Dear Friends,  

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession  

and thanksgiving be made for everyone.  I Timothy 2:1

From our MNA Vision Statement...

That God, by His grace and for His own glory, will transform the PCA into a grassroots church planting culture that is:

• exponentially reproducing a growing number of biblically healthy churches
• seeing these churches characterized by significant conversion growth and ministries of mercy
• reaching the diverse communities and people groups of North America

Prayer is essential to discovering the will and call of God in fulfilling this vision, as well as appropriating the necessary power for carrying out this call. As we partner together in prayer and in ministry, by God's grace, we will be used by Him to fulfill this great vision.

Here you will find prayer requests for the current quarter.  Please join with us at MNA in praying for these churches, our dedicated church planters and other ministries God is using to extend His Kingdom here in North America.

In Christ,

Jim Bland

MNA Coordinator

May 12-18

Please pray for MNA Church Planter Recruiting Director Alan Foster as he finds new planters for the many locations that need new churches; helps men who desire to plant a church find the location that fits them; and works with churches, presbyteries, networks, and core groups in their desired target locations.  Also, please pray that God will: 

• raise up more church planters to start the scores of churches needed to impact all of North America with the Gospel.
• direct the men who currently want to plant to the right location.

Join Church Planter Pat Hickman of Redeemer Presbyterian Church's Fountain Square congregation (Indianapolis IN)  in praising God for the Gospel community that has  gathered with commitment to a new church in the urban poor urban neighborhood of Fountain Square. Please pray for the church to find and build up a worship leader for the public worship that will launch in September. Please pray for continued opportunities for all church members to build intentional Gospel relationships in the community.

May 19-25

 Pray for MNA Urban and Mercy Ministries Coordinator Randy Nabors:

• Please pray for the Urban Training Week hosted at New City Chattanooga during the Memorial Day Weekend and the last week of May. Pray that God will bring the right participants and give spiritual power to the presentations.
• Pray for the interns that the Thanksgiving Offering is supporting this summer around the country in urban churches and ministries, that God will bless their work and give them joy.
•  Pray for the Cross Cultural Music and Worship Conference hosted at New City Chattanooga during the last week of July. Pray for the encouragement of church musicians and worship leaders in cross cultural and ethnic ministries.
• Pray for Randy and Joan Nabors as they visit various urban ministries, pastors and church planters around the country this summer. Pray that their visits will encourage these men and women who are in spiritual battle.
• Pray that God will raise the millions of dollars needed for long term commitment to the planting of churches among the poor.

Pray for Church Planting Apprentice Nick Policow of Susquehanna Valley Presbytery, serving at New City Fellowship in Lancaster PA and Christ Presbyterian Church in Reading PA. Join him and his wife Jennifer in praise for their second son, who is due August 8.  Ask God for a healthy baby and mother. Pray for God to provide the financial support needed so that they and their presbytery will be able to decide if they should continue to plan to plant a new church, stay on as an assistant at the current church where they are serving, or move on to a pastoral role elsewhere.  

May 26-June 1

Please pray for MNA English as a Second Language (ESL) Ministries Director Nancy Booher and trainers Jan Nelson, Wanda Noble and Kristy Holliday:

• Pray for the ESL Training at General Assembly.  Pray that at least 20 people will attend.  Pray that as a result of this training several churches will start ESL Ministries.
• Please pray for Nancy, Jan, Wanda and Kristy as they train churches across the nation.  Pray that the PCA will become more aware of the ESL Training. Pray for more churches to ask for trainings.
• Please pray for more churches in the PCA to open their eyes and see the nations that God has brought to their doorstep.  Pray that they will be filled with compassion and seek ways to speak the Gospel to these new neighbors. 

Join Church Planter Leonard Liu of Evergreen Community Church in Powhatan VA in thanking the Lord for His faithfulness to this church plant for the past four years, for their leaders and for their growth.  Please pray that their outreach efforts and summer missions projects will be fruitful.  Pray for their in-town mission trip to Powhatan to serve and reach out to the residents and for their international mission trip supporting a church plant in the UK for the Gujurat people group.  

