November-December 2011 Prayer Prompter

Weeks 1 and 2: Let’s pray for Ohio Conference (OC):

1) Ministry Development Team (MDT) will meet Wed., Dec.14.

Pray for the eight volunteers on the MDT. Herman Myers as faith focus leader-volunteer asks: “Pray that we may be Spirit-led and faithful to our Lord, and that God’s word is in all our planning and ministry.”

Let’s pray for Vikki Pruitte-Sorrells, worship focus leader, and David Tijerina, witness focus leader.

2) Sherah-Leigh Gerber, Coordinator of Volunteers asks that we pray:

For the ministry staff of OC as they prepare to lead the pastor-elder retreat in February 2012.

For the Ohio Youth Event, planned for summer 2012 at Bluffton University. Pray for those presenting and for those youth who will attend.

3) Pastor-Spouse Retreat, Nov. 11-13, 2011, Mohican State Park, Loudonville

May this be a time of inspiration, relaxation, and renewal for our servant-leaders.

4) Young Adult Resource Team, Tamara Gill, point person, and Scott Coulter, team member request:

Pray for Spirit-led relationship-building across generational and other differences within the Mennonite Church.

Pray as we plan for Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) as we coordinate service projects and additional seminars for non-delegates during the business sessions, and a game night. Pray as we coordinate a Young Adult Retreat at Camp Luz in April 2012. We are an energetic and enthusiastic team. May we be good listeners to each other, with all generations in order to discern the crucial next steps for young adult ministry in OC.

5) Cluster Meetings to be held in various locations throughout our conference in November.

May there be a sense of working together in faithfulness so that our faith communities are places of healing and hope.

Weeks 3 and 4: Pray for Mennonite Mission Network (MMN) of MC USA:

“Like the mission workers from Argentina, we must learn to sit in circles with people from other cultures [persons who may even live close by], listening for the Spirit of God in our midst.” By Ervin Stutzman, executive director of MC USA in Beyond Ourselves, October 2011, p. 15. Pray that we will be still in order to hear God who dwells among us.

Many congregations designate a Sunday in November as Mission Sunday. Pray that we as pray-ers and persons in our pews may hear the call to share the Good News at home, in the market place and around the world.

Continue to pray for people open to a long-term call to serve in Mongolia.

Let’s pray for Dean Heisey, MMN Church Relations representative in his Ohio visits: Nov. 3 with the Northwest Ohio Partners in Mission Group as they discuss and imagine sending and supporting their members in long-term, cross-cultural mission; for safe travels and meaningful contacts in OC churches Nov. 6-9.

Pray for these persons from MMN who will be ministering in our OC congregations in November, observing Mission Sunday: Nov. 13 — Paula Killough at Orrville Mennonite, Nov. 13 — Sandy Miller at West Clinton Mennonite, Nov. 20 — Keith and Gretchen Kingsley at Central Mennonite, and Nov. 20 — Peter Graber at Lima Mennonite.

Weeks 5 and 6: Pray for Ohio Conference Chaplains and Ministries among us:

1) Kent Morgan, County Adult Detention Facilities, Painesville

2) Jacqui Rozier, Hospice of the Western Reserve, Cleveland

I am returning to pulpit ministry this month, in the church of my youth. I am preaching on Oct. 30, Nov. 8, and Dec. 11 at Morning Star Baptist Church, Cleveland. The prayers of my Mennonite sisters and brothers will bless my heart and warm my soul. Any willing hearts looking to integrate our morning worship would be super welcome. Thanks so much!

3) Vickie Yoder, Doctors’ West Hospital, Columbus

4) Brazo en Brazo, Hispanic ministry, Paul and Ann Conrad, New Carlisle

Providing needed transportation is like giving “a cup of water in the name of Christ.” We need people to help to respond to these kinds of needs. Pray for persons who would be volunteers.

5) Open Arms, Hispanic ministry, Raúl and Vanita Tadeo and Haroldo and Esmirna Nunes, Kidron

Pray that in this holiday season more people will allow Jesus to come into their heart. Pray for our donors to help us in the 2012 budget, giving us the opportunity to teach the Good News to our Hispanic brothers and sisters.

