be facing in the coming days, weeks and months. And pray that God provides financial blessing. Families and business alike, hate seeing a drop in revenue and income, but for churches who depend on financial resources to accomplish an eternal purpose, it's incredibly discouraging, especially when it translates into shortened or cut programs and ministries....maybe even services. 

I've stopped by a couple of churches, ready for a good service, only to find out they weren't having that one particular day or evening.  Kind of a bummer for a Christian...perhaps even more-so for someone truly in need something from the body of Christ.

I was reading Hosea, this morning, in fact ended up reading all of it, except for the first few chapters. However, 4:7 struck me, in talking about increased sin of the priests and how the exchanged glory for disgrace. The Message puts interesting perspective on this passage.

You, priest, are the one in the dock. You stumble around in broad daylight, And then the prophets take over and stumble all night. Your mother is as bad as you. My people are ruined because they don’t know what’s right or true.

Because you’ve turned your back on knowledge, I’ve turned my back on you priests. Because you refuse to recognize the revelation of God, I’m no longer recognizing your children. The more priests, the more sin. They traded in their glory for shame.

Wow. As I reflected on this, I thought about how modern day church leaders have compromised and changed their point of view on social and cultural issues that we face today. Failing and worse, "refusing" to recognize the revelation of God. Turning their backs on knowledge. Meanwhile, society, communities and church leaders alike wonder why churches and congregations are falling apart and falling away.

Ruined... because they don't know what is right or true.

And this is certainly the case in modern-day America.

Pray for churches and church leaders alike; that there would a return to the revelation of God. Pray for repentance, and a second exchange, shame and disgrace, for the glory of God. Pray for a return to what is right and true and implementing those principles in our daily lives. Pray that stumbling blocks would be made apparent so that they may be avoided and fail in their purpose.

Lord, forgive us and restore us, both your people and leaders that you have set in place.

In keeping with the daily insight post, on Barna Groups' research on prodigal kids, I'm suggesting today's prayer topic for today and through the weekend be focus on the children and families of pastors.

Pray that pastors, first and foremost, would find the necessary balance between church leadership and family leadership. I would surmise that it would be difficult to have a healthy church while managing an unhealthy home. I could be wrong, but from the other perspective, I've thought...if I am this frustrated over something re: my wife or kids, how in the world could I handle the challenges that come with ministry (pastoral or otherwise)?

Pray that children would come to know and understand and have their own relationship with Christ, unhindered by the circumstances and conversations within the church that might otherwise cause disinterest in God

Pray for the health of the marriage, that once again, if your biggest supporter is outside the home, then what could be missing that spouses are not on the same page.

Pray that the words spoken into the lives of pastors kids, whether by those inside the church or outside the church, would be of encourage and uplifting. It is a difficult, yet honorable work that carries both an eternal reward and eternal consequence. Like most anything else in life, a proper perspective can not be maintained, if a proper perspective is not first developed. 


Be careful what and who influences and directs your attitude and your perspective, lest many be left wondering what has happened with you...much like we look at those who are considered prodigals. Pray for their return for the glory of God.

It's hard to be effective in almost any arena, if you are not feeling up to the task, physically. If it's true for anyone on their way to work or playing with kids, attending an event or enjoying a birthday party, then it certainly must be true for those in ministry.

Pray that pastors and leaders would be strengthened in their physical body.

Pray that sickness would not come against them and hinder the good work God has called them to.

Pray for energy, motivation and creativity to come forth as they work towards being in the best of healthy and physically fit for the glory of God and the advancement of the Kingdom.

I've often wondered, especially when watching law-enforcement shows, how kids get into trouble with the law. It seems strange. That kind of influence in the home and the child still moves in the "wrong direction".

Similarly with Preacher's kids. To know God. To know the ways of God. *which are two totally different concepts.

It's not that we don't want our kids to not return to Christ. It's that the homes of our Pastors should be such that they don't move away from God in the first place.

Pray for the families of those whose children are struggling or have walked away from God.

Pray protection for children of all ages, that they would see and understand genuine faith in God and a consistency in the ministry of their parents.

Pray, that no matter what profession they may pursue, that there would be a passion for the things of God and that if a child does follow in the footsteps of the parents into ministry, that it would be God's calling and not pressure of any kind to be as Mom & Dad were.

When the prodigal comes home, it's incredible. When the prodigal never leaves in the first place, it's success.

It's amazing how we pray and believe for miracles and then, part way through the process we forget to check and see how we are actually doing.  I took a few moments to do this earlier tonight regarding a matter and could not believe my eyes.

Wow...God was making it come together, day by day, little by little. Now the miraculous still needs to happen; still believing, still standing, still pressing on in faith. But there is clearly a solid base being established in which God is working and building, upon which, when it all adds up will stand as in incredible testament and testimony to His faithfulness, goodness, provision and healing.

Keep the faith. Keep your eyes on Him who rewards those who diligently...consistently, faithfully seek His face. Whatever the need is, occasionally check the progress being made. If you are surprised and amazed, then strength and faith has been increased to the next level...one in which you are closer to God and what He desires to accomplish in your life.

On this note...pray that pastors would be encouraged for that which weighs on their hearts and minds.

Pray they would be challenged to take a few moments and look at the pieces of the puzzle that God has already begun to move around the board and orchestrate in putting certain elements together

Pray for a strengthening and quickening that they would press on and move forward; unhindered by discouragement.

Pray that their vision and focus would continue to remain on God and the work prepared in advance for them; and less on what is working against them.

God is Creator. There is no single "great" work or piece and He's done. Constantly creating; each miracle, is, in its' own right and on its' own merit is Gods' Best One Ever. For His glory. For our amazement.