June 2-8

Please pray for MNA SecondCareer Ministry Director Greg Ogrosky as well as for the volunteers, staff, and church planters and ministries they are supporting.  Specifically:        

• Praise God for bringing forward volunteers to assist PCA church planters with their practical needs.
• Pray that awareness of MNA SecondCareer will continue to broaden so that more       individuals and ministries will take advantage of their services and thus strengthen church planting and other ministries throughout the PCA.        
• Pray for more hearts to warm to the desire to assist PCA church planters and walk with them in their work spreading God's Kingdom.

Pray for Church Planter Ray Cannata and Redeemer Presbyterian Church of New Orleans LA as they prepare to organize as a particular church in September.  Pray for this new chapter in the Lord's story there.  Redeemer will also begin the process of planting another congregation starting this fall.  Pray that the congregation will have a growing passion to serve their city.      

Praise God with Church Planter Chad Grindstaff of Living Hope PCA in Fairfield OH for His faithfulness over the first six months of worship.  The church has a solid core of people who deeply care for one another.  Pray for outreach, so that each member sees at least six people come to Christ this year.  Pray as well that they will see growth in each quarter and that they will remain faithful in asking God to work in their community.  Pray that God will answer the church's significant financial needs.  

June 9-15

Pray for MNA African American Ministries:

• Pray for African American campus ministers as they trust God to raise up future leaders:
• Pray for Elbert McGowan who has a growing RUF ministry at Jackson State University in Jackson MS.
• Pray for Elbert McGowan as he pursues ministry on the campus of Tugaloo College in Jackson MS.
• Pray for Roy Hubbard as he develops a large group meeting in his third year of RUF minister at Alabama A&M in Huntsville AL.
• Pray for our African American church planters and church planting interns:
• Pray for Russ Whitfield and his work at Grace DC as he starts a new site in NE Washington DC.
• Pray for Ronnie Perry, assistant pastor at New City Fellowship (Chattanooga TN), as he seeks to clarify his call.
• Pray for Jason Davidson, who is planting a church in the central district of Seattle.
• Pray for Joel Miller, of the Summit Mission Church in North Dallas TX.
• Pray for African American Pastors looking for a call:
• Pray for Raun Swafford, who is seeking another call in the PCA and has a number of options.
• Pray for RTS graduate Lloyd Dawson as he pursues a call in the PCA.
• Pray for James Williams as he works a secular job to support his family.
• Pray for Mark Robinson, who is looking for a ministry opportunity.
• Pray MNA African American Ministries Coordinator Wy Plummer:
• Pray that this ministry will be run on an engine of prayer and not worldly planning.

Pray with Church Planter Doug McNutt of Gospel Presbyterian Mission in Riverton UT for Joey, a potential elder-in-training, to be raised up along with at least two others  for local leadership. Also, please pray for five new converts and five new families to be added to the church plant family this spring and summer.   

June 16-22

Pray with Church Planting Coordinator Ted Powers for the ongoing recruiting and development of future church planters:

• Pray that the meal hosted by MNA at General Assembly will be eye opening and communicate a compelling vision of Kingdom expansion and the need to send called and qualified people to the church planting field. Ask that God will plant a seed in the hearts of some attending to pursue church planting. Pray also for speaker Randy Nabors as he prepares his remarks, for Duke Kwon, who will share his testimony of God's grace in ministry in Washington DC, and for the MNA staff who will briefly update listeners on ministry initiatives.
• Pray that God will draw godly and called people to church planting and that our MNA Assessment Center will be a powerful tool in helping them not only discern His will but give them clear guidance on their strengths and areas for development in ministry. There are three remaining Assessment Centers scheduled in 2013 - July, September, and November. Ask God to fill each to capacity.
• Pray for Ted as he works to equip those in church planting leadership positions to develop other leaders and church planters and to strategize for Kingdom growth through church planting in North America.

