A question was asked to Billy Graham “What is prayer?”  He responded by saying that “prayer is a spiritual communication between man and God, a two-way relationship in which man should and not only talk to God but also listen to Him.  Prayer to God is like a child’s conversation with his father.  It is natural for a child to ask his father for the things he needs.”  In the month of December, our family took part in a month of advent by praying for different people.  Every day, we had pre-drawn names of people we planned to pray for.  We got to see firsthand prayers get answered.  We witnessed God’s hand in it all.  Our kids were made aware that prayer wasn’t just a meaningless conversation to God but that it held power.  I believe Viktor and I were even more opened to the power of it.  Spending a whole month making that time and effort to pray together as a family touched me and made me really start to reevaluate the job of Children’s Ministry.  My job is related to the children of CCC, but it’s for the good of the whole church.  For months now I’ve wanted our kids to feel more connected, I toiled with the idea of adults from CCC being paired up with the children as kind of a mentoring, prayer partner, etc.… like “Sponsor a child”.  Then I was told about the “Pray for Me” campaign!  After reading what I will share below, I knew this was EXACTLY what I had been praying for!  We weren’t going to do “Sponsor a kid,” but specifically pray for them.

“In recent years we have become increasingly affected by the rise in students leaving the church. Sticky Faith’s research found this unsettling national statistic: 40-50% of students from good youth groups and families will drift from God and the church after high school. This has become a pebble in our shoe reminding us with every step that something must be done to address this problem. The Pray for Me Campaign began to emerge as we combined what we knew to be true in Scripture with the research stating that the role of adult believers is indispensable in passing on a sustainable faith to the next generation. Our question became:

How can we connect more adults with more young people more naturally than ever before?

The Pray for Me Campaign was born out of this question. We believe every young person needs a team of Prayer Champions strategically praying for them. The Pray for Me Campaign creates a vast web of intergenerational relationships for young people and equips adult believers to pass on a sustainable faith to the next generation.”

Being a prayer Champion means committing to pray for a young person.  To build a bridge of communication with these young people.  To watch them grow, to form relationships that will inspire and encourage you both.  These young people will range from infants-youth.  The main thing we are doing is PRAYING for these children & youth.  Don’t get scared by “form relationships” I’m praying that will establish in time, that you will seek these kids out and ask them how they are, if they have needs (if they don’t speak yet…build connections with the parents).  Let’s make these kids feel valued and loved by our church family. 

We will offer the Pray for Me – Prayer Guidebooks (for a donation).  These will just guide you a little better in what to pray for and how you can make that lasting impression on the lives of these children.

March 8^th-14 start praying about making this commitment

March 15-29 Sign up sheets will be in the Lobby

April 5^th you will be given your child’s name.

If you have any question you can contact me.

God, as we start to launch into the “Pray for Me” event, I pray for these adults that will make this commitment, that you will open their eyes to the power of prayer, and they will see your glory.  We pray for the young people that will take part, that they will be receptive to the power that you have.  That through this event the children will come to know you and will build an everlasting relationship with you.  Thank you for all the children and youth at CCC.  AMEN!

Psalm 145:4 “One generation shall commend your works to another and shall declare your mighty acts”

Psalm 71:17-18 says “O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.  So even to old age and gray hairs, O God do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come.