6) The East Ohio Church Plant Resource Team, Jason and Heather Rissler, church planters in Strasburg and Chet Miller-Eshleman pastor of LifeBridge Community, Dover (see story on page 8 of Ohio Mennonite Evangel, Sept/Oct 2011)

Pray as the resource team seeks God’s guidance to initiate church planting in other locales in eastern Ohio.

Pray for workers to come and to serve in Hispanic ministry in Dover.

Jason and Heather and their three little boys, Evan, Derek and Brennan, ask that we pray:

For God’s favor to rest on our family as we meet community leaders, pastors, business leaders and neighbors in Strasburg.

For Heather as she leads the moms’ group on Tuesday mornings.

For the Life Group meeting on Thursday evenings and development of a “core group.”

7) Dave Eshleman, resource person for church renewal and revitalization for OC congregations

Several congregations are studying Dave Eshleman’s book, Now Go Forward: Reaching Out to Grow Your Congregation. Pray for Dave as he begins coaching congregations in our conference.

Weeks 7 and 8: Pray for these six Ohio Conference Congregations:

1) Hillside Chapel, Jackson, Robert Farrer, Congregational Chair

We have been without a pastor for seven years. Pray for wisdom in our search. We believe it is about to bear fruit. Meanwhile, pray for our Leadership Team. — Jim Mullett

2) Huber Mennonite, New Carlisle, Bill Sutton, Contact Elder

3) Inlet Mennonite, Wauseon, Pastor Rick (Cindy) Jones

Please pray for our church family to be a light and witness to those within our ministry reach. Remember in prayer those we have made contact with who are not connected to a church family and who may be suffering from hopelessness, hardship and loss.

4) Jubilee Mennonite, Bellefontaine, Pastor Tony (Ronda) Doehrmann

5) Kalida Family Outreach Center, Pastor James (Dawn) Swihart

6) Kidron Mennonite, Pastors Lydell (Rebeca) Steiner and Thomas Dunn

We are thanking the Lord for 75 years of faithfulness. Pray for the Lord’s continued guidance as we seek to be faithful in loving and welcoming the lost. Pray for Carl and Mary Wiebe as they begin pastoring at Kidron in January 2012.

Compiled by Mattie Marie Mast, mmmast@zoominternet.net

Prayer Prompter can be found on the Ohio Conference website: www.ohiomennoniteconference.org.

Go to “Resource Teams” and select “Prayer Ministry.”

September-October 2011 Prayer Prompter

Weeks 1 and 2: Pray for Ohio Conference Chaplains and Ministries among us:

1) Charles Gautsche, Fairlawn Retirement Center, Archbold

One can never feel confident of being able to offer adequate help for the variety of needs our residents have. Some of the most difficult are depression caused by complex personal or family situations. Pray for wisdom, compassion and spiritual insight to encourage folks and provide counsel for such situations.

2) Robert Halfhill, Majora Lane and Holmes County Home, Millersburg

3) John Miller, Walnut Hills Retirement Community, Walnut Creek

4) Brazo en Brazo, Hispanic ministry: Paul and Ann Conrad, New Carlisle

Victor demonstrated progress in his rehabilitation serving five years of a 10-year sentence. Present at the court hearing was Avyce White, a grandmother unrelated to Victor, who visited him in the hospital while he recovered from serious injuries from the accident that was fatal to three passengers. The support Avyce gave through the years led to her opening her home to Victor. Praise God for this testimony of redeeming love.

5) Open Arms, Hispanic ministry, Raúl and Vanita Tadeo and Haroldo and Esmirna Nunes, Kidron

A request from Mike Mast member of Open Arms: Pray for the Intercultural Fiesta on Sept. 11 when Haroldo Nunes will be ordained for ministry. Pray for warm cultural interaction and Haroldo and Esmirna in their ministry with Open Arms and Salem Mennonite Church.

6) The East Ohio Church Plant Team, Jason and Heather Rissler, church planters

Pray for God’s favor to rest on our family as we meet community leaders, pastors, business leaders and neighbors in Strasburg, for God’s leading in the development of a “core group” in the church plant, for open doors and divine contacts to be made with those who are seeking Jesus and a church family, and for the Bible study that we plan to start in our home this fall.

