Dear FPCers and Friends,

On Friday, September 25^th at noon we will gather at the church for a 24-hour Prayer Vigil in concert with Franklin Graham’s “Prayer March 2020” which will take place in Washington DC on Saturday, September 26^th. This vigil will be a bit different than past vigils. There will be times provided for us to gather as a worshiping community at different hours of the day with specific purposes. We will have a communion and healing service, a midnight concert of prayer, early morning prayers of praise, followed by prayers for our country and the march. At noon on Saturday we will close with songs and prayers. During the vigil we would like members to take a time to pray for our country, community, and church. We would like you to join us in the sanctuary but if you cannot you can spend an hour in prayer at home. Here is the corporate worship schedule for the Prayer March Vigil 2020:

Friday September 25^th

• Noon – Prayers, Communion, and Healing Service
• 6:00 pm – Worship in songs, Prayer, and Teaching followed by a prayer caravan

Saturday September 26^th

• Midnight – A Concert of Prayer
• 6:00 am – Call to Prayer: Praying for our country and for the Prayer March
• 11:30 am – Closing Prayer and Worship

The sanctuary will be open for prayer from noon on Friday until 12:30 pm on Saturday. If you are interested in participating in the prayer caravan, please let me know so we can plan the routes as we pray through our communities.

I look forward to traveling with you in this prayer vigil.

“What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen for his own.” Ps. 33:12

Can you say this with David, “The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.”? The NCV translation states it plainly, “The Lord is my shepherd, I have everything I need.”  Do you believe that? Are they more than words? Is that your attitude in life? Or are you always satisfied? Or are you yearning for more? Do you desire more in your relationship with Jesus? Can you say, “I have everything I need because I have Jesus. In Christ all my needs are met. The Apostle Paul in writing to the Philippians said, “I have learned to be to be satisfied with the things that I have and everything that happens. I know how to live when I am poor, and I know how to live when I have plenty. I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens, when I have enough to eat and when I go hungry, when I have more than I need and when I do not have enough. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4: 11-13). This is a powerful confession from Paul. Christ had become his all and all. This is a faith of sufficiency, a life without lack.

Are you yearning for a faith like Paul’s, or David, or Mary, or Martha’s? Is there a Christian man or woman that you see and say I wish my faith could be like?  Dallas Willard in his book, Life Without Lack, writes “Seek the Lord and wait for Him to show up. Set aside time to devote yourself to prayer and other spiritual disciplines that will strengthen your faith and prepare you to receive from Him. Listen for God when you pray. Watch for Him and wait on Him throughout the day. If you want to have a deeper, more trusting faith, seek God and be prepared to go with Him. He will bring you into a faith of sufficiency as He reveals Himself uniquely to you.”

Starting September 1^st and going through October 22^nd, you are invited to be a part of a daily devotional reading from a book called Secrets of the Secret Place. Each family in the church will receive this book. Every day in our Facebook Messenger group (Church News Articles) I will post daily questions and thoughts to follow our readings. I hope that you will contribute to the conversation. If you prefer an email let me know. The sermon series for September and October will complement our readings.  Each chapter is short but quite thought provoking. Read it by yourself, as a family, or invite a friend to read it with you even if you need to read it together over the phone. I believe this journey will strengthen and deepen your faith and bring you into a “life without lack.” Eager to begin this journey with you.  

Love in Christ, Ilona