January-February 2011 Prayer Prompter

Weeks 1 and 2...Let’s pray for Ohio Conference:

1) Ministry Development Team (MDT) will meet Saturday, Jan. 22.

• Pray for openness to God’s Spirit to new dreams and risk in building God’s Kingdom.

2) Sherah-Leigh Gerber, Resource Team Coordinator, shares these prayer requests:

• Pray for the planning of two one-day worship seminars in May and June led by Mike Zehr.

• Pray for the ongoing Listening Project where staff and members of MDT of Conference sit with congregational leaders to hear concerns and activities and explore ways Conference might help meet needs. The goal for Conference is to visit every congregation by June 2012.

• Pray for the newly forming theological resource team.

3) Annual Conference Assembly, March 11-12 at Central Christian School, Kidron

• Pray for Conference Minister Tom Kauffman and our regional pastors, Andy Stoner and Matt Hamsher, as they bring the messages on the theme, “Abide, Love, Grow,” based on John 15.

4) Young Adult Meetings, to be held in January and February at North Clinton, Bethel (West Liberty) and Kidron Mennonite churches

• Pray for these important meetings as participants will share about the vision, roles and responsibilities of Ohio Conference for area churches and the denomination. Pray for Tamara Gill as she organizes these meetings.

5) The Ohio Evangel will be changing after the beginning of 2011 from 10 issues to six issues per year with bulletin inserts on the alternate months.

• Pray that this change will allow more persons in the pew to access the important news of Conference.

Weeks 3 and 4: Pray for Ohio Conference Chaplains and Ministries among us:

1) Gail Blum, Hospice of Lenawee, Hillsdale, Mich.

2) Keith Matthews, Dorothy Love Retirement Community, Sidney, Bellefontaine

3) Enid Schloneger, Hospice Chaplain, Smithville

4) Hector Velez, Disciples of Jesus Motorcycle Club, Archbold

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

• Marti Meza is now employed by Brazo en Brazo. Pray for Marti as she gives support with Hispanic families and individuals through friendship evangelism and social networking. Pray for Marti and her husband Manuel as they give significant leadership to Sunday afternoon worship services and Spanish literacy classes.

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

• Pray for Open Arms as they put the final touches on funding for their newly approved budget which will include full-time support for Haroldo. Pray for non- Hispanics to become more aware of their Hispanic brothers and sisters living in their communities. May they reach out and be a friend.

Weeks 5 and 6: Pray for these five Ohio Conference congregations:

1) Walnut Creek Mennonite, Walnut Creek, Pastor Don (Brenda) Hamsher

• Pray for our church as we focus on congregational care.
• Pray for Pastor Don as he spends time in getting acquainted with the congregation.
• Pray for the upcoming “Marriage for Life” seminar.

2) Wayside Chapel, Pedro, Pastor John (Shanna) Kelly

3) West Clinton Mennonite, Wauseon, Pastors Jess and Naomi Engle

• Pray for growth in freedom and joy in our worship and service.
• Pray for continued openness to Holy Spirit leading — especially with having creative outreach ideas.
• Pray for guidance and unity as we restructure.
• Pray for deepening of relationships with God, each other, community, and world.

4) Wooster Mennonite, Wooster, Interim Pastor Jacob (Katie) Dodson

• Please pray for our congregation as we journey with God through a time of transition. Our former pastor of 14 years finished his tenure in September. We need prayer for wisdom and discernment for our search committee, guidance and help for our interim pastor, and insight and vision for the entire congregation as we uncover anew our calling as part of the larger body of Christ. We are grateful for you and for your prayers.

5) Zion Mennonite, Archbold, Pastor Jeff (Jan) Kauffman (beginning in January)

Prayer requests by Associate Pastor Mona Sauder

• Pray for Zion as we receive our new pastor, Jeff Kauffman, that we will support him and continue to work together as we have in the interim. Pray that together we will reach out in our community and that young families will feel welcome among us.

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

1) Ervin Stutzman, executive director of Mennonite Church USA

• Let’s continue to hold Ervin in prayer as a servant leader of our denomination. Recently he had this to say about prayer in the Nov. 2010 issue of Beyond Ourselves. Let it inspire each of us to prayer: “I have come to enjoy daily morning walks in a wooded park… I commune with God as I stroll…listening to what God has to say and sharing the things that are on my heart, including the needs of others. As I leave the park each day, I usually feel restored, guided and sent. I’m ready, most days, to start my work with a sense that I am embarking on God’s mission in God’s way.”

2) Mennonite Church USA Convention, Pittsburgh, July 4-9

• As the convention registration begins Jan. 25, pray that our church-wide gathering will be a time of celebration and relationship. That through this gathering we will become more connected to one another and strengthened in our Christian walk together.

3) Mennonite Mission Network (MMN), Eastern Mennonite Mission (EMM) and Ministry Support Teams (MST) and/or Mission Partnerships:

• From Matt Flinner, Martins Creek Mennonite, Millersburg, Chair of the Mongolia Mission Partnership:
• Pray for missionaries Petrus and Yuliana Handoyos. Their 2-year-old son, Yonas, is experiencing seizures. They will be traveling to Singapore to see an epilepsy specialist.
• Pray for Drew and Mary Ellen Robinson (and their children) as well as the Handoyos who will be ending their time in Mongolia this summer. Pray that God will continue to lead them into this new stage of life and that God will call new people into mission work in Mongolia.

• Pray for the MST from Martins Mennonite, Orrville, which is giving support to Joe and Jen Horst, serving in Bulgaria through Eastern Mennonite Missions. Craig and Jenny Strasbaugh are co-chairs of this MST.
• Pray for Sonnenberg Mennonite (Kidron), Kidron and Pike Mennonite (Elida), who are giving support to the Argentine Mennonite family José and Alfonsina Oyanguren, Felipe, Emilia and Juancito, serving in Northern Argentina among the First Nations.

4) Ohio Mennonite Women (OMW), Jean Emery, president

• Pray for the Lord to open the hearts of people to be willing to take a position on the OMW Executive Board and help with the great events that we have each year.

Compiled by Mattie Marie Mast, mmmast@zoominternet.net

Prayer Prompter also can be found on the Ohio Conference Web site: www.ohiomennoniteconference.org. Go to “Resource Teams” and select “Prayer Ministry” to download a printed copy.