5 Minutes to Save a Life
I sent this out as an email to the UPC family. In case some missed it, I am posting it here:
Dear UPC Family,
Would you spend 5 minutes a day everyday between now and Sunday praying for our Easter Service? As you know, on Easter Sunday, we have the opportunity to share the love of Christ with many people who do not regularly attend church. This experience for them can either be a nice religous/cultural outing or it can be radically life changing. For it to be radically life changing, the Holy Spirit must move in their hearts. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit moves when God's people pray. Our usual expectation is that we have a good crowd for Easter and things go back to normal the next day. Let's ask God to do more than that at UPC this Sunday. Here is what you can do:
1. Find a time each day for the next few days when you can pray. You can do this as a family (in fact, that might be best when you can).
2. Pray for me, that God would give me the right words to say. I will be giving a message of hope. Our prayer is that they leave with the hope of the gopsel ringing in their hearts.
3. Pray for the Worship Team as they lead us. May we truly worship the risen Christ. As unbelievers gather with us, may they be drawn to worship Him, too.
4. Pray for our greeters, hosts, and ushers. May our members and guest both see the love of Christ displayed in these servants of the Lord.
5. Pray for the Sunday School teachers, Children's Church teachers, and nursery workers. Pray that God would use them to capture the hearts of children. We know from experience if the kids have a positive experience, we have a great chance of connecting with the parents.
6. Pray for our Easter ad in the East Orange Sun. Pray that people who do not attend church will see it and God would move their hearts to come.
7. Pray for the Easter cards that you recieved in the bulletin on Sunday and that people will be handing out. Pray that God would use that to bring people out.
8. Pray for the people who will be sitting next to guests who come this Sunday. Pray that they will reach out to them with the love of Christ.
9. Pray that people will come back the next Sunday for our Follow Up series on "Reasons Not To Believe".
10. If you are committing to pray, could you email me at MBates@upc-orlando.com and let me know?
Finally, while I am asking (begging, pleading, exhorting, urging) everyone at UPC to pray for 5 minutes a day, I am also requesting that some of you join me in fasting starting with the end of our Maundy Thursday Service and ending with the Good Friday dinner celebration. Even if you are not attending these two events, you can join in fasting during those times. Fasting is a spiritual discipline when we forego food because we hunger to see God's glory and kingdom even more than we hunger for food. Again, if you are joining me in the fast, let me know that as well. I am only asking you to let me know because I need the encouragement that we are all in this together--that is part of what it means to be a church.
Thank you for your prayers.
Dear UPC Family,
Would you spend 5 minutes a day everyday between now and Sunday praying for our Easter Service? As you know, on Easter Sunday, we have the opportunity to share the love of Christ with many people who do not regularly attend church. This experience for them can either be a nice religous/cultural outing or it can be radically life changing. For it to be radically life changing, the Holy Spirit must move in their hearts. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit moves when God's people pray. Our usual expectation is that we have a good crowd for Easter and things go back to normal the next day. Let's ask God to do more than that at UPC this Sunday. Here is what you can do:
1. Find a time each day for the next few days when you can pray. You can do this as a family (in fact, that might be best when you can).
2. Pray for me, that God would give me the right words to say. I will be giving a message of hope. Our prayer is that they leave with the hope of the gopsel ringing in their hearts.
3. Pray for the Worship Team as they lead us. May we truly worship the risen Christ. As unbelievers gather with us, may they be drawn to worship Him, too.
4. Pray for our greeters, hosts, and ushers. May our members and guest both see the love of Christ displayed in these servants of the Lord.
5. Pray for the Sunday School teachers, Children's Church teachers, and nursery workers. Pray that God would use them to capture the hearts of children. We know from experience if the kids have a positive experience, we have a great chance of connecting with the parents.
6. Pray for our Easter ad in the East Orange Sun. Pray that people who do not attend church will see it and God would move their hearts to come.
7. Pray for the Easter cards that you recieved in the bulletin on Sunday and that people will be handing out. Pray that God would use that to bring people out.
8. Pray for the people who will be sitting next to guests who come this Sunday. Pray that they will reach out to them with the love of Christ.
9. Pray that people will come back the next Sunday for our Follow Up series on "Reasons Not To Believe".
10. If you are committing to pray, could you email me at MBates@upc-orlando.com and let me know?
Finally, while I am asking (begging, pleading, exhorting, urging) everyone at UPC to pray for 5 minutes a day, I am also requesting that some of you join me in fasting starting with the end of our Maundy Thursday Service and ending with the Good Friday dinner celebration. Even if you are not attending these two events, you can join in fasting during those times. Fasting is a spiritual discipline when we forego food because we hunger to see God's glory and kingdom even more than we hunger for food. Again, if you are joining me in the fast, let me know that as well. I am only asking you to let me know because I need the encouragement that we are all in this together--that is part of what it means to be a church.
Thank you for your prayers.
Labels: UPC
posted by Mark Bates | 3:07 PM
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