7) Ohio Mennonite Women (OMW) Retreat, Sept. 16-18, Camp Luz, Jean Emery, President

OMW would like prayer for a smooth transition as new board members replace off-going members, for a relaxing, spiritual and humorous Women's Retreat and for speaker Jep Hostetler. Also, that hearts and minds are open throughout our Conference to support the OMW project, Pilgrim's Hostel and Wall of Comfort, on which we are moving ahead at Camp Luz. Prayer is indeed important.

Weeks 3 and 4: Let’s pray for Ohio Conference (OC):

1) Ministry Development Team (MDT) will meet Wed. Oct. 5.

Pray that the time together will be worshipful work.

2) Norma Duerksen, Chair of MDT and Sherah-Leigh Gerber, Coordinator of Volunteers ask that we pray:

• For the MDT as they pursue the planning of pastor-elder retreats.
• For retired and transitioning pastors who want to remain meaningfully involved but find themselves a bit "out of the loop" they once were so intimately involved in. May they find new meaning in their lives beyond their call.
• For Annual Conference Assembly planning. For First Mennonite, Berne, as they prepare to host us and for those who will accept responsibilities leading our time together.
• For the Ohio youth event, planned for summer 2012 and for those youth who will attend.

3) Pray for the Family Systems Event, to be held Oct. 3 at Maple Grove Mennonite, Hartville

4) Pray for the Stewardship Workshop, to be held Oct. 22 at Central Christian School, Kidron

Weeks 5 and 6: Pray for these six Ohio Conference Congregations:

1) First Mennonite, Canton, Pastor Dan (Julia) Hooley

2) Friendship Mennonite, Bedford Heights, Pastors Kevin and Nan Kanagy

3) Gilead Mennonite, Chesterville, Pastor Sean (Jackie) Evans

Please pray for unity. For church growth, spiritually and numerically. For relational healing too. Thank you for your prayers!

4) Good Shepherd Mennonite/Iglesia Menonita del Buen Pastor, Archbold, Pastor Israel (Eloisa) Aguilar

5) Grace Community, Bryan, Pastor Mike (Donna) Kelly

6) Hartville Mennonite, Hartville, Pastor Ross (Judith) Miller

• Pray for hurting and broken individuals and relationships in our midst.
• Pray for Harold Mansfield as he starts as our new youth pastor and Dave Windham as he starts in January as our new associate pastor.
• Pray for guidance from God as we start another church year.

Weeks 7 and 8: Pray for our links with Mennonite Church USA (MC USA):

1) Ervin Stutzman, executive director of MC USA in the September 2011 issue of The Mennonite, pray through the following as shared in his writing:

…we face deep differences in the church…in our congregations, area conferences, denomination or with neighboring Christians in other church communions. If we focus primarily on our differences, we may lose hope…. With the spirit of Jesus in our midst, and the example of the churches who have gone before us, I find hope for our day. I will invest in that hope by doing all I can to love Jesus, love my brothers and sisters and study the Scriptures in company with others. In these we can all find hope.

2) Mennonite Mission Network (MMN), MC USA

• Marc Hochstetler, pastor at Moorhead, is assuming leadership for the Mongolia Mission Partnership involving six area congregations (Moorhead, Martins Creek, Smithville, Longenecker, Berlin and Walnut Creek) in ongoing work with MMN and Joint Christian Services. Please pray for Marc in his local leadership role, and pray for people who might accept a call to serve in Mongolia. See the “Opportunities” page at www.jcsintl.org for information.
• Dean Heisey, MMN Church Relations representative for Ohio, visited Ohio congregations and leaders Sept. 13-16. Please pray for deepening mission engagement and clear articulation of congregational mission aspirations to grow from these contacts.

vvvvv

By uttering one simple prayer,

we are instantly united with our brothers and sisters around the world

who are lifting their joys and concerns to God in the name of Jesus.

vvvvv

Compiled by Mattie Marie Mast, mmmast@zoominternet.net

Prayer Prompter can be found on the Ohio Conference website: www.ohiomennoniteconference.org. Go to “Resource Teams” and select “Prayer Ministry.”