Join Church Planter Doug Serven of City Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City OK (www.citypresokc.com) in prayer for their first leadership training class. They receive new visitors every week; God is drawing people to Himself. Ask the Lord to be close to Doug and the congregation as they share their poverty and His riches with others.  Pray that Doug will remember that God loves him and that he will be a great leader who cares for people well and creates systems that help others care for people.  

Please join Church Planter Jody Stancil of the Cartersville Project in Cartersville GA in lifting up the following praises and prayer requests: Praise the Lord for the generous gifts from financial partners and for sending new partners in January, bringing them close to the number needed to support relocation to Cartersville. Pray that the Lord will provide the remaining support needed. Also, please pray that the Lord will continue to introduce them to many people, especially the lost, in Cartersville. Pray that He will give them His heart and passion for reaching those that are far from God and that He will also continue to call and build up a stable core group to become the foundation of this new church.

June 23-29

 Pray for Parakaleo, the MNA Church Planting Spouses Ministry: 

• Pray for productive contacts with church planters and their spouses during General Assembly.
• Pray for their efforts to get the word out about their book, Beyond Duct Tape: Holding the Heart Together in a Life of Ministry, so that it can be a blessing to women in ministry everywhere.
• Please pray that God will bless and equip the women who attend their first Alongside Coaching retreat (July 29-August 1). This training is for women who formally or informally mentor other women.  

Join Church Planter Scott Horne in Valdosta GA in prayer for continued growth after the recent launch of their plant Redeemer Presbyterian Church, and for leadership development. Ask the Lord to provide a new building for worship and guide Scott as he raises support.    

Give thanks with Church Planter Bob Willetts of Grace Presbyterian Church in Chesapeake VA for the unity in their new church. They seek to reach every man, woman, and child in Chesapeake with the Gospel.  Pray for open doors for the Gospel to penetrate their community, for boldness in proclaiming the Gospel, and for deliverance from wicked men who would seek to thwart God's kingdom.  Finally, pray for growth in their youth group and for their Christianity Explored outreach courses.

June 30-July 6

 Pray for MNA Hispanic American Ministries: 

• For more laborers for the Hispanic harvest in the USA. Pray for six new Hispanic men to start the process of training for the Gospel ministry in the PCA and four new Hispanic Teaching Elders to be ordained this year.
• For high quality Biblical and theological resources. Pray for the production of ten new seminary courses for SpanishLAMP Theological Seminary.
• To see changed lives. Pray for regular professions of faith and intentional discipleship to occur in our Hispanic churches.
• To provide ongoing support and training for our leaders.   

Pray with Church Planter Nate Walker in Bellingham WA for Christ Church Bellingham. Please pray for God's leading as they call an assistant pastor to help with their growing congregation. Ask God to raise up 5 more home group leaders so that they can grow from 10 to 15 home groups this year.  Ask for God's guidance as they seek the right teacher for the Classical Christian School Co-op they are starting in the fall.

July 7-13

Join Church Planter Brandon Addison of the Boulder Project (www.theboulderproject.org) in Boulder CO in giving thanks for their recent transition from Nashville to Boulder.  Their family is settling well and Aidan (3 years old) is finding new friends to play with.  Please pray that God will clear the path to new friends and community to share their burdens as well as their passion.  Pray that God will use their church and new campus ministry to bring many to faith in Him.  

Pray for Church Planter Juan Arjona and Misión Vida Nueva in Escondido CA. Give thanks to God for all the great works He has been doing among them; their mission is growing. The Lord has opened doors to distribute more than twelve thousands pounds of food every Saturday to more than two hundred people, and some of them have been coming back on Sunday to worship with them. Pray that God will open these visitors' hearts to His Gospel. Pray for their VBS taking place June 17-21 and ask God to provide the financial support for the program. Find them on Facebook as Misión Vida Nueva for pictures and more.

