Let Us Pray ...

"But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6) 

If you were in worship on Sunday morning, then you know that we introduced new prayer cards and a new process for turning in your prayer requests. The new cards give you an opportunity to list your concern and to note whether it is for the pastors only or to be shared with the prayer team. And if you would like the Care Team to send a note, you may include the recipient's name and address.

But here is the best part. During the singing of the closing hymn, you are invited to bring the cards to the ministers, where they are laid on the altar and prayed over right there in the service! Last Sunday, Flint gave the directions earlier in the service, and during the closing hymn people moved from their pews and their chairs and flooded the chancel area and the front of Fellowship Hall with prayer requests! I came back to my office after the NOW service and counted the cards from the two services-50 prayer requests in one morning!

I was elated. But then the thought came to me, "What now?" How do we best respond to this multitude of prayers from the hearts of our congregation? Some of the requests are very specific and need a Care Team note. Some require a visit from our hospital or homebound visitors. Some need a call or visit from one of the ministers. Other requests are more general or do not have specific names or identifying information. But those requests are important as well. Prayer is just one of the facets of congregational care. It is an important component of being an intentionally caring congregation, reaching out to touch the hearts that are hurting.

As we work to ensure that we are addressing all of the prayer concerns of our congregation, we need your prayers and your help. You may have noticed that there are several different prayer lists circulating at any one time. There is one list that is in the Noel NOW, another in the Sunday School packets and yet another in the worship bulletin. Our hope is to "clean up" and consolidate those lists to ensure that they are timely and accurate. It may not be possible or appropriate to list every concern on an on-going basis, but it is crucial that the concerns are addressed and that prayers are being lifted up.

Here is where you can help. We have a prayer team that receives weekly, and immediate, prayer concerns. Are you willing to be a part of this group? Perhaps you have some free time that you can offer to help in compiling our weekly list from the prayer request cards. Would you be able to write notes to those needing to hear that Noel Church is praying for them? Or are you someone who would enjoy visiting the homebound, taking communion to our homebound members, or visiting in the hospitals? 

Pray about it. If you feel called to any of these ministries, we have a place for you. If you want to explore other ways to help in our congregational care ministries, let's talk.

Praying for you, as you pray for me,

Mimi