Weeks 1 and 2...Let’s pray for Ohio Conference:
1) Ministry Development Team (MDT) will meet Saturday, April 2
- Thank God for MDT’s chair Ginny Cress and her excellent servant leadership during the past two years.
- Pray for Norma Duerksen as she assumes the chair of MDT, pending the approval of delegates at Annual Conference Assembly.
- Pray for the new MDT members. They will be featured in the next issue of Ohio Mennonite Evangel.
2) Sherah-Leigh Gerber, Coordinator of Volunteers, shares these prayer requests:
- Pray for the ongoing Listening Project in which 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 a variety of resourcing events coming up this spring and summer.
3) Annual Conference Assembly, March 11-12 at Central Christian School, Kidron
- Pray for our Conference Minister Tom Kauffman and Regional Pastors Andy Stoner and Matt Hamsher as they bring the messages on the theme, “Abide, Love, Grow,” based on John 15.
- Participate in praying while at ACA. Post your praises, confessions, and or requests on the Prayer Wall.
1) Kent Morgan, County Adult Detention Facilities, Painesville
2) Jacqui Rozier, Hospice of the Western Reserve, Cleveland
3) Vickie Yoder, Doctors’ West Hospital, Columbus
4) Brazo en Brazo, Hispanic ministry: Paul and Ann Conrad, New Carlisle
- After being part of the Bible study, Marcos said, “I wish I could tell my father in Mexico the things I am learning here.” Since September when they first visited Brazo en Brazo, Marcos and his three young sons have been regular participants at both Bible class and worship. Thank God for how God’s Word takes root in the lives of immigrant students and their passion to share it with others!
5) Open Arms, Hispanic ministry: Raúl and Vanita Tadeo and Haroldo and Esmirna Nunes, Kidron
- Our Hispanic brothers and sisters are still not treated fairly in some work places and communities. Pray for them and for Raúl and Haroldo (now full time), who are Christian advocates for them through the ministry of Open Arms.
6) Shalom Ministries, Allen Rutter, Executive Director, Stryker
- Pray for families dealing with suicide and sexual and physical abuse issues. Also pray for Shalom’s funding issues related to helping the huge increase in the number of clients who have no health insurance and are experiencing extremely difficult financial problems and mental health issues.
7) Project Hope, Hispanic ministry, Zion Mennonite, Archbold with Sister Ellen Lamberjack
- Pray for a South American family that the mother will be able to become a legal permanent resident soon and be allowed to remain in the United States with her husband and one-year old daughter who are U.S. citizens.
8) Worship Conference, with Michael Zehr at Central Mennonite, Archbold, March 26 and at Walnut Creek Mennonite, May 7
- Pray that congregational leaders may focus on worship as God-centered activity.
- Pray that skills among congregational leaders for worship planning and leading are promoted.
- Pray that through this time together relationship building would take place as local persons who give leadership to worship become better acquainted.
Weeks 5 and 6: Pray for these five Ohio Conference Congregations:
1) Agora Christian Fellowship, Columbus, Pastor Richard (Rebecca) Bartholomew
2) Aurora Mennonite, Aurora, Pastor Tim Schultz
3) Beaverdam Mennonite, Corry, Pa., Pastor Jay (Vicki) Conn
- Pray that we can continue to be a beacon of hope for our community as it continues to struggle spiritually and economically.
- Pray for discernment as we partner with other churches to start a homeless shelter and various other ministries to help provide spiritual wholeness and relieve the financial brokenness of our community.
4) Beech Mennonite, Louisville, Pastor Dan (Jeanette) King
- Pray that Beech would be open to new ways the Holy Spirit wants to move among them: in healing relationships, bringing unity, and empowering them for witness to the unchurched with the "Come and See" theme for 2011.
5) Berean Fellowship, Youngstown, Pastor Sam (Funmi) Olarewaju
- We started the year with a new leadership team that needs prayer for wisdom, discernment, unflinching commitment and cooperation as we work with God to impact our community for His glory. The enthusiasm so far this year has been low in our small congregation, sometimes affecting Sunday morning attendance. Pray that the Lord will strengthen our hearts with the joy of His salvation regardless of the problems we may be going through collectively or individually.
6) Berlin Mennonite, Berlin, Pastor Ernest (Janice) Hershberger
Weeks 7 and 8: Pray for our links with Mennonite Church USA (MC USA):1) Stanley W. Green, Executive Director of Mennonite Mission Network, MC USA
“The true advance of the gospel is to be found in the stories of ordinary women and men seeking to bear faithful and creative witness through incarnating the good news of Jesus in word and deed.” (Feb. 2011, Beyond Ourselves) Pray that we may all have boldness to tell our stories of how Jesus makes a difference in our every day lives.
2) Mennonite Church USA Convention, Pittsburgh, July 4-9
- Let’s continue to pray for this upcoming convention. Pray for congregations as they choose delegates and do fundraisers so that each person who desires to attend would be able to attend this celebration of who we are as MC USA.
3) Norma Duerksen, Resource Advocate for MC USA to Ohio Conference
- Thank God for creative, thoughtful authors that write important books for our spiritual growth.
- Thank God for Mennonite Publishing Network who publishes books and curriculum for our churches.
- Pray that I will have the time and know-how to spread the word about resources available to us from all the Mennonite agencies so that needs of our churches can be met.
4) Susan Mark Landis, Denominational Minister for Peace and Justice, MC USA
- Pray for people who speak truth about God’s justice, that God gives them strength to be loving and prophetic.
- Pray for people who hunger for justice in their lives.
- Pray for peace workers who miss their families and friends, who are learning new languages and cultures, who live in close quarters.
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Compiled by Mattie Marie Mast, mmmast@zoominternet.net
Prayer Prompter can be found on the Ohio Conference Web site: www.ohiomennoniteconference.org.
Go to “Resource Teams” and select “Prayer Ministry.”