July 14-20

Pray for MNA Chaplain Ministries:

• The summer is a time when many Chaplains relocate to different duty stations.  Please pray for Chaplain families who are moving this summer.
• Pray for the 18 deployed Chaplains and their families back home.  Pray for their ministries and their safety.
• Praise the Lord that there have been no deaths or serious injuries to our deployed chaplains through the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. 
• Pray for the 77 Presbyterian and Reformed Commission on Chaplains (PRCC) Civilian Chaplains who minister to people in hospitals, hospices, retirement centers, corrections facilities, law enforcement and fire departments.

Join Church Planters Dan Kerley and David Dickson of Crosswater Presbyterian Church in Chesapeake VA in thanking the Lord for greatly blessing their first year of ministry in Chesapeake. Please pray that their summer outreach events will give them the opportunity to make many contacts in the community.  Pray that the people of Crosswater will continue to invite others to attend.  There is much uncertainty in their community among those who serve in the military and those who work supporting the military; please pray that Crosswater will be a place of stability for them and their families as they hear the Gospel and trust Christ.  

Pray with Church Planter Apprentice Jeffrey Choi of Queens Presbyterian Church in Queens NY for creativity as well as diligence and wisdom in their fundraising efforts. Pray that Jeffrey will constantly commune with the Lord. Pray that he remains diligent in Scripture reading and prayer and that these disciplines will increase as his apprenticeship continues. 

July 28-August 3

Please pray for Leadership and Ministry Preparation (LAMP) Director Brian Kelso and Carolyn Boyer with LAMP Theological Seminary:

• Please pray for the rebranding effort that LAMP is launching at the 2013 General Assembly, and for the new "Pew to Pulpit" campaign to encourage congregations to consider those involved in their local ministry who may have a calling to the Pulpit.
• Pray for students who are balancing ministry, family, and seminary to pursue God's direction for their lives.

Join Church Planter Troy Albee of Grace Presbyterian - South Shore (www.gracesouthshore.org) in Boston MA in prayer for God's Spirit to create a hunger for the Word in their area and to provide wisdom in their summer leadership training class.

Praise God with Louis Surprenant of Christ Church Greensboro in Greensboro NC for the opportunity to serve in a church planter apprenticeship. Please pray for Louis' ability to study for licensure and ordination exams in the midst of ministry and fundraising. Also, pray for the summer outreach programs to students ranging from first grade through college.

August 4-10   

Pray for MNA Special Needs Ministries: 

• Praise God that MNA Special Needs Ministries has, in the last year, completed four three-day training weekends for their new team of Facilitators. The team has grown to ten now!
• Please pray that God will continue to bless the work of MNA Special Needs Ministries so that the next generation will readily include people with disabilities as a natural part of life in the covenant community.
• Please pray for the many opportunities being pursued to partner with other like-minded Christian organizations to multiply the effectiveness of the ministry by offering as many resources and training events as possible to PCA congregations.

Join Church Planter Vito Aiuto of Resurrection Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn NY in thanking God for answered prayers. For several years they have prayed to add a second service in the morning, in addition to the one they have in the afternoon.  In December 2012 God graciously answered that prayer, and for that they are very grateful to Him and to all who prayed. Please pray that God will bring people to their church, especially people who do not yet believe in Christ, as well as people who believe but do not have a church home.

Give thanks with Church Planter Scott McDowell of Lighthouse Church (www.lhchurch.ca) in Victoria BC Canada for the one year anniversary of launching the church.  Pray for guidance as they continue to connect with people struggling financially and relationally, including a number of single moms and individuals and families surviving on disability income.  Praise God for the number of people attending Lighthouse who are new to Christianity and are happy to keep attending to hear the Gospel and participate in the community. Pray for their community group facilitators, who are being equipped and coached in taking steps to disciple their own personal networks in the church and city. Pray for Lighthouse Church's discipleship fruit, whether new faith conversions, renewed faith in the Gospel of grace, or bold faith in living for God's mission.